KQED is a proud member of
Save ArticleSave Article
upper waypoint
KQED Newsroom

Democratic Party Convention Opens, Big Brother on Pause in Oakland and Silicon Valley Thirsty for Recycled Water

KQED Newsroom Staff
at
Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

Democratic Party Convention Opens
Democrats gather for their state convention in Los Angeles this weekend. The party holds both U.S. Senate seats and every statewide office from governor on down, in contrast with the Republican Party, which is attempting to rebrand itself in California. Still, there's plenty for Democrats to be concerned about, starting with a series of recent political scandals that cost them their two-thirds majority in the state Senate. Scott Shafer leads a discussion about what's at stake and the challenges ahead for the party.

Guests:
Scott Detrow, KQED Sacramento bureau chief
Chris Lehane, Democratic Strategist, Fabiani and Lehane

Big Brother on Pause in Oakland
After a fierce debate over privacy, the Oakland City Council voted this week to scale back deployment of a controversial program for citywide surveillance. The Domain Awareness Center will now monitor only the city's airport and the port. At the heart of the debate is whether the use of new technologies — from street and police cameras to the new wearable computing device "Google Glass" — constitutes an invasion of privacy. Thuy Vu leads a discussion.

Guests:
Aarti Shahani, KQED News reporter
Ali Winston, freelance journalist

Further Reporting:
Oakland Approves Scaled-Back Version of Disputed Surveillance Center
Forum: Oakland Shrinks Scope of Controversial Surveillance Center

Sponsored

Silicon Valley Thirsty for Recycled Water
As Northern California's drought continues, the recent rain brought more hope than relief. Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that could provide millions for water conservation efforts and to expand the use of recycled water statewide. Silicon Valley has a head start on that front, with a new $70 million facility, set to open in June, that can purify up to eight million gallons of treated sewage water a day. KQED Science editor Craig Miller reports.

Further Reporting:
San Jose's New Plant Transforms Sewage Into 'Really Clean' Water

lower waypoint
next waypoint
California Homeowners Say Oakland Lender Scammed Them Out of $3M in Home ImprovementsFAFSA 2024: The May 2 Deadline for California Students is Almost HereThousands of San Francisco Residents Saved From Eviction by 2018 Legal Aid MeasureBillionaire-Backed Bid for New Solano County City Is Closer to November BallotBay Area High School Students Scramble to Find Seats to Take the SAT and ACTMay Day Rallies Focus on Palestinian Solidarity in San Francisco, OaklandEvan Low Advances in Silicon Valley Congressional Race, After Recount Breaks Historic TieHow to Spend this Summer Camping CaliforniaCollege Protests From the Eyes Of Student JournalistsPhotos: Campus Protests Grow Across Bay Area