Stanford AI Usage, ‘Face Swaps’ on Campus Banner Spark National Backlash
Angel Island Prescribed Burn to Resume This Week
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Bay Area Security Workers Guarding Big Tech Offices Strike
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a> senior Billy Ramirez returned to campus this fall to find that the university’s housing and dining department used artificial intelligence to replace him with a Black woman on a public banner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stanford Residential and Dining Enterprises, which oversees the university’s housing operations, dining services and campus conferences, hung the promotional banner in a student housing center, according to \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/09/23/university-confirms-ai-edited-photo/\">\u003cem>The Stanford Daily\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outlet also reported that the original photo, taken in Stern Dining during a 2024 Lunar New Year celebration, was previously used unaltered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An ornate sandstone-colored building with a series of arches sitting on a brick plaza.\" class=\"wp-image-11956028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED-800x528.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED-1020x673.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED-1536x1014.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED-1920x1267.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The arches of the Main Quadrangle buildings on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto on Oct. 2, 2021. (David Madison/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to replacing Ramirez, Stanford R&DE made significant changes to the other two students’ faces. The edits and use of AI caused a stir on the campus social media app, Fizz, according to the Daily, consequently drawing \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/us/stanford-photo-swap-black-hispanic-student.html\">national attention\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Seeing my identity changed and being left out of the picture made me feel, in a way, silenced and erased from a representation that was supposed to include me,” Ramirez told the \u003ca href=\"https://stanfordreview.org/stanford-r-de-uses-ai-to-race-swap-students-for-advertising/\">\u003cem>Stanford Review\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, an independent paper founded by venture capitalist and university alum Peter Thiel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramirez’s class was the last cohort admitted to a U.S. college before the Supreme Court gutted \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/06/29/1181138066/affirmative-action-supreme-court-decision\">affirmative action\u003c/a> in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-complex-ramifications-of-students-for-fair-admissions-v-harvard/\">Brookings Institute\u003c/a> found that these changes had a sizable impact on the racial profile of college populations across the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At Stanford, \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/01/final-enrollment-data-for-class-of-2028-reported-in-common-data-set\">enrollment\u003c/a> for Black or African American students fell from 8.9% to 4.5% and enrollment for Hispanic or Latino students fell from 16.7% to 14.6%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same time, Asian student enrollment increased from 28.8% to 33%, and White student enrollment increased from 21.9% to 24.1%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Universities have a long history of artificially diversifying models in their marketing. In 2019, \u003ca href=\"https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/call-action-marketing-and-communications-higher-education/marketing-authenticity-higher\">\u003cem>Inside Higher Ed\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported on a series of incidents, including one at York College of Pennsylvania, where the school used Photoshop to replace two white students “with an African American student and (seemingly) Muslim student.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stanford AI researcher Maty Bohacek said he found the situation “highly problematic” and explained how AI image editing introduces new problems to an old story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12067141\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hoover Tower at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Humans would most likely go into Photoshop and start working on specific areas of the image,” Bohacek, who focuses on media integrity, said. “But AI models these days, most of them anyway, can’t do that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bohacek said that most publicly available AI models cannot work directly with individual pixels, the way a human would in photoshop. Instead, they take the entire image, convert it into a mathematical form, make edits, then convert it back into an image. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During this process, other parts of the photo can also be altered, like the two students to the left of Ramirez, he said, and biases can be introduced. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These models are heavily post-trained to produce imagery or text that humans tend to prefer or tend to rate as more aesthetically pleasing,” Bohacek said. “That to me is problematic because we changed people’s likeness,” noting that both students were made to look thinner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an anonymous Substack titled \u003ca href=\"https://theothertwo.substack.com/p/letter-to-the-stanford-community\">“The Other Two,”\u003c/a> the authors introduced themselves as the students pictured alongside Ramirez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They wrote that they filed a report to the university’s Title VI office for discrimination and said they demanded that Stanford take down the banners with the photo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The arched walkways of Stanford’s Main Quad in Stanford Oct. 29, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The fact that the picture generated one of our peers into a Black woman to showcase “diversity,” despite enrolling the lowest Black student population in the past recent years, has shown that universities have not shown enough institutional support for their Black community and see them as a tool for their marketing,” the authors wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“To see Southeast Asian facial features be changed to adhere to the East Asian beauty standards shows that Stanford sees the Asia diaspora as a monolith,” they continued.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, Stanford spokesperson Charlene Gage said that the university “reviewed the matter and confirmed that AI was used to alter the image in violation of the university policy.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gage said that Stanford removed the banners with the image in question and “are working to provide additional training for all staff and ensure proper review.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ramirez’s class was the last cohort admitted to a U.S. college before the Supreme Court gutted \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/06/29/1181138066/affirmative-action-supreme-court-decision\">affirmative action\u003c/a> in 2023. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At Stanford, \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/01/final-enrollment-data-for-class-of-2028-reported-in-common-data-set\">enrollment\u003c/a> for Black or African American students fell from 8.9% to 4.5% and enrollment for Hispanic or Latino students fell from 16.7% to 14.6%. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Universities have a long history of artificially diversifying models in their marketing. In 2019, \u003ca href=\"https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/call-action-marketing-and-communications-higher-education/marketing-authenticity-higher\">\u003cem>Inside Higher Ed\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported on a series of incidents, including one at York College of Pennsylvania, where the school used Photoshop to replace two white students “with an African American student and (seemingly) Muslim student.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These models are heavily post-trained to produce imagery or text that humans tend to prefer or tend to rate as more aesthetically pleasing,” Bohacek said. “That to me is problematic because we changed people’s likeness,” noting that both students were made to look thinner. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an anonymous Substack titled \u003ca href=\"https://theothertwo.substack.com/p/letter-to-the-stanford-community\">“The Other Two,”\u003c/a> the authors introduced themselves as the students pictured alongside Ramirez. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The fact that the picture generated one of our peers into a Black woman to showcase “diversity,” despite enrolling the lowest Black student population in the past recent years, has shown that universities have not shown enough institutional support for their Black community and see them as a tool for their marketing,” the authors wrote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“To see Southeast Asian facial features be changed to adhere to the East Asian beauty standards shows that Stanford sees the Asia diaspora as a monolith,” they continued.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, Stanford spokesperson Charlene Gage said that the university “reviewed the matter and confirmed that AI was used to alter the image in violation of the university policy.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Amid criticism from students and national coverage of the incident, Stanford has removed all banners with the image and pledged to conduct a proper review.",
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"title": "Stanford AI Usage, ‘Face Swaps’ on Campus Banner Spark National Backlash | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a> senior Billy Ramirez returned to campus this fall to find that the university’s housing and dining department used artificial intelligence to replace him with a Black woman on a public banner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stanford Residential and Dining Enterprises, which oversees the university’s housing operations, dining services and campus conferences, hung the promotional banner in a student housing center, according to \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/09/23/university-confirms-ai-edited-photo/\">\u003cem>The Stanford Daily\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outlet also reported that the original photo, taken in Stern Dining during a 2024 Lunar New Year celebration, was previously used unaltered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An ornate sandstone-colored building with a series of arches sitting on a brick plaza.\" class=\"wp-image-11956028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED-800x528.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED-1020x673.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED-1536x1014.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-STANFORD-GETTY-DM-KQED-1920x1267.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The arches of the Main Quadrangle buildings on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto on Oct. 2, 2021. (David Madison/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to replacing Ramirez, Stanford R&DE made significant changes to the other two students’ faces. The edits and use of AI caused a stir on the campus social media app, Fizz, according to the Daily, consequently drawing \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/us/stanford-photo-swap-black-hispanic-student.html\">national attention\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Seeing my identity changed and being left out of the picture made me feel, in a way, silenced and erased from a representation that was supposed to include me,” Ramirez told the \u003ca href=\"https://stanfordreview.org/stanford-r-de-uses-ai-to-race-swap-students-for-advertising/\">\u003cem>Stanford Review\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, an independent paper founded by venture capitalist and university alum Peter Thiel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramirez’s class was the last cohort admitted to a U.S. college before the Supreme Court gutted \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/06/29/1181138066/affirmative-action-supreme-court-decision\">affirmative action\u003c/a> in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-complex-ramifications-of-students-for-fair-admissions-v-harvard/\">Brookings Institute\u003c/a> found that these changes had a sizable impact on the racial profile of college populations across the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At Stanford, \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/01/final-enrollment-data-for-class-of-2028-reported-in-common-data-set\">enrollment\u003c/a> for Black or African American students fell from 8.9% to 4.5% and enrollment for Hispanic or Latino students fell from 16.7% to 14.6%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same time, Asian student enrollment increased from 28.8% to 33%, and White student enrollment increased from 21.9% to 24.1%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Universities have a long history of artificially diversifying models in their marketing. In 2019, \u003ca href=\"https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/call-action-marketing-and-communications-higher-education/marketing-authenticity-higher\">\u003cem>Inside Higher Ed\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported on a series of incidents, including one at York College of Pennsylvania, where the school used Photoshop to replace two white students “with an African American student and (seemingly) Muslim student.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stanford AI researcher Maty Bohacek said he found the situation “highly problematic” and explained how AI image editing introduces new problems to an old story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12067141\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hoover Tower at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Humans would most likely go into Photoshop and start working on specific areas of the image,” Bohacek, who focuses on media integrity, said. “But AI models these days, most of them anyway, can’t do that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bohacek said that most publicly available AI models cannot work directly with individual pixels, the way a human would in photoshop. Instead, they take the entire image, convert it into a mathematical form, make edits, then convert it back into an image. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During this process, other parts of the photo can also be altered, like the two students to the left of Ramirez, he said, and biases can be introduced. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These models are heavily post-trained to produce imagery or text that humans tend to prefer or tend to rate as more aesthetically pleasing,” Bohacek said. “That to me is problematic because we changed people’s likeness,” noting that both students were made to look thinner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an anonymous Substack titled \u003ca href=\"https://theothertwo.substack.com/p/letter-to-the-stanford-community\">“The Other Two,”\u003c/a> the authors introduced themselves as the students pictured alongside Ramirez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They wrote that they filed a report to the university’s Title VI office for discrimination and said they demanded that Stanford take down the banners with the photo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The arched walkways of Stanford’s Main Quad in Stanford Oct. 29, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The fact that the picture generated one of our peers into a Black woman to showcase “diversity,” despite enrolling the lowest Black student population in the past recent years, has shown that universities have not shown enough institutional support for their Black community and see them as a tool for their marketing,” the authors wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“To see Southeast Asian facial features be changed to adhere to the East Asian beauty standards shows that Stanford sees the Asia diaspora as a monolith,” they continued.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, Stanford spokesperson Charlene Gage said that the university “reviewed the matter and confirmed that AI was used to alter the image in violation of the university policy.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gage said that Stanford removed the banners with the image in question and “are working to provide additional training for all staff and ensure proper review.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "angel-island-prescribed-burn-to-resume-this-week",
"title": "Angel Island Prescribed Burn to Resume This Week",
"publishDate": 1790114796,
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"headTitle": "Angel Island Prescribed Burn to Resume This Week | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>If you see smoke rising over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/angel-island\">Angel Island\u003c/a> this week, don’t be alarmed — fire crews are set to continue a prescribed burn two weeks after a previous operation was paused. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A planned burn on Sept. 8 covered just 62 acres before stopping due to air quality concerns, according to a State Parks press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Smoke from Angel Island, the largest island in the San Francisco Bay, was visible throughout the East Bay and San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ryan Forbes, a spokesperson for California State Parks, said that fire officials decided to hold off after looking at upcoming weather conditions and receiving feedback from the community. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We actually plan around needing to postpone burns,” Forbes said. “We really only like to burn when conditions are ideal, and we’re in San Francisco, where weather conditions can change a lot.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100937\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A firefighter works on Angel Island during a prescribed burn on Sept. 8, 2026. State parks, in partnership with Cal Fire and Marin County, plan to continue the prescribed burn started two weeks ago. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While prescribed burns make air quality worse in the short run, contributing to negative \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/air-research/wildland-fire-research-human-health\">health\u003c/a> outcomes, Stanford University researchers have shown that annual prescribed burns can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001297/can-controlled-burns-reduce-californias-air-pollution\">reduce exposure to wildfire smoke\u003c/a> by as much as \u003ca href=\"https://sustainability.stanford.edu/news/prescribed-fires-can-cut-smoke-pollution-years-miles-beyond-burn-areas\">25%\u003c/a> in California’s worst wildfire years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Forbes said State Parks takes a number of environmental factors into consideration while planning burn days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re not burning on super wet ground,” he said. “We are not burning on a day where the air is really stale, and it’s just going to sit right where we are. We want good dispersal and we also want it to be on a day, where there’s not as many particulates in the air.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal Fire and the Marin County Fire Department will work with State Parks on Wednesday to finish the burn aimed at reducing the amount of grass, shrubbery and other flammable vegetation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Periodically burning this vegetation \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/articles/what-is-a-prescribed-fire.htm\">reduces\u003c/a> wildfire risk and gets funded through a Proposition 4 \u003ca href=\"https://bondaccountability.resources.ca.gov/Propositions/Proposition_4_Climate_Bond\">2024 Climate Bond\u003c/a>, the press release said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2008, a wildfire burned almost \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/people-caused-the-angel-island-fire/1840143/\">half\u003c/a> of the island — the prescribed burn aims to avoid another catastrophe before it’s too late. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s very difficult to get resources over there on a quick timeline,” Forbes said. “We need to bring them over on a landing craft — of which there’s really only one in the Bay.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The park remains \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/1581\">open\u003c/a>, although the park’s fire and perimeter roads, as well as portions of the Ida Trail and Sunset Trail, will be closed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State Parks officials asked residents not to call 911 if smoke appears over the island and said that residents will likely see smoke from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on burn days and up to three days after. Most of the smoke will come in the early morning and early afternoon, Forbes said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nnavarro\">\u003cem>Natalia Navarro\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you see smoke rising over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/angel-island\">Angel Island\u003c/a> this week, don’t be alarmed — fire crews are set to continue a prescribed burn two weeks after a previous operation was paused. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A planned burn on Sept. 8 covered just 62 acres before stopping due to air quality concerns, according to a State Parks press release. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ryan Forbes, a spokesperson for California State Parks, said that fire officials decided to hold off after looking at upcoming weather conditions and receiving feedback from the community. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We actually plan around needing to postpone burns,” Forbes said. “We really only like to burn when conditions are ideal, and we’re in San Francisco, where weather conditions can change a lot.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We actually plan around needing to postpone burns,” Forbes said. “We really only like to burn when conditions are ideal, and we’re in San Francisco, where weather conditions can change a lot.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100937\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A firefighter works on Angel Island during a prescribed burn on Sept. 8, 2026. State parks, in partnership with Cal Fire and Marin County, plan to continue the prescribed burn started two weeks ago.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While prescribed burns make air quality worse in the short run, contributing to negative \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/air-research/wildland-fire-research-human-health\">health\u003c/a> outcomes, Stanford University researchers have shown that annual prescribed burns can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001297/can-controlled-burns-reduce-californias-air-pollution\">reduce exposure to wildfire smoke\u003c/a> by as much as \u003ca href=\"https://sustainability.stanford.edu/news/prescribed-fires-can-cut-smoke-pollution-years-miles-beyond-burn-areas\">25%\u003c/a> in California’s worst wildfire years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Forbes said State Parks takes a number of environmental factors into consideration while planning burn days. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re not burning on super wet ground,” he said. “We are not burning on a day where the air is really stale, and it’s just going to sit right where we are. We want good dispersal and we also want it to be on a day, where there’s not as many particulates in the air.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cal Fire and the Marin County Fire Department will work with State Parks on Wednesday to finish the burn aimed at reducing the amount of grass, shrubbery and other flammable vegetation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Periodically burning this vegetation \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/articles/what-is-a-prescribed-fire.htm\">reduces\u003c/a> wildfire risk and gets funded through a Proposition 4 \u003ca href=\"https://bondaccountability.resources.ca.gov/Propositions/Proposition_4_Climate_Bond\">2024 Climate Bond\u003c/a>, the press release said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2008, a wildfire burned almost \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/people-caused-the-angel-island-fire/1840143/\">half\u003c/a> of the island — the prescribed burn aims to avoid another catastrophe before it’s too late. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s very difficult to get resources over there on a quick timeline,” Forbes said. “We need to bring them over on a landing craft — of which there’s really only one in the Bay.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The park remains \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/1581\">open\u003c/a>, although the park’s fire and perimeter roads, as well as portions of the Ida Trail and Sunset Trail, will be closed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State Parks officials asked residents not to call 911 if smoke appears over the island and said that residents will likely see smoke from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on burn days and up to three days after. Most of the smoke will come in the early morning and early afternoon, Forbes said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State Parks officials asked residents not to call 911 if smoke appears over the island and said that residents will likely see smoke from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on burn days and up to three days after. Most of the smoke will come in the early morning and early afternoon, Forbes said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nnavarro\">\u003cem>Natalia Navarro\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Don’t call 911: Fire crews are aiming to prevent future wildfires by burning grass and shrubs on the island.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>If you see smoke rising over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/angel-island\">Angel Island\u003c/a> this week, don’t be alarmed — fire crews are set to continue a prescribed burn two weeks after a previous operation was paused. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A planned burn on Sept. 8 covered just 62 acres before stopping due to air quality concerns, according to a State Parks press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Smoke from Angel Island, the largest island in the San Francisco Bay, was visible throughout the East Bay and San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ryan Forbes, a spokesperson for California State Parks, said that fire officials decided to hold off after looking at upcoming weather conditions and receiving feedback from the community. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We actually plan around needing to postpone burns,” Forbes said. “We really only like to burn when conditions are ideal, and we’re in San Francisco, where weather conditions can change a lot.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100937\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/AngelIslandPrescribedBurn-KQED_1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A firefighter works on Angel Island during a prescribed burn on Sept. 8, 2026. State parks, in partnership with Cal Fire and Marin County, plan to continue the prescribed burn started two weeks ago. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While prescribed burns make air quality worse in the short run, contributing to negative \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/air-research/wildland-fire-research-human-health\">health\u003c/a> outcomes, Stanford University researchers have shown that annual prescribed burns can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001297/can-controlled-burns-reduce-californias-air-pollution\">reduce exposure to wildfire smoke\u003c/a> by as much as \u003ca href=\"https://sustainability.stanford.edu/news/prescribed-fires-can-cut-smoke-pollution-years-miles-beyond-burn-areas\">25%\u003c/a> in California’s worst wildfire years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Forbes said State Parks takes a number of environmental factors into consideration while planning burn days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re not burning on super wet ground,” he said. “We are not burning on a day where the air is really stale, and it’s just going to sit right where we are. We want good dispersal and we also want it to be on a day, where there’s not as many particulates in the air.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal Fire and the Marin County Fire Department will work with State Parks on Wednesday to finish the burn aimed at reducing the amount of grass, shrubbery and other flammable vegetation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Periodically burning this vegetation \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/articles/what-is-a-prescribed-fire.htm\">reduces\u003c/a> wildfire risk and gets funded through a Proposition 4 \u003ca href=\"https://bondaccountability.resources.ca.gov/Propositions/Proposition_4_Climate_Bond\">2024 Climate Bond\u003c/a>, the press release said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2008, a wildfire burned almost \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/people-caused-the-angel-island-fire/1840143/\">half\u003c/a> of the island — the prescribed burn aims to avoid another catastrophe before it’s too late. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s very difficult to get resources over there on a quick timeline,” Forbes said. “We need to bring them over on a landing craft — of which there’s really only one in the Bay.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The park remains \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/1581\">open\u003c/a>, although the park’s fire and perimeter roads, as well as portions of the Ida Trail and Sunset Trail, will be closed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State Parks officials asked residents not to call 911 if smoke appears over the island and said that residents will likely see smoke from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on burn days and up to three days after. Most of the smoke will come in the early morning and early afternoon, Forbes said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nnavarro\">\u003cem>Natalia Navarro\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">Flipping the Switch\u003c/a>, KQED’s series about California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? And how much does it cost? \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The duo went on to start Solar Aquagrid, an advocacy firm dedicated to reimagining aging canals, and partnered with the Turlock Irrigation District, UC Merced and the California Department of Water Resources to cover small sections of Turlock’s canals with solar panels. The new “solar canal” provides shade to limit evaporation and generates power all in one neat package. They call it Project Nexus, and it operates at the intersection of the state’s need for clean water and energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Project Nexus tests not one, but three different solar canal models. A wide-span canopy rises over one of Turlock’s 115-foot canals, resembling the top of a barn. A more classic set of slanting solar panels sits atop a 20-foot canal. And accordion-like retractable panels are positioned low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up at a moment’s notice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raj affectionately called the wide-span canopy his “singular field of dream.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roger Bales, a professor at UC Merced who co-authored a \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf\">2021\u003c/a> study that helped convince the state to invest in this pilot, said his initial calculations indicate that putting panels over 100 miles of Turlock’s narrow canals could save enough water for 2,700 households annually. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the state put panels over 100 miles of the wide canals, it could save 11,000 households’ worth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also estimates that the narrow and the wide canal could generate 330 to 1,400 megawatts per hundred miles respectively — enough to power 77,000 to 304,000 households.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The pilot was fully completed and energized last year. Earlier this month, Harris walked alongside the solar panels that arched over a 115-foot canal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001982\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founders Jordan Harris (left) and Robin Raj walk alongside solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. Solar AquaGrid helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing the use of solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are disturbed spaces,” Harris said, pointing to the concrete ditch filled with murky water. “So why not take advantage of the fact that we’ve already done that and help them work harder, be more efficient, produce more and protect what’s around us?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The research team also found numerous “co-benefits,” or silver linings that make the project more valuable than the sum of its water and power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bales said shading the canals led to less algal growth and less fixed aquatic weed growth — reducing maintenance and improving water quality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Preventing new solar development on natural land benefits both people and planet, Bale added, emphasizing how preserving these lands is essential for maintaining life “as we know it on the Earth.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Acquiring permits to build on undeveloped land can be a major bottleneck for developers, too. Building on open space takes 621 days on average, compared with 110 days for projects on developed land, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">study\u003c/a> from The Nature Conservancy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Given the numerous benefits, Bales said the project “just makes sense.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But just because something makes sense does not mean it’s easy to implement. “We often talk about the challenges of getting to the obvious,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Projects touching land, water and power often involve coordinating many stakeholders. California’s canals can be managed by state or federal water agencies, as well as municipal governments and local irrigation districts. These operators often do not own the land around the canal, let alone the infrastructure to transmit the power to utilities — one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, according to Harris. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris and Raj found their “ideal” partner in Turlock Irrigation District, a 139-year-old irrigation district operating 250 miles of canals that provides both water and power to nearly 5,000 farmers in the Central Valley growing everything from beans to peaches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It is one of four irrigation districts in California providing both water and retail power, noted Josh Weimer, a spokesperson for Turlock.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer said that the project received little pushback from locals, in part because, while the Irrigation District used some staff time for the project, a $20 million state grant paid for both the research and the infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer described the project as a “proof of concept” that generates just 1.7 megawatts of energy, a tiny fraction of the 56 megawatts that they generate with a solar farm in the desert. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the canal site hosts more than just panels. Bales said they “have instruments out there to measure temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, outgoing radiation, and a prototype instrument to measure evaporation directly.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Turlock’s solar panels tower above the water because the irrigation district cleans the canals on a regular basis with equipment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over in Contra Costa County, the urban landscape makes any kind of solar canal project unrealistic, said Jennifer Allen, a spokesperson for the county’s water district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, the canal system runs through backyards and public parks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Something like Project Nexus wouldn’t work because maintenance workers need to access the canals and have limited space to work alongside them, Allen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founder Robin Raj stands near solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. The company helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state remains focused on “evaluation, continued study, potential scaling and lessons learned.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Critical infrastructure change is really hard, and if you don’t have science behind it to justify the expense and be able to quantify the benefits, then you’re not gonna scale,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The final report comes out later this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">Flipping the Switch\u003c/a>, KQED’s series about California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? And how much does it cost? \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">Flipping the Switch\u003c/a>, KQED’s series about California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? And how much does it cost? \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001988\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The duo went on to start Solar Aquagrid, an advocacy firm dedicated to reimagining aging canals, and partnered with the Turlock Irrigation District, UC Merced and the California Department of Water Resources to cover small sections of Turlock’s canals with solar panels. The new “solar canal” provides shade to limit evaporation and generates power all in one neat package. They call it Project Nexus, and it operates at the intersection of the state’s need for clean water and energy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Project Nexus tests not one, but three different solar canal models. A wide-span canopy rises over one of Turlock’s 115-foot canals, resembling the top of a barn. A more classic set of slanting solar panels sits atop a 20-foot canal. And accordion-like retractable panels are positioned low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up at a moment’s notice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Raj affectionately called the wide-span canopy his “singular field of dream.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roger Bales, a professor at UC Merced who co-authored a \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf\">2021\u003c/a> study that helped convince the state to invest in this pilot, said his initial calculations indicate that putting panels over 100 miles of Turlock’s narrow canals could save enough water for 2,700 households annually. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If the state put panels over 100 miles of the wide canals, it could save 11,000 households’ worth. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He also estimates that the narrow and the wide canal could generate 330 to 1,400 megawatts per hundred miles respectively — enough to power 77,000 to 304,000 households.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The pilot was fully completed and energized last year. Earlier this month, Harris walked alongside the solar panels that arched over a 115-foot canal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001982\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founders Jordan Harris (left) and Robin Raj walk alongside solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. Solar AquaGrid helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing the use of solar panels over working irrigation canals.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These are disturbed spaces,” Harris said, pointing to the concrete ditch filled with murky water. “So why not take advantage of the fact that we’ve already done that and help them work harder, be more efficient, produce more and protect what’s around us?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The research team also found numerous “co-benefits,” or silver linings that make the project more valuable than the sum of its water and power. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bales said shading the canals led to less algal growth and less fixed aquatic weed growth — reducing maintenance and improving water quality.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Preventing new solar development on natural land benefits both people and planet, Bale added, emphasizing how preserving these lands is essential for maintaining life “as we know it on the Earth.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Acquiring permits to build on undeveloped land can be a major bottleneck for developers, too. Building on open space takes 621 days on average, compared with 110 days for projects on developed land, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">study\u003c/a> from The Nature Conservancy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Given the numerous benefits, Bales said the project “just makes sense.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But just because something makes sense does not mean it’s easy to implement. “We often talk about the challenges of getting to the obvious,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Projects touching land, water and power often involve coordinating many stakeholders. California’s canals can be managed by state or federal water agencies, as well as municipal governments and local irrigation districts. These operators often do not own the land around the canal, let alone the infrastructure to transmit the power to utilities — one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, according to Harris. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Harris and Raj found their “ideal” partner in Turlock Irrigation District, a 139-year-old irrigation district operating 250 miles of canals that provides both water and power to nearly 5,000 farmers in the Central Valley growing everything from beans to peaches. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It is one of four irrigation districts in California providing both water and retail power, noted Josh Weimer, a spokesperson for Turlock.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weimer said that the project received little pushback from locals, in part because, while the Irrigation District used some staff time for the project, a $20 million state grant paid for both the research and the infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weimer described the project as a “proof of concept” that generates just 1.7 megawatts of energy, a tiny fraction of the 56 megawatts that they generate with a solar farm in the desert. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the canal site hosts more than just panels. Bales said they “have instruments out there to measure temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, outgoing radiation, and a prototype instrument to measure evaporation directly.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Turlock’s solar panels tower above the water because the irrigation district cleans the canals on a regular basis with equipment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over in Contra Costa County, the urban landscape makes any kind of solar canal project unrealistic, said Jennifer Allen, a spokesperson for the county’s water district.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Today, the canal system runs through backyards and public parks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Something like Project Nexus wouldn’t work because maintenance workers need to access the canals and have limited space to work alongside them, Allen said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001984\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founder Robin Raj stands near solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. The company helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing solar panels over working irrigation canals.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state remains focused on “evaluation, continued study, potential scaling and lessons learned.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Critical infrastructure change is really hard, and if you don’t have science behind it to justify the expense and be able to quantify the benefits, then you’re not gonna scale,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Critical infrastructure change is really hard, and if you don’t have science behind it to justify the expense and be able to quantify the benefits, then you’re not gonna scale,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The final report comes out later this year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n"
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"excerpt": "California solar panels tower over canals in Turlock, proving to save water, produce clean energy and improve local water quality.",
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"title": "Here’s What California Is Learning From Solar Panels Built Over Irrigation Canals | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">Flipping the Switch\u003c/a>, KQED’s series about California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? And how much does it cost? \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The duo went on to start Solar Aquagrid, an advocacy firm dedicated to reimagining aging canals, and partnered with the Turlock Irrigation District, UC Merced and the California Department of Water Resources to cover small sections of Turlock’s canals with solar panels. The new “solar canal” provides shade to limit evaporation and generates power all in one neat package. They call it Project Nexus, and it operates at the intersection of the state’s need for clean water and energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Project Nexus tests not one, but three different solar canal models. A wide-span canopy rises over one of Turlock’s 115-foot canals, resembling the top of a barn. A more classic set of slanting solar panels sits atop a 20-foot canal. And accordion-like retractable panels are positioned low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up at a moment’s notice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raj affectionately called the wide-span canopy his “singular field of dream.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roger Bales, a professor at UC Merced who co-authored a \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf\">2021\u003c/a> study that helped convince the state to invest in this pilot, said his initial calculations indicate that putting panels over 100 miles of Turlock’s narrow canals could save enough water for 2,700 households annually. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the state put panels over 100 miles of the wide canals, it could save 11,000 households’ worth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also estimates that the narrow and the wide canal could generate 330 to 1,400 megawatts per hundred miles respectively — enough to power 77,000 to 304,000 households.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The pilot was fully completed and energized last year. Earlier this month, Harris walked alongside the solar panels that arched over a 115-foot canal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001982\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founders Jordan Harris (left) and Robin Raj walk alongside solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. Solar AquaGrid helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing the use of solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are disturbed spaces,” Harris said, pointing to the concrete ditch filled with murky water. “So why not take advantage of the fact that we’ve already done that and help them work harder, be more efficient, produce more and protect what’s around us?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The research team also found numerous “co-benefits,” or silver linings that make the project more valuable than the sum of its water and power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bales said shading the canals led to less algal growth and less fixed aquatic weed growth — reducing maintenance and improving water quality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Preventing new solar development on natural land benefits both people and planet, Bale added, emphasizing how preserving these lands is essential for maintaining life “as we know it on the Earth.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Acquiring permits to build on undeveloped land can be a major bottleneck for developers, too. Building on open space takes 621 days on average, compared with 110 days for projects on developed land, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">study\u003c/a> from The Nature Conservancy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Given the numerous benefits, Bales said the project “just makes sense.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But just because something makes sense does not mean it’s easy to implement. “We often talk about the challenges of getting to the obvious,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Projects touching land, water and power often involve coordinating many stakeholders. California’s canals can be managed by state or federal water agencies, as well as municipal governments and local irrigation districts. These operators often do not own the land around the canal, let alone the infrastructure to transmit the power to utilities — one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, according to Harris. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris and Raj found their “ideal” partner in Turlock Irrigation District, a 139-year-old irrigation district operating 250 miles of canals that provides both water and power to nearly 5,000 farmers in the Central Valley growing everything from beans to peaches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It is one of four irrigation districts in California providing both water and retail power, noted Josh Weimer, a spokesperson for Turlock.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer said that the project received little pushback from locals, in part because, while the Irrigation District used some staff time for the project, a $20 million state grant paid for both the research and the infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer described the project as a “proof of concept” that generates just 1.7 megawatts of energy, a tiny fraction of the 56 megawatts that they generate with a solar farm in the desert. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the canal site hosts more than just panels. Bales said they “have instruments out there to measure temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, outgoing radiation, and a prototype instrument to measure evaporation directly.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Turlock’s solar panels tower above the water because the irrigation district cleans the canals on a regular basis with equipment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over in Contra Costa County, the urban landscape makes any kind of solar canal project unrealistic, said Jennifer Allen, a spokesperson for the county’s water district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, the canal system runs through backyards and public parks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Something like Project Nexus wouldn’t work because maintenance workers need to access the canals and have limited space to work alongside them, Allen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founder Robin Raj stands near solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. The company helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state remains focused on “evaluation, continued study, potential scaling and lessons learned.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Critical infrastructure change is really hard, and if you don’t have science behind it to justify the expense and be able to quantify the benefits, then you’re not gonna scale,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The final report comes out later this year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "bay-area-security-workers-guarding-big-tech-offices-strike",
"title": "Bay Area Security Workers Guarding Big Tech Offices Strike",
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"headTitle": "Bay Area Security Workers Guarding Big Tech Offices Strike | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099765/14000-security-guards-for-major-tech-companies-plan-to-strike\">security guards\u003c/a> across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> walked off the job Friday, demanding a pathway to a $30 minimum wage and improved benefits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West, a union that represents 14,000 security guards, announced the strike on Tuesday after months of negotiations with 15 private-security contractors and employers, including Allied Universal and Securitas, which staff some of the Bay Area’s largest businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Workers, union leaders and their supporters rallied outside of the Salesforce headquarters in downtown San Francisco on Friday morning, where they called attention to inequality in the Bay Area and the guards’ critical role in protecting the city’s economic engines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Here in San Francisco, we have extremely profitable companies, big tech companies, that are doing well,” Sanjay Garla, SEIU-USWW vice president, said. “There’s a whole host of service workers that help contribute to that success.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100575\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Security officers and supporters rally outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026, during a strike over wages, benefits and working conditions. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-7 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100571\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman speaks at a rally with striking security officers and supporters outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100573\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-20-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100573\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-20-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-20-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-20-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Security officer Jakia Lane speaks at a rally with striking security officers and supporters outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though not legal first responders, security workers often act as the first line of defense by being the first people on the scene in emergency situations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right now, our minimum rate in San Francisco in our contract is less than $2 over minimum wage,” Garla said. “That’s just unthinkable for me when you have to get licensed to do this job and stand in front of a building and put your life and limb at risk.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Guards report receiving \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080245/northern-california-security-officers-campaign-for-better-wages-training\">limited training\u003c/a> and low wages — making an annual mean wage of just \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes339032.ht\">$21.61\u003c/a> in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keven Adams, who has worked as a security guard for 36 years, said that in that time he’s “seen it all.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-8 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100569\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">SEIU-USWW union officer and security guard Keven Adams speaks at a rally with security officers and supporters outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100572\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-18-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100572\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Supervisor Alan Wong speaks at a rally with striking security officers and supporters outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-9 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100568\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Security officers and supporters rally outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100570\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100570\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Security officer Maxray Garibay speaks at a rally with striking workers and supporters, in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve been assaulted at work. I’ve been robbed at work. I’ve been held at gunpoint at work. I’ve saved people’s lives. I’ve found a dead body,” Adams said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Garla said that the union “saw real change at the bargaining table” after giving 72-hour notice of their strike, and they are “hopeful” that today’s action will get the employers to the table. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have made substantial progress in negotiations as part of our commitment to finding common ground,” Allied Universal wrote in a statement. Securitas did not respond to KQED’s request for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The union and the companies will return to the bargaining table on Wednesday, Adams said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jlara\">\u003cem>Juan Carlos Lara\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Right now, our minimum rate in San Francisco in our contract is less than $2 over minimum wage,” Garla said. “That’s just unthinkable for me when you have to get licensed to do this job and stand in front of a building and put your life and limb at risk.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve been assaulted at work. I’ve been robbed at work. I’ve been held at gunpoint at work. I’ve saved people’s lives. I’ve found a dead body,” Adams said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Garla said that the union “saw real change at the bargaining table” after giving 72-hour notice of their strike, and they are “hopeful” that today’s action will get the employers to the table. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have made substantial progress in negotiations as part of our commitment to finding common ground,” Allied Universal wrote in a statement. Securitas did not respond to KQED’s request for comment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jlara\">\u003cem>Juan Carlos Lara\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The strike called attention to the guards’ critical role in protecting Silicon Valley’s wealthiest businesses. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099765/14000-security-guards-for-major-tech-companies-plan-to-strike\">security guards\u003c/a> across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> walked off the job Friday, demanding a pathway to a $30 minimum wage and improved benefits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West, a union that represents 14,000 security guards, announced the strike on Tuesday after months of negotiations with 15 private-security contractors and employers, including Allied Universal and Securitas, which staff some of the Bay Area’s largest businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Workers, union leaders and their supporters rallied outside of the Salesforce headquarters in downtown San Francisco on Friday morning, where they called attention to inequality in the Bay Area and the guards’ critical role in protecting the city’s economic engines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Here in San Francisco, we have extremely profitable companies, big tech companies, that are doing well,” Sanjay Garla, SEIU-USWW vice president, said. “There’s a whole host of service workers that help contribute to that success.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100575\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Security officers and supporters rally outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026, during a strike over wages, benefits and working conditions. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-7 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100571\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman speaks at a rally with striking security officers and supporters outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100573\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-20-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100573\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-20-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-20-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-20-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Security officer Jakia Lane speaks at a rally with striking security officers and supporters outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though not legal first responders, security workers often act as the first line of defense by being the first people on the scene in emergency situations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right now, our minimum rate in San Francisco in our contract is less than $2 over minimum wage,” Garla said. “That’s just unthinkable for me when you have to get licensed to do this job and stand in front of a building and put your life and limb at risk.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Guards report receiving \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080245/northern-california-security-officers-campaign-for-better-wages-training\">limited training\u003c/a> and low wages — making an annual mean wage of just \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes339032.ht\">$21.61\u003c/a> in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keven Adams, who has worked as a security guard for 36 years, said that in that time he’s “seen it all.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-8 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100569\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">SEIU-USWW union officer and security guard Keven Adams speaks at a rally with security officers and supporters outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100572\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-18-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100572\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Supervisor Alan Wong speaks at a rally with striking security officers and supporters outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-9 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100568\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Security officers and supporters rally outside 555 California St., in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12100570\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100570\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260918-SECURITYSTRIKE-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Security officer Maxray Garibay speaks at a rally with striking workers and supporters, in San Francisco, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve been assaulted at work. I’ve been robbed at work. I’ve been held at gunpoint at work. I’ve saved people’s lives. I’ve found a dead body,” Adams said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Garla said that the union “saw real change at the bargaining table” after giving 72-hour notice of their strike, and they are “hopeful” that today’s action will get the employers to the table. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have made substantial progress in negotiations as part of our commitment to finding common ground,” Allied Universal wrote in a statement. Securitas did not respond to KQED’s request for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The union and the companies will return to the bargaining table on Wednesday, Adams said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jlara\">\u003cem>Juan Carlos Lara\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "nvidia-ai-researchers-family-demands-answers-after-his-death",
"title": "Nvidia AI Researcher’s Family Demands Answers After His Death",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Months after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/artificial-intelligence\">Bay Area AI\u003c/a> researcher’s death, his family and friends gathered outside Palo Alto City Hall this week to demand answers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On July 22, Palo Alto police responded to a report of a possible suicide by an adult male, who was then transported to a hospital, according to a statement from the department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Irfan Al-Hussaini, a 32-year old senior data scientist at Nvidia, died eight days later, his family said in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-39_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100444\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-39_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-39_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-39_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Salma Begum, mother of Irfan Al-Hussaini, is consoled by a supporter of the family after a press conference outside Palo Alto City Hall in Palo Alto on Sept. 17, 2026, where the family called for a full and proper investigation into Irfan Al-Hussaini’s death and the introduction of new evidence regarding the circumstances of his death. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They’re now pushing for a deeper investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the family’s release, Palo Alto police told them it will not open an active investigation unless directed by the county medical examiner, which has ruled Al-Hussaini’s death a \u003ca href=\"https://data.sccgov.org/Health/Medical-Examiner-Coroner-Full-dataset/s3fb-yrjp/data_preview\">suicide\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have assembled here, all of us, to get the attention of the Palo Alto Police Department,” said Irfan’s father Tahmeed Al-Hussaini, who described his son as “a simple, compassionate and adorable person.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He loved sports, games, traveling and nature. He had a soft heart,” Al-Hussaini said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Al-Hussaini’s father, who flew in from Bangladesh with his wife as soon as they heard their son was in the hospital, has stayed in the country looking for answers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I already changed my ticket twice, and I’m still waiting here for clarity,” Al-Hussaini’s father said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100437\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Sarah Al-Hussaini, sister of Irfan Al-Hussaini, speaks at a press conference outside Palo Alto City Hall in Palo Alto on Sept. 17, 2026, demanding a full and proper investigation into Irfan Al-Hussaini’s death and the introduction of new evidence regarding the circumstances of his death. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The family reached out to attorney Anthony Brass, a former prosecutor specializing in domestic violence and homicide, and asked whether he thought the authorities should investigate the death, Brass told KQED on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brass said that the absence of a suicide note, the “evidence of domestic violence in which [Al-Hussaini] was a victim,” and the timeline of events on July 22 were all red flags. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s “very strange to be that engaged in your professional life and to make sure you have permission for the day off the next day as a precursor to suicide while not bothering to write a suicide note,” Brass said. “It just simply makes no sense.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, an attorney representing Fabia Farlin Athena, Al-Hussaini’s widow, told KQED she wants to cooperate fully with the investigation, and that she demanded a full autopsy, which the medical examiner performed on Aug. 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Irfan is ‘everything’ to Athena. She misses him every second of the day,” attorney Matthew Davis wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-36_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-36_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-36_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-36_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Salma Begum, mother of Irfan Al-Hussaini, is consoled by a supporter of the family after a press conference outside Palo Alto City Hall in Palo Alto on Sept. 17, 2026, where the family called for a full and proper investigation into Irfan Al-Hussaini’s death and the introduction of new evidence regarding the circumstances of his death. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Palo Alto Police Department told KQED that neither officials nor the examiner have identified any evidence the death was a result of foul play. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The medical examiner has not completed their report, and the case remains open online. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“At this time the case is still under investigation pending the report from the medical examiner,” Nicolas Martinez, a spokesperson for the police department, said in an email. “We have received materials from the family and others, and our review and investigation is on-going.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Alina Ta and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/slewis\">\u003cem>Sukey Lewis\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100437\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Sarah Al-Hussaini, sister of Irfan Al-Hussaini, speaks at a press conference outside Palo Alto City Hall in Palo Alto on Sept. 17, 2026, demanding a full and proper investigation into Irfan Al-Hussaini’s death and the introduction of new evidence regarding the circumstances of his death.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The family reached out to attorney Anthony Brass, a former prosecutor specializing in domestic violence and homicide, and asked whether he thought the authorities should investigate the death, Brass told KQED on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brass said that the absence of a suicide note, the “evidence of domestic violence in which [Al-Hussaini] was a victim,” and the timeline of events on July 22 were all red flags. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s “very strange to be that engaged in your professional life and to make sure you have permission for the day off the next day as a precursor to suicide while not bothering to write a suicide note,” Brass said. “It just simply makes no sense.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement, an attorney representing Fabia Farlin Athena, Al-Hussaini’s widow, told KQED she wants to cooperate fully with the investigation, and that she demanded a full autopsy, which the medical examiner performed on Aug. 31.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Irfan is ‘everything’ to Athena. She misses him every second of the day,” attorney Matthew Davis wrote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-36_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100443\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Salma Begum, mother of Irfan Al-Hussaini, is consoled by a supporter of the family after a press conference outside Palo Alto City Hall in Palo Alto on Sept. 17, 2026, where the family called for a full and proper investigation into Irfan Al-Hussaini’s death and the introduction of new evidence regarding the circumstances of his death.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Palo Alto Police Department told KQED that neither officials nor the examiner have identified any evidence the death was a result of foul play. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“At this time the case is still under investigation pending the report from the medical examiner,” Nicolas Martinez, a spokesperson for the police department, said in an email. “We have received materials from the family and others, and our review and investigation is on-going.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Alina Ta and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/slewis\">\u003cem>Sukey Lewis\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Months after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/artificial-intelligence\">Bay Area AI\u003c/a> researcher’s death, his family and friends gathered outside Palo Alto City Hall this week to demand answers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On July 22, Palo Alto police responded to a report of a possible suicide by an adult male, who was then transported to a hospital, according to a statement from the department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Irfan Al-Hussaini, a 32-year old senior data scientist at Nvidia, died eight days later, his family said in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-39_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100444\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-39_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-39_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-39_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Salma Begum, mother of Irfan Al-Hussaini, is consoled by a supporter of the family after a press conference outside Palo Alto City Hall in Palo Alto on Sept. 17, 2026, where the family called for a full and proper investigation into Irfan Al-Hussaini’s death and the introduction of new evidence regarding the circumstances of his death. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They’re now pushing for a deeper investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the family’s release, Palo Alto police told them it will not open an active investigation unless directed by the county medical examiner, which has ruled Al-Hussaini’s death a \u003ca href=\"https://data.sccgov.org/Health/Medical-Examiner-Coroner-Full-dataset/s3fb-yrjp/data_preview\">suicide\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have assembled here, all of us, to get the attention of the Palo Alto Police Department,” said Irfan’s father Tahmeed Al-Hussaini, who described his son as “a simple, compassionate and adorable person.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He loved sports, games, traveling and nature. He had a soft heart,” Al-Hussaini said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Al-Hussaini’s father, who flew in from Bangladesh with his wife as soon as they heard their son was in the hospital, has stayed in the country looking for answers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I already changed my ticket twice, and I’m still waiting here for clarity,” Al-Hussaini’s father said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100437\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Sarah Al-Hussaini, sister of Irfan Al-Hussaini, speaks at a press conference outside Palo Alto City Hall in Palo Alto on Sept. 17, 2026, demanding a full and proper investigation into Irfan Al-Hussaini’s death and the introduction of new evidence regarding the circumstances of his death. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The family reached out to attorney Anthony Brass, a former prosecutor specializing in domestic violence and homicide, and asked whether he thought the authorities should investigate the death, Brass told KQED on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brass said that the absence of a suicide note, the “evidence of domestic violence in which [Al-Hussaini] was a victim,” and the timeline of events on July 22 were all red flags. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s “very strange to be that engaged in your professional life and to make sure you have permission for the day off the next day as a precursor to suicide while not bothering to write a suicide note,” Brass said. “It just simply makes no sense.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, an attorney representing Fabia Farlin Athena, Al-Hussaini’s widow, told KQED she wants to cooperate fully with the investigation, and that she demanded a full autopsy, which the medical examiner performed on Aug. 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Irfan is ‘everything’ to Athena. She misses him every second of the day,” attorney Matthew Davis wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-36_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-36_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-36_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260917-IrfanAl-Hussaini-NG-36_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Salma Begum, mother of Irfan Al-Hussaini, is consoled by a supporter of the family after a press conference outside Palo Alto City Hall in Palo Alto on Sept. 17, 2026, where the family called for a full and proper investigation into Irfan Al-Hussaini’s death and the introduction of new evidence regarding the circumstances of his death. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Palo Alto Police Department told KQED that neither officials nor the examiner have identified any evidence the death was a result of foul play. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The medical examiner has not completed their report, and the case remains open online. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“At this time the case is still under investigation pending the report from the medical examiner,” Nicolas Martinez, a spokesperson for the police department, said in an email. “We have received materials from the family and others, and our review and investigation is on-going.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Alina Ta and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/slewis\">\u003cem>Sukey Lewis\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "fast-moving-wildfire-near-truckee-closes-span-of-i-80",
"title": "As Fast-Moving Wildfire Near Truckee Burns 640 Acres, I-80 Remains Closed",
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"headTitle": "As Fast-Moving Wildfire Near Truckee Burns 640 Acres, I-80 Remains Closed | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A rapidly spreading \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire \u003c/a>near Truckee that shuttered a span of Interstate-80 and prompted swift evacuation warnings has expanded to 640 acres.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Floriston Fire in Nevada County, in California, broke out just after 10 a.m. Wednesday and exploded to nearly 300 acres within hours, spreading at a “dangerous rate” without containment, Cal Fire said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vegetation fire sparked on the hillside near the Floriston exit of I-80, closing the road’s westbound lanes near the Nevada state line and prompting evacuation warnings in three zones near Truckee. Cal Fire said the fast-moving blaze nine miles west of the town is threatening the thoroughfare, along with the Truckee watershed and nearby natural resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Cal Fire patch is seen on the shoulder of a firefighter on Sept. 26, 2025, in San Diego, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Although it’s late in the season and the temperatures have dropped significantly, we’re still really dry,” said Chris Vestal, a spokesperson for CalFire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fuel moisture in the area is at a historic low after an abnormally dry winter and there’s zero precipitation in the long-range forecast, Vestal said. “We didn’t have a huge winter last year, so some of the larger diameter stuff did not have the opportunity to absorb the moisture that it would have in a more productive winter.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is the sixth fire reported in Nevada County this summer, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026\">CalFire’s archive\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bulldozers and hand crews made significant progress securing the perimeter of the fire overnight, Vestal said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>20 engines, 10 water tenders, two helicopters, eight dozers and 12 hand firefighting crews continue to combat the blaze this morning which is now 5% contained according to CalFire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Portions of both Nevada County and Sierra County remain under evacuation warnings today, CalFire said, and an evacuation order is in place for Nevada County, NCO-E379-A. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Highway Patrol said there is currently no estimate for reopening I-80 and urged motorists to avoid the area and expect significant delays.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not just the fire danger that poses a hazard to travelers,” Vestal said, explaining that root systems hold soil, dirt and rock together above the road. When they burn, rocks and other debris can “roll onto the highway.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CalFire said residents should continue to pay attention to both Sierra and Nevada County’s Sheriff’s offices for additional updates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story and will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A rapidly spreading \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire \u003c/a>near Truckee that shuttered a span of Interstate-80 and prompted swift evacuation warnings has expanded to 640 acres.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A rapidly spreading \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire \u003c/a>near Truckee that shuttered a span of Interstate-80 and prompted swift evacuation warnings has expanded to 640 acres.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Floriston Fire in Nevada County, in California, broke out just after 10 a.m. Wednesday and exploded to nearly 300 acres within hours, spreading at a “dangerous rate” without containment, Cal Fire said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The vegetation fire sparked on the hillside near the Floriston exit of I-80, closing the road’s westbound lanes near the Nevada state line and prompting evacuation warnings in three zones near Truckee. Cal Fire said the fast-moving blaze nine miles west of the town is threatening the thoroughfare, along with the Truckee watershed and nearby natural resources. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The vegetation fire sparked on the hillside near the Floriston exit of I-80, closing the road’s westbound lanes near the Nevada state line and prompting evacuation warnings in three zones near Truckee. Cal Fire said the fast-moving blaze nine miles west of the town is threatening the thoroughfare, along with the Truckee watershed and nearby natural resources. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Cal Fire patch is seen on the shoulder of a firefighter on Sept. 26, 2025, in San Diego, California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093449\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Cal Fire patch is seen on the shoulder of a firefighter on Sept. 26, 2025, in San Diego, California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Although it’s late in the season and the temperatures have dropped significantly, we’re still really dry,” said Chris Vestal, a spokesperson for CalFire. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fuel moisture in the area is at a historic low after an abnormally dry winter and there’s zero precipitation in the long-range forecast, Vestal said. “We didn’t have a huge winter last year, so some of the larger diameter stuff did not have the opportunity to absorb the moisture that it would have in a more productive winter.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Fuel moisture in the area is at a historic low after an abnormally dry winter and there’s zero precipitation in the long-range forecast, Vestal said. “We didn’t have a huge winter last year, so some of the larger diameter stuff did not have the opportunity to absorb the moisture that it would have in a more productive winter.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is the sixth fire reported in Nevada County this summer, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026\">CalFire’s archive\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bulldozers and hand crews made significant progress securing the perimeter of the fire overnight, Vestal said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>20 engines, 10 water tenders, two helicopters, eight dozers and 12 hand firefighting crews continue to combat the blaze this morning which is now 5% contained according to CalFire.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Portions of both Nevada County and Sierra County remain under evacuation warnings today, CalFire said, and an evacuation order is in place for Nevada County, NCO-E379-A. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Highway Patrol said there is currently no estimate for reopening I-80 and urged motorists to avoid the area and expect significant delays.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not just the fire danger that poses a hazard to travelers,” Vestal said, explaining that root systems hold soil, dirt and rock together above the road. When they burn, rocks and other debris can “roll onto the highway.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s not just the fire danger that poses a hazard to travelers,” Vestal said, explaining that root systems hold soil, dirt and rock together above the road. When they burn, rocks and other debris can “roll onto the highway.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CalFire said residents should continue to pay attention to both Sierra and Nevada County’s Sheriff’s offices for additional updates. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story and will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The fire continues to burn with a dry weekend ahead, according to CalFire.",
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"title": "As Fast-Moving Wildfire Near Truckee Burns 640 Acres, I-80 Remains Closed | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A rapidly spreading \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire \u003c/a>near Truckee that shuttered a span of Interstate-80 and prompted swift evacuation warnings has expanded to 640 acres.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Floriston Fire in Nevada County, in California, broke out just after 10 a.m. Wednesday and exploded to nearly 300 acres within hours, spreading at a “dangerous rate” without containment, Cal Fire said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vegetation fire sparked on the hillside near the Floriston exit of I-80, closing the road’s westbound lanes near the Nevada state line and prompting evacuation warnings in three zones near Truckee. Cal Fire said the fast-moving blaze nine miles west of the town is threatening the thoroughfare, along with the Truckee watershed and nearby natural resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/CalFireGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Cal Fire patch is seen on the shoulder of a firefighter on Sept. 26, 2025, in San Diego, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Although it’s late in the season and the temperatures have dropped significantly, we’re still really dry,” said Chris Vestal, a spokesperson for CalFire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fuel moisture in the area is at a historic low after an abnormally dry winter and there’s zero precipitation in the long-range forecast, Vestal said. “We didn’t have a huge winter last year, so some of the larger diameter stuff did not have the opportunity to absorb the moisture that it would have in a more productive winter.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is the sixth fire reported in Nevada County this summer, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026\">CalFire’s archive\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bulldozers and hand crews made significant progress securing the perimeter of the fire overnight, Vestal said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>20 engines, 10 water tenders, two helicopters, eight dozers and 12 hand firefighting crews continue to combat the blaze this morning which is now 5% contained according to CalFire.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Portions of both Nevada County and Sierra County remain under evacuation warnings today, CalFire said, and an evacuation order is in place for Nevada County, NCO-E379-A. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Highway Patrol said there is currently no estimate for reopening I-80 and urged motorists to avoid the area and expect significant delays.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not just the fire danger that poses a hazard to travelers,” Vestal said, explaining that root systems hold soil, dirt and rock together above the road. When they burn, rocks and other debris can “roll onto the highway.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CalFire said residents should continue to pay attention to both Sierra and Nevada County’s Sheriff’s offices for additional updates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a developing story and will be updated.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "cancer-research-saved-this-berkley-resident-its-future-may-depend-on-trump",
"title": "Cancer Research Saved This Berkeley Resident. Its Future May Depend on Trump",
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"headTitle": "Cancer Research Saved This Berkeley Resident. Its Future May Depend on Trump | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>In 2017, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> resident Ben Stein-Lobovits was celebrating his friend’s marriage when he noticed a headache and numbness in his tongue. His friends chalked the neurological symptoms up to a hangover. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the eve of his 32nd birthday, he was diagnosed with a brainstem glioma, an inoperable brain tumor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I like to say, ‘I-turned-30 tumor,’” Stein-Lobovits said, laughing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What followed is a period of his life that is hard to recall, he said, a “tornado” of appointments. The standard care of treatment was chemo and radiation — with a prognosis of six t0 10 months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099890\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099890\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Stein-Lobovits holds a childhood photo of himself with his father at his home in Berkeley on Sept. 15, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099891\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099891\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Stein-Lobovits sits outside his home in Berkeley on Sept. 15, 2026. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There has to be another solution,” Stein-Lobovits remembered saying at the time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He began reading papers and getting in touch with researchers, eventually leading him to a trial of an experimental treatment — dordaviprone, a drug that blocks survival signals in tumor cells. Nine years later, his tumor has shrunk by about 70%, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thanks to breakthroughs in cancer treatment, reduced smoking and improved detection, cancer rates declined by 35% between 1991 and 2024, according to a new report from the American Association for Cancer Research, the first and largest professional organization dedicated to preventing and curing all cancers. And over the last year alone, new scientific breakthroughs have reached patients in the form of new treatments for their specific disease. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, the FDA approved one new treatment device, expanded five previously approved therapies to include new cancer types and green-lit 11 new cancer therapeutics — including dordaviprone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report, which highlights Stein-Lobovits’ experience with the drug, also notes several advances in cancer prevention and detection — vaccines that prevent cancers in high-risk individuals and train immune systems to eliminate existing tumors; at-home test kits for HPV, a disease linked to cervical cancer; and AI-based tools to help doctors interpret routine medical imaging and carry out complex research tasks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the progress, cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., killing about \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db548.htm\">610,000\u003c/a> people annually. An estimated 2.1 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2026, and this number is projected to rise to 2.5 million by 2050, according to AACR findings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cancer’s risks are not distributed equally — racial and ethnic minority groups and other medically underserved populations in the U.S. continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden of the disease. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Even the strongest research system falls short if patients cannot benefit from its advances,” the report states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite significant strides, researchers warned of a major threat to cancer research: another wave of funding cuts following policy changes from the Trump administration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A report from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/cost-trump-administrations-attacks-research-funding\">Brennan Center for Justice\u003c/a> says the administration’s actions — including the decision to remove all members of the board of advisers to the National Science Foundation — have caused grantmaking to “slow to a crawl” since the start of this fiscal year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In early 2025, the administration cut or froze more than 2,200 active National Institutes of Health research grants and withdrew billions of dollars in previously awarded research funding, according to the AACR report. Then, the president’s budget request for fiscal year 2027, released in April 2026, proposed a $5 billion reduction in overall NIH funding, compared with the previous year’s levels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A new \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance?utm_campaign=subscription+mailing+list&utm_medium=email&utm_source=federalregister.gov#addresses\">rule\u003c/a> proposed by the Office of Management and Budget to overhaul federal grantmaking could “inject political considerations into funding decisions and broaden federal agencies’ authority to terminate grants for reasons unrelated to scientific merit or recipient performance,” the report says. This could further reduce funding if the Senate’s decision to block the rule is allowed to expire in December. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay in San Francisco on April 24, 2025. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Without strong federal support for medical research, the U.S. risks losing its position as a global leader in scientific discovery, innovation and the development of lifesaving cancer treatments, the report warns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dr. Iona Cheng, a cancer epidemiologist at UCSF and a co-investigator of the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry, said that the federal action “significantly impacts our ability to continue and sustain important cancer research.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stein-Lobovits, now 40, credits cutting-edge research with allowing him to live. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s allowed me to watch my girls grow up,” he said. “It has given me so much hope.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He advised other survivors going through their own cancer journeys to “not take no for an answer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Advocate for yourself, question everything, and don’t be hard on yourself,” Stein-Lobovits said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He began reading papers and getting in touch with researchers, eventually leading him to a trial of an experimental treatment — dordaviprone, a drug that blocks survival signals in tumor cells. Nine years later, his tumor has shrunk by about 70%, he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"headline": "Cancer Research Saved This Berkeley Resident. Its Future May Depend on Trump",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In 2017, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley\u003c/a> resident Ben Stein-Lobovits was celebrating his friend’s marriage when he noticed a headache and numbness in his tongue. His friends chalked the neurological symptoms up to a hangover. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the eve of his 32nd birthday, he was diagnosed with a brainstem glioma, an inoperable brain tumor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I like to say, ‘I-turned-30 tumor,’” Stein-Lobovits said, laughing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What followed is a period of his life that is hard to recall, he said, a “tornado” of appointments. The standard care of treatment was chemo and radiation — with a prognosis of six t0 10 months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099890\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099890\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Stein-Lobovits holds a childhood photo of himself with his father at his home in Berkeley on Sept. 15, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12099891\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099891\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260915-CANCERSURVIVOR-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Stein-Lobovits sits outside his home in Berkeley on Sept. 15, 2026. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There has to be another solution,” Stein-Lobovits remembered saying at the time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He began reading papers and getting in touch with researchers, eventually leading him to a trial of an experimental treatment — dordaviprone, a drug that blocks survival signals in tumor cells. Nine years later, his tumor has shrunk by about 70%, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thanks to breakthroughs in cancer treatment, reduced smoking and improved detection, cancer rates declined by 35% between 1991 and 2024, according to a new report from the American Association for Cancer Research, the first and largest professional organization dedicated to preventing and curing all cancers. And over the last year alone, new scientific breakthroughs have reached patients in the form of new treatments for their specific disease. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, the FDA approved one new treatment device, expanded five previously approved therapies to include new cancer types and green-lit 11 new cancer therapeutics — including dordaviprone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report, which highlights Stein-Lobovits’ experience with the drug, also notes several advances in cancer prevention and detection — vaccines that prevent cancers in high-risk individuals and train immune systems to eliminate existing tumors; at-home test kits for HPV, a disease linked to cervical cancer; and AI-based tools to help doctors interpret routine medical imaging and carry out complex research tasks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the progress, cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., killing about \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db548.htm\">610,000\u003c/a> people annually. An estimated 2.1 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2026, and this number is projected to rise to 2.5 million by 2050, according to AACR findings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cancer’s risks are not distributed equally — racial and ethnic minority groups and other medically underserved populations in the U.S. continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden of the disease. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Even the strongest research system falls short if patients cannot benefit from its advances,” the report states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite significant strides, researchers warned of a major threat to cancer research: another wave of funding cuts following policy changes from the Trump administration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A report from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/cost-trump-administrations-attacks-research-funding\">Brennan Center for Justice\u003c/a> says the administration’s actions — including the decision to remove all members of the board of advisers to the National Science Foundation — have caused grantmaking to “slow to a crawl” since the start of this fiscal year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In early 2025, the administration cut or froze more than 2,200 active National Institutes of Health research grants and withdrew billions of dollars in previously awarded research funding, according to the AACR report. Then, the president’s budget request for fiscal year 2027, released in April 2026, proposed a $5 billion reduction in overall NIH funding, compared with the previous year’s levels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A new \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance?utm_campaign=subscription+mailing+list&utm_medium=email&utm_source=federalregister.gov#addresses\">rule\u003c/a> proposed by the Office of Management and Budget to overhaul federal grantmaking could “inject political considerations into funding decisions and broaden federal agencies’ authority to terminate grants for reasons unrelated to scientific merit or recipient performance,” the report says. This could further reduce funding if the Senate’s decision to block the rule is allowed to expire in December. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250424_UCSFFile_GC-16_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay in San Francisco on April 24, 2025. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Without strong federal support for medical research, the U.S. risks losing its position as a global leader in scientific discovery, innovation and the development of lifesaving cancer treatments, the report warns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dr. Iona Cheng, a cancer epidemiologist at UCSF and a co-investigator of the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry, said that the federal action “significantly impacts our ability to continue and sustain important cancer research.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Stein-Lobovits, now 40, credits cutting-edge research with allowing him to live. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s allowed me to watch my girls grow up,” he said. “It has given me so much hope.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He advised other survivors going through their own cancer journeys to “not take no for an answer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Advocate for yourself, question everything, and don’t be hard on yourself,” Stein-Lobovits said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Security workers guarding some of the biggest names in the tech industry said they will strike starting Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The strike comes after months of negotiations over fair wages and improved benefits with 15 private-security contractors and employers, during which the union has called attention to the disparity between compensation for guards and the vast wealth that they protect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A press release for the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West, which represents some of the security guards, states they will strike after “bad faith bargaining, surveillance of officers, retaliatory discipline, making unilateral changes, illegally coercing, restraining, and interfering with officers’ right to strike, and other unfair practices on the job as they fight for a fair contract.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Allied Universal said that they “do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations.” Securitas did not respond to KQED’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098181\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A security officer chants during a Sept. 2, 2026, press conference at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco’s Financial District, where the union representing security officers from across San Francisco and Silicon Valley voted in favor of an Unfair Labor Practice strike authorization. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The offer on the bargaining table is a 65-cent raise over the next two years, according to the press release — guards currently make a median hourly wage of $20.09, according to a UC Berkeley study.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re looking for a path for $30 [an hour] for all officers,” said Stephen Boardman, a spokesperson for the SEIU-USWW.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jerry Longoria, a security guard with Allied Universal, said he has gone through five contract negotiations in his 25 years as a security guard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This contract is so bad,” Longoria said. “We are going to fight for what we deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Longaria recalled working as a security guard for jewelry brand Cartier, where he watched a woman walk up to the counter and buy a $1.5 million necklace.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If people got that kind of money, and they wanna pay us pennies, that’s unfair, that’s mistreatment,” Longoria said. “I live in an SRO. I don’t even have a bathroom or a kitchen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Longoria said that he cannot find a new place to live due to high rents across the city, adding: “I’m ready to go on strike.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The security officers marched through downtown San Francisco on Tuesday, passing by the Dreamforce Conference, an annual tech gathering hosted by software giant Salesforce. Many tech employees, as well as leaders of the companies that the security guards protect, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, will attend Dreamforce.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jane Martin, an organizer with the activist group Bay Resistance, joined the security workers on Tuesday, holding signs with slogans like “Keep families together,” “Good jobs to security officers” and “No ICE, no fear.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Salesforce logo is a cloud, and the name of the conference is Dreamforce, so we wrote our own hopes and dreams into the cloud signs,” Martin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Jose Velazquez contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The labor practice strike is set to start Friday, according to the union representing some of the tech industry’s security guards.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Security workers guarding some of the biggest names in the tech industry said they will strike starting Friday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The strike comes after months of negotiations over fair wages and improved benefits with 15 private-security contractors and employers, during which the union has called attention to the disparity between compensation for guards and the vast wealth that they protect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A press release for the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West, which represents some of the security guards, states they will strike after “bad faith bargaining, surveillance of officers, retaliatory discipline, making unilateral changes, illegally coercing, restraining, and interfering with officers’ right to strike, and other unfair practices on the job as they fight for a fair contract.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Allied Universal said that they “do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations.” Securitas did not respond to KQED’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098181\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A security officer chants during a Sept. 2, 2026, press conference at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco’s Financial District, where the union representing security officers from across San Francisco and Silicon Valley voted in favor of an Unfair Labor Practice strike authorization. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The offer on the bargaining table is a 65-cent raise over the next two years, according to the press release — guards currently make a median hourly wage of $20.09, according to a UC Berkeley study.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re looking for a path for $30 [an hour] for all officers,” said Stephen Boardman, a spokesperson for the SEIU-USWW.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jerry Longoria, a security guard with Allied Universal, said he has gone through five contract negotiations in his 25 years as a security guard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This contract is so bad,” Longoria said. “We are going to fight for what we deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Longaria recalled working as a security guard for jewelry brand Cartier, where he watched a woman walk up to the counter and buy a $1.5 million necklace.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If people got that kind of money, and they wanna pay us pennies, that’s unfair, that’s mistreatment,” Longoria said. “I live in an SRO. I don’t even have a bathroom or a kitchen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Longoria said that he cannot find a new place to live due to high rents across the city, adding: “I’m ready to go on strike.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The security officers marched through downtown San Francisco on Tuesday, passing by the Dreamforce Conference, an annual tech gathering hosted by software giant Salesforce. Many tech employees, as well as leaders of the companies that the security guards protect, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, will attend Dreamforce.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jane Martin, an organizer with the activist group Bay Resistance, joined the security workers on Tuesday, holding signs with slogans like “Keep families together,” “Good jobs to security officers” and “No ICE, no fear.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Salesforce logo is a cloud, and the name of the conference is Dreamforce, so we wrote our own hopes and dreams into the cloud signs,” Martin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Jose Velazquez contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Friday marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/911\">Sept. 11\u003c/a> changed a nation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly 3,000 people were killed. It also changed an untold number of lives. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each year, Masanao Morimoto wears a shirt honoring Mark Bingham, a friend from the UC Berkeley rugby team, who attempted to take back United Airlines Flight 93 from the hijackers before it crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are people in our lives who support us, and maybe we don’t appreciate how much they support us, or how much they impact our lives, until they’re gone,” Morimoto said, describing Bingham as a jokester and a steadfast teammate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Friday, officials, interfaith leaders and residents across the Bay Area gathered to honor the lives lost on 9/11, the communities forever transformed and the veterans who served in the wars that followed in its wake. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_008.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099245\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_008.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_008-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_008-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco officer looks toward the stage during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at the Presidio’s Main Post in San Francisco on Sept. 11, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We remember when the towers fell, and the lives were lost,” said Rev. Staci Current, pastor of Temple United Methodist Church in San Francisco, speaking at an event in the city’s Presidio. “We remember the dust, the despair, the smoke, the grief. We remember this sense of vulnerability and shock. We remember that numbness that overwhelmed us as we watched our screen for hours and hours waiting for explanation or understanding that never came. We remember.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Katie Miller, a veteran and an ambassador for the Heart and Armor Foundation for Veterans Health, was a sophomore in high school when the towers went down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I remember very specifically walking into my parents’ room, and the news was on, and my dad said, ‘We’re going to war.’I think back to it now and that day changed the entire course of my life,” said Miller, who joined the military as soon as she graduated from college and served in the U.S. Navy for 10 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the aftermath of the attacks, Miller said she felt a sense of “true patriotism.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It just felt like everyone was together and we all had a common bond,” Miller said. “I think grief does that to people in many different ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the South Bay, residents and officials planned to hold an event on Friday at 6:45 p.m. before the Los Gatos High School varsity football game at Helm Field, 20 High School Court. The event will honor high school alumni Bingham and Todd Beamer, who were also on Flight 93 and took part in the passenger revolt against the hijackers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The event will include a military jet flyover, recognition of their families and a newly relocated 9/11 memorial plaque. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-San José, and Los Gatos Mayor Rob Moore are scheduled to speak.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bingham, Beamer and Flight 11 flight attendant Betty Ann Ong were among the Bay Area victims of the attacks. But the ripple effects were felt across the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Army veteran Andre Rogers spoke on Friday about how finding ways to serve his community after leaving the military helped him adjust to civilian life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Serving as a civilian has been good for my soul. Purpose helps me heal. Even when you are tired, discouraged, doing something for others always makes life feel better,” Rogers said. “It’s better to give blessings than to receive them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_012.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099246\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_012.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_012-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_012-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi poses for a photo with Vietnam War veteran Mickey Kwok during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at the Presidio’s Main Post in San Francisco on Sept. 11, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kashif Abdullah, a veteran and the principal of the San Francisco Islamic School, described the ways that 9/11 changed life in America for Muslims, many of whom experienced a wave of Islamophobia after the attacks and the subsequent “War on Terror.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As the principal of an Islamic school, the only one in the city, I must also acknowledge that our students inherited a different part of the 911 story,” Abdullah said. “Muslim Americans experienced suspicion, discrimination and hatred after the attacks.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Abdullah emphasized the importance of remembering these events in their entirety, because learning about the attacks and their aftermath “teaches us what can happen when fear becomes stronger than our commitment to one another.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That may be one of the greatest lessons of Sept. 11,” Abdullah said. “Do not allow fear to decide who your neighbor is. Remember that America that emerged in those first days, the America where strangers embraced strangers, where different faiths prayed together, and where Americans asked not, ‘What religion are you?’ but ‘How can I help you?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">\u003cem>Brian Krans\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the South Bay, residents and officials planned to hold an event on Friday at 6:45 p.m. before the Los Gatos High School varsity football game at Helm Field, 20 High School Court. The event will honor high school alumni Bingham and Todd Beamer, who were also on Flight 93 and took part in the passenger revolt against the hijackers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The event will include a military jet flyover, recognition of their families and a newly relocated 9/11 memorial plaque. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-San José, and Los Gatos Mayor Rob Moore are scheduled to speak.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bingham, Beamer and Flight 11 flight attendant Betty Ann Ong were among the Bay Area victims of the attacks. But the ripple effects were felt across the region. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Army veteran Andre Rogers spoke on Friday about how finding ways to serve his community after leaving the military helped him adjust to civilian life. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Serving as a civilian has been good for my soul. Purpose helps me heal. Even when you are tired, discouraged, doing something for others always makes life feel better,” Rogers said. “It’s better to give blessings than to receive them.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kashif Abdullah, a veteran and the principal of the San Francisco Islamic School, described the ways that 9/11 changed life in America for Muslims, many of whom experienced a wave of Islamophobia after the attacks and the subsequent “War on Terror.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Abdullah emphasized the importance of remembering these events in their entirety, because learning about the attacks and their aftermath “teaches us what can happen when fear becomes stronger than our commitment to one another.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That may be one of the greatest lessons of Sept. 11,” Abdullah said. “Do not allow fear to decide who your neighbor is. Remember that America that emerged in those first days, the America where strangers embraced strangers, where different faiths prayed together, and where Americans asked not, ‘What religion are you?’ but ‘How can I help you?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Officials gathered with interfaith leaders, veterans and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the attacks and the wars that followed to ensure their memories are never forgotten. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Friday marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/911\">Sept. 11\u003c/a> changed a nation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly 3,000 people were killed. It also changed an untold number of lives. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each year, Masanao Morimoto wears a shirt honoring Mark Bingham, a friend from the UC Berkeley rugby team, who attempted to take back United Airlines Flight 93 from the hijackers before it crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are people in our lives who support us, and maybe we don’t appreciate how much they support us, or how much they impact our lives, until they’re gone,” Morimoto said, describing Bingham as a jokester and a steadfast teammate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Friday, officials, interfaith leaders and residents across the Bay Area gathered to honor the lives lost on 9/11, the communities forever transformed and the veterans who served in the wars that followed in its wake. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_008.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099245\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_008.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_008-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_008-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco officer looks toward the stage during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at the Presidio’s Main Post in San Francisco on Sept. 11, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We remember when the towers fell, and the lives were lost,” said Rev. Staci Current, pastor of Temple United Methodist Church in San Francisco, speaking at an event in the city’s Presidio. “We remember the dust, the despair, the smoke, the grief. We remember this sense of vulnerability and shock. We remember that numbness that overwhelmed us as we watched our screen for hours and hours waiting for explanation or understanding that never came. We remember.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Katie Miller, a veteran and an ambassador for the Heart and Armor Foundation for Veterans Health, was a sophomore in high school when the towers went down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I remember very specifically walking into my parents’ room, and the news was on, and my dad said, ‘We’re going to war.’I think back to it now and that day changed the entire course of my life,” said Miller, who joined the military as soon as she graduated from college and served in the U.S. Navy for 10 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the aftermath of the attacks, Miller said she felt a sense of “true patriotism.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It just felt like everyone was together and we all had a common bond,” Miller said. “I think grief does that to people in many different ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the South Bay, residents and officials planned to hold an event on Friday at 6:45 p.m. before the Los Gatos High School varsity football game at Helm Field, 20 High School Court. The event will honor high school alumni Bingham and Todd Beamer, who were also on Flight 93 and took part in the passenger revolt against the hijackers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The event will include a military jet flyover, recognition of their families and a newly relocated 9/11 memorial plaque. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-San José, and Los Gatos Mayor Rob Moore are scheduled to speak.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bingham, Beamer and Flight 11 flight attendant Betty Ann Ong were among the Bay Area victims of the attacks. But the ripple effects were felt across the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Army veteran Andre Rogers spoke on Friday about how finding ways to serve his community after leaving the military helped him adjust to civilian life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Serving as a civilian has been good for my soul. Purpose helps me heal. Even when you are tired, discouraged, doing something for others always makes life feel better,” Rogers said. “It’s better to give blessings than to receive them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_012.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099246\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_012.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_012-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/091126_911_25YearsOn_GH_012-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi poses for a photo with Vietnam War veteran Mickey Kwok during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at the Presidio’s Main Post in San Francisco on Sept. 11, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kashif Abdullah, a veteran and the principal of the San Francisco Islamic School, described the ways that 9/11 changed life in America for Muslims, many of whom experienced a wave of Islamophobia after the attacks and the subsequent “War on Terror.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As the principal of an Islamic school, the only one in the city, I must also acknowledge that our students inherited a different part of the 911 story,” Abdullah said. “Muslim Americans experienced suspicion, discrimination and hatred after the attacks.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Abdullah emphasized the importance of remembering these events in their entirety, because learning about the attacks and their aftermath “teaches us what can happen when fear becomes stronger than our commitment to one another.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That may be one of the greatest lessons of Sept. 11,” Abdullah said. “Do not allow fear to decide who your neighbor is. Remember that America that emerged in those first days, the America where strangers embraced strangers, where different faiths prayed together, and where Americans asked not, ‘What religion are you?’ but ‘How can I help you?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">\u003cem>Brian Krans\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "3-Day Heat Wave Scorches the Bay Area This Week",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Temperatures could reach triple digits this week as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area-weather\">three-day heat wave\u003c/a> hits the Bay Area and the Central Coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dial Hoang, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that this is shaping up to be “one of the most impactful heating events of this summer,” with the East Bay, the South Bay, parts of San Mateo County and the U.S. Highway 101 corridor in Marin feeling the warmest temperatures. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really important to drink plenty of water; do not leave people or pets in unattended vehicles; take frequent breaks in the air-conditioned buildings or in [the] shade; and if possible, try to shift out for activities to cooler times of the day,” Hoang said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Tuesday’s warm-up, temperatures will peak tomorrow, leading the weather service to issue a \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/mtr/\">heat advisory\u003c/a> Tuesday afternoon through 10 p.m. Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/GettyImages-2175515837-scaled-e1781119253267.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052401\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Residents lounge near the water on Alameda Beach in Alameda, California, on Oct. 2, 2024, during an exceptional heat wave across the Bay Area and inland. (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Warm nights will make temperatures feel more extreme throughout the region, according to the weather service’s daily forecast discussion. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not only will we see higher temperatures, we’ll see less relief overnight with the higher dewpoints and higher relative humidity levels during peak heating Wednesday and Thursday, further complicating heat impacts,” meteorologist Rick Canepa wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coastal temperatures will range from the mid-70s to low-90s with temperatures inland expected to reach 105, the weather service said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though San Francisco will be relatively cooler, topping out in the mid-80s, the city has been coordinating closely with the weather service to help residents manage heat, said Jackie Thornhill, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this summer, San Francisco held a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092323/san-francisco-is-feeling-the-heat-but-infrastructure-isnt-prepared\">heat-preparedness hearing\u003c/a> after a record-breaking 90-degree Fahrenheit day in March and the hottest July temperature recorded in over a decade. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sunday also marked the anniversary of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1932903/extreme-heat-killed-14-people-in-the-bay-area-last-year-10-takeaways-from-our-investigation\">deadly 2017 Labor Day\u003c/a> heat wave in San Francisco, during which sweltering 106-degree heat killed six and sent hundreds to the hospital. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve come a long way since then in terms of coordinating across all of our departments to make sure that we’re reaching residents who are most vulnerable to the heat, that they have everything they need to be OK during this event, and that we are scaling up those city resources as necessary,” Thornhill said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thornhill said that people seeking relief can head to libraries, public pools and other buildings mapped out at \u003ca href=\"http://sf.gov/heat\">sf.gov/heat\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Windows are our most powerful natural air conditioners,” Thornhill said, adding that residents with pets and young children should make sure to have window guards in place for safety. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for beach safety, Capt. Jonathan Baxter with the San Francisco Fire Department said San Franciscans “looking to beat the heat in our waterways” should visit lifeguard-protected beaches outside of the city, like Stinson Beach in Marin County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Tuesday’s warm-up, temperatures will peak tomorrow, leading the weather service to issue a \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/mtr/\">heat advisory\u003c/a> Tuesday afternoon through 10 p.m. Thursday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Tuesday’s warm-up, temperatures will peak tomorrow, leading the weather service to issue a \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/mtr/\">heat advisory\u003c/a> Tuesday afternoon through 10 p.m. Thursday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/GettyImages-2175515837-scaled-e1781119253267.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052401\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Residents lounge near the water on Alameda Beach in Alameda, California, on Oct. 2, 2024, during an exceptional heat wave across the Bay Area and inland. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/GettyImages-2175515837-scaled-e1781119253267.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052401\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Residents lounge near the water on Alameda Beach in Alameda, California, on Oct. 2, 2024, during an exceptional heat wave across the Bay Area and inland. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Warm nights will make temperatures feel more extreme throughout the region, according to the weather service’s daily forecast discussion. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Not only will we see higher temperatures, we’ll see less relief overnight with the higher dewpoints and higher relative humidity levels during peak heating Wednesday and Thursday, further complicating heat impacts,” meteorologist Rick Canepa wrote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Not only will we see higher temperatures, we’ll see less relief overnight with the higher dewpoints and higher relative humidity levels during peak heating Wednesday and Thursday, further complicating heat impacts,” meteorologist Rick Canepa wrote. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coastal temperatures will range from the mid-70s to low-90s with temperatures inland expected to reach 105, the weather service said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Though San Francisco will be relatively cooler, topping out in the mid-80s, the city has been coordinating closely with the weather service to help residents manage heat, said Jackie Thornhill, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sunday also marked the anniversary of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1932903/extreme-heat-killed-14-people-in-the-bay-area-last-year-10-takeaways-from-our-investigation\">deadly 2017 Labor Day\u003c/a> heat wave in San Francisco, during which sweltering 106-degree heat killed six and sent hundreds to the hospital. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve come a long way since then in terms of coordinating across all of our departments to make sure that we’re reaching residents who are most vulnerable to the heat, that they have everything they need to be OK during this event, and that we are scaling up those city resources as necessary,” Thornhill said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thornhill said that people seeking relief can head to libraries, public pools and other buildings mapped out at \u003ca href=\"http://sf.gov/heat\">sf.gov/heat\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Windows are our most powerful natural air conditioners,” Thornhill said, adding that residents with pets and young children should make sure to have window guards in place for safety. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As for beach safety, Capt. Jonathan Baxter with the San Francisco Fire Department said San Franciscans “looking to beat the heat in our waterways” should visit lifeguard-protected beaches outside of the city, like Stinson Beach in Marin County.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As for beach safety, Capt. Jonathan Baxter with the San Francisco Fire Department said San Franciscans “looking to beat the heat in our waterways” should visit lifeguard-protected beaches outside of the city, like Stinson Beach in Marin County.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory Tuesday afternoon through late Thursday. \n",
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"title": "3-Day Heat Wave Scorches the Bay Area This Week | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Temperatures could reach triple digits this week as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area-weather\">three-day heat wave\u003c/a> hits the Bay Area and the Central Coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dial Hoang, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that this is shaping up to be “one of the most impactful heating events of this summer,” with the East Bay, the South Bay, parts of San Mateo County and the U.S. Highway 101 corridor in Marin feeling the warmest temperatures. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really important to drink plenty of water; do not leave people or pets in unattended vehicles; take frequent breaks in the air-conditioned buildings or in [the] shade; and if possible, try to shift out for activities to cooler times of the day,” Hoang said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Tuesday’s warm-up, temperatures will peak tomorrow, leading the weather service to issue a \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/mtr/\">heat advisory\u003c/a> Tuesday afternoon through 10 p.m. Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/GettyImages-2175515837-scaled-e1781119253267.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052401\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Residents lounge near the water on Alameda Beach in Alameda, California, on Oct. 2, 2024, during an exceptional heat wave across the Bay Area and inland. (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Warm nights will make temperatures feel more extreme throughout the region, according to the weather service’s daily forecast discussion. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not only will we see higher temperatures, we’ll see less relief overnight with the higher dewpoints and higher relative humidity levels during peak heating Wednesday and Thursday, further complicating heat impacts,” meteorologist Rick Canepa wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coastal temperatures will range from the mid-70s to low-90s with temperatures inland expected to reach 105, the weather service said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though San Francisco will be relatively cooler, topping out in the mid-80s, the city has been coordinating closely with the weather service to help residents manage heat, said Jackie Thornhill, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this summer, San Francisco held a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092323/san-francisco-is-feeling-the-heat-but-infrastructure-isnt-prepared\">heat-preparedness hearing\u003c/a> after a record-breaking 90-degree Fahrenheit day in March and the hottest July temperature recorded in over a decade. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sunday also marked the anniversary of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1932903/extreme-heat-killed-14-people-in-the-bay-area-last-year-10-takeaways-from-our-investigation\">deadly 2017 Labor Day\u003c/a> heat wave in San Francisco, during which sweltering 106-degree heat killed six and sent hundreds to the hospital. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve come a long way since then in terms of coordinating across all of our departments to make sure that we’re reaching residents who are most vulnerable to the heat, that they have everything they need to be OK during this event, and that we are scaling up those city resources as necessary,” Thornhill said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thornhill said that people seeking relief can head to libraries, public pools and other buildings mapped out at \u003ca href=\"http://sf.gov/heat\">sf.gov/heat\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Windows are our most powerful natural air conditioners,” Thornhill said, adding that residents with pets and young children should make sure to have window guards in place for safety. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for beach safety, Capt. Jonathan Baxter with the San Francisco Fire Department said San Franciscans “looking to beat the heat in our waterways” should visit lifeguard-protected beaches outside of the city, like Stinson Beach in Marin County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "workers-guarding-san-franciscos-wealthiest-companies-vote-to-authorize-a-strike",
"title": "Workers Guarding San Francisco’s Wealthiest Companies Vote to Authorize a Strike",
"publishDate": 1788393140,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Workers Guarding San Francisco’s Wealthiest Companies Vote to Authorize a Strike | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914652/the-challenges-and-dangers-security-guards-face\">security workers\u003c/a> who guard tech companies and other offices across San Francisco took a step toward a walkout Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amid months of negotiations with massive contractors like Allied Universal and Securitas, members of the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West, the union that represents some security workers, voted to authorize a strike in response to unfair labor practices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As drums pounded and workers chanted at the Mechanic Monument Plaza in downtown San Francisco on Wednesday, David Huerta, president of SEIU-USWW, called for improved benefits and a $30 minimum wage. This is more than what the private companies are offering in negotiations, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098185\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-8_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">SEIU-USWW President David Huerta speaks at a press conference announcing that union security officers from across San Francisco and Silicon Valley voted in favor of an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike authorization at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco’s Financial District on Sept. 2, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12098180\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098180\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-2_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jerry Longoria, who works as a security officer at Cartier on behalf of Allied Universal, wears an SEIU-USWW pin at a Sept. 2, 2026, press conference at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco’s Financial District. The union representing union security officers from across San Francisco and Silicon Valley voted in favor of an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike authorization.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12098183\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-12_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-12_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-12_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-12_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An advocate holds a sign during a Sept. 2, 2026, press conference at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco’s Financial District. Security officers represented by the union from across San Francisco and Silicon Valley voted in favor of an Unfair Labor Practice strike authorization. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Who can survive with $22 an hour in San Francisco?” Huerta asked as members of the crowd shouted, “Shame.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Allied Universal declined to comment on ongoing labor negotiations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tejinder Singh, a security officer at Google and bargaining committee member, said that the union and the security giants have their last round of negotiations Wednesday, and that officers are ready to strike if the companies do not agree to their demands. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A union press release states that their roughly 14,000 members asked for raises, employer-paid family health care, retirement benefits and job security, and were offered “a mere 25-cent raise over the next four years, including no raise at all in three of those years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Singh said that he did not know how he and his colleagues would survive without a pay increase, given how much prices have skyrocketed across the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everything has increased, gas costs, food costs, rent, medical costs … everything,” Singh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The union announcement came days after artificial intelligence giant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097028/bay-area-security-workers-threaten-action-after-anthropic-office-closure\">Anthropic shuttered\u003c/a> the doors to its San Francisco office and told employees to work from home after its security contractor, Allied Universal, warned of a possible strike. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Speaking directly to companies like Anthropic, Salesforce, Nvidia, OpenAI, Google, Cisco and others, which rely on guards, Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) reminded the lucrative industry how essential security workers are to keep their employees and operations safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“None of this wealth would be possible if it wasn’t for [the guards],” Haney said. “They need to support you like you support them. They need to protect you like you protect them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098181\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A security officer chants during a Sept. 2, 2026, press conference at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco’s Financial District, where the union representing security officers from across San Francisco and Silicon Valley voted in favor of an Unfair Labor Practice strike authorization. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Anthropic and the other tech companies did not respond to KQED’s request for comment in time for publication. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Private contractors like Allied Universal and Securitas also provide guards for hospitals, transit agencies and other offices — including KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are prepared, if necessary, to do what labor has the ultimate power to do,” Huerta said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nvoynovskaya\">\u003cem>Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The union announcement came days after artificial intelligence giant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097028/bay-area-security-workers-threaten-action-after-anthropic-office-closure\">Anthropic shuttered\u003c/a> the doors to its San Francisco office and told employees to work from home after its security contractor, Allied Universal, warned of a possible strike. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914652/the-challenges-and-dangers-security-guards-face\">security workers\u003c/a> who guard tech companies and other offices across San Francisco took a step toward a walkout Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amid months of negotiations with massive contractors like Allied Universal and Securitas, members of the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West, the union that represents some security workers, voted to authorize a strike in response to unfair labor practices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As drums pounded and workers chanted at the Mechanic Monument Plaza in downtown San Francisco on Wednesday, David Huerta, president of SEIU-USWW, called for improved benefits and a $30 minimum wage. This is more than what the private companies are offering in negotiations, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098185\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-8_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">SEIU-USWW President David Huerta speaks at a press conference announcing that union security officers from across San Francisco and Silicon Valley voted in favor of an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike authorization at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco’s Financial District on Sept. 2, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12098180\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098180\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-2_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jerry Longoria, who works as a security officer at Cartier on behalf of Allied Universal, wears an SEIU-USWW pin at a Sept. 2, 2026, press conference at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco’s Financial District. The union representing union security officers from across San Francisco and Silicon Valley voted in favor of an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike authorization.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12098183\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-12_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-12_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-12_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-12_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An advocate holds a sign during a Sept. 2, 2026, press conference at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco’s Financial District. Security officers represented by the union from across San Francisco and Silicon Valley voted in favor of an Unfair Labor Practice strike authorization. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Who can survive with $22 an hour in San Francisco?” Huerta asked as members of the crowd shouted, “Shame.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Allied Universal declined to comment on ongoing labor negotiations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tejinder Singh, a security officer at Google and bargaining committee member, said that the union and the security giants have their last round of negotiations Wednesday, and that officers are ready to strike if the companies do not agree to their demands. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A union press release states that their roughly 14,000 members asked for raises, employer-paid family health care, retirement benefits and job security, and were offered “a mere 25-cent raise over the next four years, including no raise at all in three of those years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Singh said that he did not know how he and his colleagues would survive without a pay increase, given how much prices have skyrocketed across the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everything has increased, gas costs, food costs, rent, medical costs … everything,” Singh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The union announcement came days after artificial intelligence giant \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097028/bay-area-security-workers-threaten-action-after-anthropic-office-closure\">Anthropic shuttered\u003c/a> the doors to its San Francisco office and told employees to work from home after its security contractor, Allied Universal, warned of a possible strike. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Speaking directly to companies like Anthropic, Salesforce, Nvidia, OpenAI, Google, Cisco and others, which rely on guards, Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) reminded the lucrative industry how essential security workers are to keep their employees and operations safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“None of this wealth would be possible if it wasn’t for [the guards],” Haney said. “They need to support you like you support them. They need to protect you like you protect them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098181\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SecurityStrike-NG-1_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A security officer chants during a Sept. 2, 2026, press conference at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco’s Financial District, where the union representing security officers from across San Francisco and Silicon Valley voted in favor of an Unfair Labor Practice strike authorization. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Anthropic and the other tech companies did not respond to KQED’s request for comment in time for publication. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Private contractors like Allied Universal and Securitas also provide guards for hospitals, transit agencies and other offices — including KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are prepared, if necessary, to do what labor has the ultimate power to do,” Huerta said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nvoynovskaya\">\u003cem>Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "benicia-eyes-40-million-grant-from-valero-refinery-settlement-for-green-transition",
"title": "Benicia Eyes $40 Million From Valero Refinery Settlement for Green Transition",
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"headTitle": "Benicia Eyes $40 Million From Valero Refinery Settlement for Green Transition | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Smokestacks sit idly in Benicia as the city awaits nearly $40 million in grant funding, following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">2024 settlement\u003c/a> between the Bay Area Air District, the California Air Resources Board and Valero. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After nearly 26 years in Benicia, a Solano County town of roughly 26,000, Valero \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">shuttered\u003c/a> operations there in April. The decision to close shop came after Texas-based Valero was slapped with $82 million in fines, on the grounds that it exceeded toxic emissions standards for over a decade before regulators intervened.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As city officials have noted, meanwhile, the closure left a hole in Benicia’s budget and removed hundreds of high-paying jobs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The penalty against Valero is the largest that the Bay Area Air District ever levied, said Emi Wang, a community investments officer with the air district, and it is the first time it is sending settlement money directly to communities that have been polluted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12055464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, California, on May 8, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $40 million would go toward updating school buildings and investing in clean energy infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City Councilmember Kari Birdseye said that the next five years — the time period they have allotted for implementing the grants — will be pivotal for Benicia, which Birdseye said “can be a model for future towns that have lost their refineries.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As of May there are still \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/california-refineries\">eight refineries\u003c/a> operating in California, according to CARB. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wang said 80% of the Valero settlement would go directly to the local communities most affected by the air quality violations, with 20% to a regional fund through the new Local Community Benefits Fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Obviously we didn’t appreciate the 15 years of secret, toxic emissions,” Birdseye said. “But these funds will help us recover from that and transition away from depending on Valero and their tax money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May, KQED reported that about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084374/can-benicia-be-the-poster-child-of-a-just-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels\">10%\u003c/a> of Benicia’s tax money came from Valero. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young said that, while the grants cannot support general fund services like police and parks, they could help the overall budget by giving room to purchase new electric vehicles and repair solar infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the board approves the projects, $30 million could go to the city of Benicia to invest in clean-energy upgrades for government facilities, in electric-vehicle infrastructure, in bike and pedestrian safety, in community health, and in a just-transition roadmap. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The other $10 million would go to the school district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Chris Calabrese said the funds would be used to update school facilities by installing heat pumps equipped with air filters, replacing windows for better insulation and planting trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have several schools that have the highway going right by them,” Calabrese said, explaining that the city will plant trees between the highways and the schools to absorb carbon and act as buffers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12061772\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mother and her daughter play at City Park in Benicia on Oct. 27, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Calabrese noted that 10% of preschoolers in the district have been diagnosed with asthma — that’s more than three times the national average of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/asthma-data/about/most-recent-asthma-data.html\">3%\u003c/a> of children under 4. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although Valero exited Benicia in April, it still owns the refinery land, Young noted. Birdseye said the company selected the Signature Development Group to redevelop the site over the next few years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As far as I understand it, the city has to engage in pretty complex partnerships and negotiations with entities like Signature,” Wang said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wang explained that part of the proposal will provide capacity for the city to partake in these interagency negotiations, and “to come to the table fully staffed” — especially considering the amount of tax revenue the city lost with the Valero closure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Birdseye said she sees good things in the city’s future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s 900 acres of prime real estate that can be part of our clean-energy future, can be a part of how we grow the community of Benicia, can be part of our future diversified tax base,” Birdseye said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District will hold a final vote on authorizing the grants at its board meeting today.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After nearly 26 years in Benicia, a Solano County town of roughly 26,000, Valero \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">shuttered\u003c/a> operations there in April. The decision to close shop came after Texas-based Valero was slapped with $82 million in fines, on the grounds that it exceeded toxic emissions standards for over a decade before regulators intervened.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As city officials have noted, meanwhile, the closure left a hole in Benicia’s budget and removed hundreds of high-paying jobs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The penalty against Valero is the largest that the Bay Area Air District ever levied, said Emi Wang, a community investments officer with the air district, and it is the first time it is sending settlement money directly to communities that have been polluted.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12055464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, California, on May 8, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The $40 million would go toward updating school buildings and investing in clean energy infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City Councilmember Kari Birdseye said that the next five years — the time period they have allotted for implementing the grants — will be pivotal for Benicia, which Birdseye said “can be a model for future towns that have lost their refineries.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As of May there are still \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/california-refineries\">eight refineries\u003c/a> operating in California, according to CARB. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Obviously we didn’t appreciate the 15 years of secret, toxic emissions,” Birdseye said. “But these funds will help us recover from that and transition away from depending on Valero and their tax money.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Although Valero exited Benicia in April, it still owns the refinery land, Young noted. Birdseye said the company selected the Signature Development Group to redevelop the site over the next few years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wang explained that part of the proposal will provide capacity for the city to partake in these interagency negotiations, and “to come to the table fully staffed” — especially considering the amount of tax revenue the city lost with the Valero closure. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s 900 acres of prime real estate that can be part of our clean-energy future, can be a part of how we grow the community of Benicia, can be part of our future diversified tax base,” Birdseye said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The city and the school district could both receive millions after decades of pollution.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Smokestacks sit idly in Benicia as the city awaits nearly $40 million in grant funding, following a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011785/bay-area-air-district-hits-valeros-benicia-refinery-with-historic-82-million-fine\">2024 settlement\u003c/a> between the Bay Area Air District, the California Air Resources Board and Valero. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After nearly 26 years in Benicia, a Solano County town of roughly 26,000, Valero \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036242/oil-giant-valero-announces-plans-to-shutter-troubled-benicia-refinery\">shuttered\u003c/a> operations there in April. The decision to close shop came after Texas-based Valero was slapped with $82 million in fines, on the grounds that it exceeded toxic emissions standards for over a decade before regulators intervened.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As city officials have noted, meanwhile, the closure left a hole in Benicia’s budget and removed hundreds of high-paying jobs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The penalty against Valero is the largest that the Bay Area Air District ever levied, said Emi Wang, a community investments officer with the air district, and it is the first time it is sending settlement money directly to communities that have been polluted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12055464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, California, on May 8, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $40 million would go toward updating school buildings and investing in clean energy infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City Councilmember Kari Birdseye said that the next five years — the time period they have allotted for implementing the grants — will be pivotal for Benicia, which Birdseye said “can be a model for future towns that have lost their refineries.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As of May there are still \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/california-refineries\">eight refineries\u003c/a> operating in California, according to CARB. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wang said 80% of the Valero settlement would go directly to the local communities most affected by the air quality violations, with 20% to a regional fund through the new Local Community Benefits Fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Obviously we didn’t appreciate the 15 years of secret, toxic emissions,” Birdseye said. “But these funds will help us recover from that and transition away from depending on Valero and their tax money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May, KQED reported that about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084374/can-benicia-be-the-poster-child-of-a-just-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels\">10%\u003c/a> of Benicia’s tax money came from Valero. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benicia Mayor Steve Young said that, while the grants cannot support general fund services like police and parks, they could help the overall budget by giving room to purchase new electric vehicles and repair solar infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the board approves the projects, $30 million could go to the city of Benicia to invest in clean-energy upgrades for government facilities, in electric-vehicle infrastructure, in bike and pedestrian safety, in community health, and in a just-transition roadmap. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The other $10 million would go to the school district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Chris Calabrese said the funds would be used to update school facilities by installing heat pumps equipped with air filters, replacing windows for better insulation and planting trees. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have several schools that have the highway going right by them,” Calabrese said, explaining that the city will plant trees between the highways and the schools to absorb carbon and act as buffers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12061772\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-05-1-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mother and her daughter play at City Park in Benicia on Oct. 27, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Calabrese noted that 10% of preschoolers in the district have been diagnosed with asthma — that’s more than three times the national average of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/asthma-data/about/most-recent-asthma-data.html\">3%\u003c/a> of children under 4. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Although Valero exited Benicia in April, it still owns the refinery land, Young noted. Birdseye said the company selected the Signature Development Group to redevelop the site over the next few years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As far as I understand it, the city has to engage in pretty complex partnerships and negotiations with entities like Signature,” Wang said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wang explained that part of the proposal will provide capacity for the city to partake in these interagency negotiations, and “to come to the table fully staffed” — especially considering the amount of tax revenue the city lost with the Valero closure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Birdseye said she sees good things in the city’s future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s 900 acres of prime real estate that can be part of our clean-energy future, can be a part of how we grow the community of Benicia, can be part of our future diversified tax base,” Birdseye said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District will hold a final vote on authorizing the grants at its board meeting today.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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},
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"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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