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"content": "\n\u003cp>As of this Friday, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/trump-administration\">Trump administration\u003c/a> will give immigration officers more power to deny green cards and visas to immigrants who use public benefits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Immigration officials will now consider a wider range of factors to decide if an applicant is likely to become a “public charge” — someone who is primarily dependent on the government to support themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal law \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-g-chapter-2\">states\u003c/a> that individuals who are likely to become a public charge cannot be admitted to the country, but it does not provide an exact list of factors or circumstances to determine who is a “public charge.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s why different administrations have interpreted the law differently. \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/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Concord Immigration Court in Concord on May 7, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security revoked a Biden-era rule that limited what officials could look at when considering an application. Without that guardrail in place, DHS can now consider whether an individual has ever received “means-tested public benefits” — a category that officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/20/2026-14539/public-charge-ground-of-inadmissibility\">have confirmed\u003c/a> includes:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Medicaid (Medi-Cal) coverage\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Unemployment benefits (CalWords)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Food stamps (CalFresh) and other nutrition-assistance programs like WIC for women, infants and children\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Housing vouchers\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Early education programs like Head Start (if the applicant is a child)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>School lunch and summer food service programs that an applicant received thanks to food stamps or Medicaid coverage\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new policy also considers direct cash aid programs at the local level, like guaranteed or universal basic income programs (also known as UBI). Over the past decade, cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles and Stockton have developed their own UBI programs for low-income families that don’t take immigration status into account.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What else could immigration officials look at?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>DHS insists that the Biden-era rule prevented immigration officials from making more informed decisions. Looking at current and past public benefits, the agency said, is “relevant to determining whether an alien is likely at any time to become a public charge.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new policy is not entirely clear about what else immigration officials would consider public benefits, said Robert Yabes, who leads the immigration legal program at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Officials now have much more discretion when making a decision,” he added. “We will have to observe how they use that now in cases,” he said. “And then based on what we learn, we will guide clients.”\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/10/2026/05/gettyimages-2238189274-scaled-e1789757180450.jpeg\" alt=\"A federal officer stands in a hallway at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York in October 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-12085161\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A federal officer stands in a hallway at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York in October 2025. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The announcement has sparked uncertainty and anxiety among immigrant families in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The rules are constantly changing, and it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s not,” said Lydia Bustamante, who leads San José’s Office of Inclusion and Belonging.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The result is that people are not accessing the services and resources that they need and deserve in order to support their families in one of the highest-cost-of-living areas in the country,” she added, stressing the importance of talking to legal experts to better understand this new rule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are many ways to find legal aid in the Bay Area. These are some options recommended by immigrant advocates KQED spoke to:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://baylegal.org/get-help/\">Bay Area Legal Aid\u003c/a>: 800-551-5554\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County’s \u003ca href=\"https://desj.santaclaracounty.gov/oir/legal-services\">portal of free-to-low-cost immigration legal services\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership: 510-241-4011\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Marin County Rapid Response Network: 415-991-4545\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>San Francisco Rapid Response Network: 415-200-1548\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County: 408-290-1144\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Stand Together Contra Costa: 925-900-5151\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>North Bay Rapid Response Network (Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties): 707-800-4544\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cities and counties are generally not involved in federal immigration affairs, Santa Clara County Executive James Williams pointed out. “All of the care and services we offer to ensure the health and well-being of every family in our community,” he said, “remains fully open and accessible to everybody.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re doing all we can to make sure that people continue to access those services,” he added, “and know that their county government is standing with them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who is impacted by this change?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Folks should first find out whether the new public charge rule actually affects them, said Yabes from Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This doesn’t apply to everybody,” he said. “Families should not automatically withdraw from any program that they’re in right now, especially with children, [without] finding out if the new rule actually applies to their particular immigration situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new rule affects only people who are applying for a green card or a visa, Yabes explained. It doesn’t include naturalized U.S. citizens or current green card holders — unless they leave the country for more than six months. “It also does not apply to people who have refugee or asylum status,” he added, “or even DACA and TPS recipients.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, protects some people who were brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is granted to immigrants from countries where the situation is too dangerous or unstable to return. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Individuals who are applying for legal permanent residence (a green card) will, however, be subject to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-g-chapter-3\">new guidelines\u003c/a> — even if they have an immediate family member who is a U.S. citizen or are being sponsored by an employer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are state and local officials worried about this new public charge rule?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California and 22 other Democrat-led states are suing the Trump administration to block the new public charge rule. Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Monday that these guidelines give immigration officials “practically unlimited discretion to deny someone a green card because they used a public benefit program.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is a cruel policy designed to force immigrant families to forgo healthcare and food assistance programs out of fear that using them could jeopardize their immigration status,” he added.\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/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053793\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">City Attorney David Chiu speaks during a press conference at City Hall in San Francisco on Aug. 15, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco and Santa Clara County have also sued the federal government over the new policy in a separate lawsuit. “If even a fraction of households are withdrawing from these social services, our city stands to lose millions of dollars in federal reimbursements,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bay Area counties are already \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082251/after-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-free-clinics-are-stepping-up\">expecting to lose\u003c/a> millions of dollars in Medicaid funding thanks to cuts from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. More funding losses could strain local services even more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, DHS said that state leaders pushing back against the policy “are terrified they will lose federal funds because hundreds of thousands of illegals and noncitizens might remove themselves from American welfare programs.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re shaking in our boots over this supposedly terrible outcome,” DHS added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2019, San Francisco and Santa Clara County won a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-and-county-of-santa-clara-conclude-public-charge-lawsuit\">legal battle\u003c/a> against the first Trump administration over a similar change to the public charge rule. “This is something that we have fought before,” Chiu said. “This is a cruel attempt by the federal administration to impose a wealth test on families that are seeking a future in our country.”\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As of this Friday, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/trump-administration\">Trump administration\u003c/a> will give immigration officers more power to deny green cards and visas to immigrants who use public benefits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As of this Friday, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/trump-administration\">Trump administration\u003c/a> will give immigration officers more power to deny green cards and visas to immigrants who use public benefits.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Immigration officials will now consider a wider range of factors to decide if an applicant is likely to become a “public charge” — someone who is primarily dependent on the government to support themselves.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Immigration officials will now consider a wider range of factors to decide if an applicant is likely to become a “public charge” — someone who is primarily dependent on the government to support themselves.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal law \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-g-chapter-2\">states\u003c/a> that individuals who are likely to become a public charge cannot be admitted to the country, but it does not provide an exact list of factors or circumstances to determine who is a “public charge.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Federal law \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-g-chapter-2\">states\u003c/a> that individuals who are likely to become a public charge cannot be admitted to the country, but it does not provide an exact list of factors or circumstances to determine who is a “public charge.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s why different administrations have interpreted the law differently. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That’s why different administrations have interpreted the law differently. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-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\">The Concord Immigration Court in Concord on May 7, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084722\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Concord Immigration Court in Concord on May 7, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security revoked a Biden-era rule that limited what officials could look at when considering an application. Without that guardrail in place, DHS can now consider whether an individual has ever received “means-tested public benefits” — a category that officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/20/2026-14539/public-charge-ground-of-inadmissibility\">have confirmed\u003c/a> includes:\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security revoked a Biden-era rule that limited what officials could look at when considering an application. Without that guardrail in place, DHS can now consider whether an individual has ever received “means-tested public benefits” — a category that officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/20/2026-14539/public-charge-ground-of-inadmissibility\">have confirmed\u003c/a> includes:\u003c/p>\n"
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"Medicaid (Medi-Cal) coverage",
"Unemployment benefits (CalWords)",
"Food stamps (CalFresh) and other nutrition-assistance programs like WIC for women, infants and children",
"Housing vouchers",
"Early education programs like Head Start (if the applicant is a child)",
"School lunch and summer food service programs that an applicant received thanks to food stamps or Medicaid coverage"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Medicaid (Medi-Cal) coverage\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Medicaid (Medi-Cal) coverage\u003c/li>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Unemployment benefits (CalWords)\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Food stamps (CalFresh) and other nutrition-assistance programs like WIC for women, infants and children\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Food stamps (CalFresh) and other nutrition-assistance programs like WIC for women, infants and children\u003c/li>\n"
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"attrs": [],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Housing vouchers\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Housing vouchers\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Early education programs like Head Start (if the applicant is a child)\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Early education programs like Head Start (if the applicant is a child)\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>School lunch and summer food service programs that an applicant received thanks to food stamps or Medicaid coverage\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>School lunch and summer food service programs that an applicant received thanks to food stamps or Medicaid coverage\u003c/li>\n"
]
}
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new policy also considers direct cash aid programs at the local level, like guaranteed or universal basic income programs (also known as UBI). Over the past decade, cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles and Stockton have developed their own UBI programs for low-income families that don’t take immigration status into account.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The new policy also considers direct cash aid programs at the local level, like guaranteed or universal basic income programs (also known as UBI). Over the past decade, cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles and Stockton have developed their own UBI programs for low-income families that don’t take immigration status into account.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What else could immigration officials look at?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What else could immigration officials look at?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What else could immigration officials look at?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>DHS insists that the Biden-era rule prevented immigration officials from making more informed decisions. Looking at current and past public benefits, the agency said, is “relevant to determining whether an alien is likely at any time to become a public charge.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>DHS insists that the Biden-era rule prevented immigration officials from making more informed decisions. Looking at current and past public benefits, the agency said, is “relevant to determining whether an alien is likely at any time to become a public charge.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new policy is not entirely clear about what else immigration officials would consider public benefits, said Robert Yabes, who leads the immigration legal program at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The new policy is not entirely clear about what else immigration officials would consider public benefits, said Robert Yabes, who leads the immigration legal program at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Officials now have much more discretion when making a decision,” he added. “We will have to observe how they use that now in cases,” he said. “And then based on what we learn, we will guide clients.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Officials now have much more discretion when making a decision,” he added. “We will have to observe how they use that now in cases,” he said. “And then based on what we learn, we will guide clients.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "A federal officer stands in a hallway at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York in October 2025."
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/gettyimages-2238189274-scaled-e1789757180450.jpeg\" alt=\"A federal officer stands in a hallway at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York in October 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-12085161\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A federal officer stands in a hallway at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York in October 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/gettyimages-2238189274-scaled-e1789757180450.jpeg\" alt=\"A federal officer stands in a hallway at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York in October 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-12085161\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A federal officer stands in a hallway at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York in October 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The announcement has sparked uncertainty and anxiety among immigrant families in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The announcement has sparked uncertainty and anxiety among immigrant families in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The rules are constantly changing, and it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s not,” said Lydia Bustamante, who leads San José’s Office of Inclusion and Belonging.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“The rules are constantly changing, and it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s not,” said Lydia Bustamante, who leads San José’s Office of Inclusion and Belonging.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The result is that people are not accessing the services and resources that they need and deserve in order to support their families in one of the highest-cost-of-living areas in the country,” she added, stressing the importance of talking to legal experts to better understand this new rule.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The result is that people are not accessing the services and resources that they need and deserve in order to support their families in one of the highest-cost-of-living areas in the country,” she added, stressing the importance of talking to legal experts to better understand this new rule.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are many ways to find legal aid in the Bay Area. These are some options recommended by immigrant advocates KQED spoke to:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There are many ways to find legal aid in the Bay Area. These are some options recommended by immigrant advocates KQED spoke to:\u003c/p>\n"
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"Bay Area Legal Aid: 800-551-5554",
"Santa Clara County’s portal of free-to-low-cost immigration legal services",
"Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership: 510-241-4011",
"Marin County Rapid Response Network: 415-991-4545",
"San Francisco Rapid Response Network: 415-200-1548",
"Santa Clara County: 408-290-1144",
"Stand Together Contra Costa: 925-900-5151",
"North Bay Rapid Response Network (Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties): 707-800-4544"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://baylegal.org/get-help/\">Bay Area Legal Aid\u003c/a>: 800-551-5554\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://baylegal.org/get-help/\">Bay Area Legal Aid\u003c/a>: 800-551-5554\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County’s \u003ca href=\"https://desj.santaclaracounty.gov/oir/legal-services\">portal of free-to-low-cost immigration legal services\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County’s \u003ca href=\"https://desj.santaclaracounty.gov/oir/legal-services\">portal of free-to-low-cost immigration legal services\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership: 510-241-4011\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership: 510-241-4011\u003c/li>\n"
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},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Marin County Rapid Response Network: 415-991-4545\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Marin County Rapid Response Network: 415-991-4545\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>San Francisco Rapid Response Network: 415-200-1548\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>San Francisco Rapid Response Network: 415-200-1548\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County: 408-290-1144\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County: 408-290-1144\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Stand Together Contra Costa: 925-900-5151\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Stand Together Contra Costa: 925-900-5151\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>North Bay Rapid Response Network (Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties): 707-800-4544\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cities and counties are generally not involved in federal immigration affairs, Santa Clara County Executive James Williams pointed out. “All of the care and services we offer to ensure the health and well-being of every family in our community,” he said, “remains fully open and accessible to everybody.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Cities and counties are generally not involved in federal immigration affairs, Santa Clara County Executive James Williams pointed out. “All of the care and services we offer to ensure the health and well-being of every family in our community,” he said, “remains fully open and accessible to everybody.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re doing all we can to make sure that people continue to access those services,” he added, “and know that their county government is standing with them.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re doing all we can to make sure that people continue to access those services,” he added, “and know that their county government is standing with them.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Folks should first find out whether the new public charge rule actually affects them, said Yabes from Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Folks should first find out whether the new public charge rule actually affects them, said Yabes from Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This doesn’t apply to everybody,” he said. “Families should not automatically withdraw from any program that they’re in right now, especially with children, [without] finding out if the new rule actually applies to their particular immigration situation.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This doesn’t apply to everybody,” he said. “Families should not automatically withdraw from any program that they’re in right now, especially with children, [without] finding out if the new rule actually applies to their particular immigration situation.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new rule affects only people who are applying for a green card or a visa, Yabes explained. It doesn’t include naturalized U.S. citizens or current green card holders — unless they leave the country for more than six months. “It also does not apply to people who have refugee or asylum status,” he added, “or even DACA and TPS recipients.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The new rule affects only people who are applying for a green card or a visa, Yabes explained. It doesn’t include naturalized U.S. citizens or current green card holders — unless they leave the country for more than six months. “It also does not apply to people who have refugee or asylum status,” he added, “or even DACA and TPS recipients.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, protects some people who were brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is granted to immigrants from countries where the situation is too dangerous or unstable to return. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is granted to immigrants from countries where the situation is too dangerous or unstable to return. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Individuals who are applying for legal permanent residence (a green card) will, however, be subject to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-g-chapter-3\">new guidelines\u003c/a> — even if they have an immediate family member who is a U.S. citizen or are being sponsored by an employer.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Individuals who are applying for legal permanent residence (a green card) will, however, be subject to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-g-chapter-3\">new guidelines\u003c/a> — even if they have an immediate family member who is a U.S. citizen or are being sponsored by an employer.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are state and local officials worried about this new public charge rule?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California and 22 other Democrat-led states are suing the Trump administration to block the new public charge rule. Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Monday that these guidelines give immigration officials “practically unlimited discretion to deny someone a green card because they used a public benefit program.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California and 22 other Democrat-led states are suing the Trump administration to block the new public charge rule. Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Monday that these guidelines give immigration officials “practically unlimited discretion to deny someone a green card because they used a public benefit program.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is a cruel policy designed to force immigrant families to forgo healthcare and food assistance programs out of fear that using them could jeopardize their immigration status,” he added.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“This is a cruel policy designed to force immigrant families to forgo healthcare and food assistance programs out of fear that using them could jeopardize their immigration status,” he added.\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/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053793\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-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\">City Attorney David Chiu speaks during a press conference at City Hall in San Francisco on Aug. 15, 2024.\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/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053793\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">City Attorney David Chiu speaks during a press conference at City Hall in San Francisco on Aug. 15, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco and Santa Clara County have also sued the federal government over the new policy in a separate lawsuit. “If even a fraction of households are withdrawing from these social services, our city stands to lose millions of dollars in federal reimbursements,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Francisco and Santa Clara County have also sued the federal government over the new policy in a separate lawsuit. “If even a fraction of households are withdrawing from these social services, our city stands to lose millions of dollars in federal reimbursements,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bay Area counties are already \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082251/after-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-free-clinics-are-stepping-up\">expecting to lose\u003c/a> millions of dollars in Medicaid funding thanks to cuts from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. More funding losses could strain local services even more.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bay Area counties are already \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082251/after-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-free-clinics-are-stepping-up\">expecting to lose\u003c/a> millions of dollars in Medicaid funding thanks to cuts from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. More funding losses could strain local services even more.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, DHS said that state leaders pushing back against the policy “are terrified they will lose federal funds because hundreds of thousands of illegals and noncitizens might remove themselves from American welfare programs.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, DHS said that state leaders pushing back against the policy “are terrified they will lose federal funds because hundreds of thousands of illegals and noncitizens might remove themselves from American welfare programs.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re shaking in our boots over this supposedly terrible outcome,” DHS added.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re shaking in our boots over this supposedly terrible outcome,” DHS added.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2019, San Francisco and Santa Clara County won a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-and-county-of-santa-clara-conclude-public-charge-lawsuit\">legal battle\u003c/a> against the first Trump administration over a similar change to the public charge rule. “This is something that we have fought before,” Chiu said. “This is a cruel attempt by the federal administration to impose a wealth test on families that are seeking a future in our country.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The change will not impact all immigrants. But federal officers can now consider whether a green card or visa applicant received unemployment benefits, housing vouchers, Medi-Cal and even free school lunches.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As of this Friday, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/trump-administration\">Trump administration\u003c/a> will give immigration officers more power to deny green cards and visas to immigrants who use public benefits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Immigration officials will now consider a wider range of factors to decide if an applicant is likely to become a “public charge” — someone who is primarily dependent on the government to support themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal law \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-g-chapter-2\">states\u003c/a> that individuals who are likely to become a public charge cannot be admitted to the country, but it does not provide an exact list of factors or circumstances to determine who is a “public charge.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s why different administrations have interpreted the law differently. \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/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260507-IMMIGRATIONCOURTVOLUNTEERS-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Concord Immigration Court in Concord on May 7, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security revoked a Biden-era rule that limited what officials could look at when considering an application. Without that guardrail in place, DHS can now consider whether an individual has ever received “means-tested public benefits” — a category that officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/20/2026-14539/public-charge-ground-of-inadmissibility\">have confirmed\u003c/a> includes:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Medicaid (Medi-Cal) coverage\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Unemployment benefits (CalWords)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Food stamps (CalFresh) and other nutrition-assistance programs like WIC for women, infants and children\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Housing vouchers\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Early education programs like Head Start (if the applicant is a child)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>School lunch and summer food service programs that an applicant received thanks to food stamps or Medicaid coverage\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new policy also considers direct cash aid programs at the local level, like guaranteed or universal basic income programs (also known as UBI). Over the past decade, cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles and Stockton have developed their own UBI programs for low-income families that don’t take immigration status into account.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What else could immigration officials look at?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>DHS insists that the Biden-era rule prevented immigration officials from making more informed decisions. Looking at current and past public benefits, the agency said, is “relevant to determining whether an alien is likely at any time to become a public charge.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new policy is not entirely clear about what else immigration officials would consider public benefits, said Robert Yabes, who leads the immigration legal program at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Officials now have much more discretion when making a decision,” he added. “We will have to observe how they use that now in cases,” he said. “And then based on what we learn, we will guide clients.”\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/10/2026/05/gettyimages-2238189274-scaled-e1789757180450.jpeg\" alt=\"A federal officer stands in a hallway at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York in October 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-12085161\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A federal officer stands in a hallway at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York in October 2025. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The announcement has sparked uncertainty and anxiety among immigrant families in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The rules are constantly changing, and it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s not,” said Lydia Bustamante, who leads San José’s Office of Inclusion and Belonging.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The result is that people are not accessing the services and resources that they need and deserve in order to support their families in one of the highest-cost-of-living areas in the country,” she added, stressing the importance of talking to legal experts to better understand this new rule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are many ways to find legal aid in the Bay Area. These are some options recommended by immigrant advocates KQED spoke to:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://baylegal.org/get-help/\">Bay Area Legal Aid\u003c/a>: 800-551-5554\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County’s \u003ca href=\"https://desj.santaclaracounty.gov/oir/legal-services\">portal of free-to-low-cost immigration legal services\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership: 510-241-4011\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Marin County Rapid Response Network: 415-991-4545\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>San Francisco Rapid Response Network: 415-200-1548\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Santa Clara County: 408-290-1144\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Stand Together Contra Costa: 925-900-5151\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>North Bay Rapid Response Network (Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties): 707-800-4544\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cities and counties are generally not involved in federal immigration affairs, Santa Clara County Executive James Williams pointed out. “All of the care and services we offer to ensure the health and well-being of every family in our community,” he said, “remains fully open and accessible to everybody.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re doing all we can to make sure that people continue to access those services,” he added, “and know that their county government is standing with them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who is impacted by this change?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Folks should first find out whether the new public charge rule actually affects them, said Yabes from Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This doesn’t apply to everybody,” he said. “Families should not automatically withdraw from any program that they’re in right now, especially with children, [without] finding out if the new rule actually applies to their particular immigration situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new rule affects only people who are applying for a green card or a visa, Yabes explained. It doesn’t include naturalized U.S. citizens or current green card holders — unless they leave the country for more than six months. “It also does not apply to people who have refugee or asylum status,” he added, “or even DACA and TPS recipients.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, protects some people who were brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is granted to immigrants from countries where the situation is too dangerous or unstable to return. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Individuals who are applying for legal permanent residence (a green card) will, however, be subject to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-8-part-g-chapter-3\">new guidelines\u003c/a> — even if they have an immediate family member who is a U.S. citizen or are being sponsored by an employer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are state and local officials worried about this new public charge rule?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California and 22 other Democrat-led states are suing the Trump administration to block the new public charge rule. Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Monday that these guidelines give immigration officials “practically unlimited discretion to deny someone a green card because they used a public benefit program.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is a cruel policy designed to force immigrant families to forgo healthcare and food assistance programs out of fear that using them could jeopardize their immigration status,” he added.\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/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053793\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/240815-CityAttorneyDeepfakes-10-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">City Attorney David Chiu speaks during a press conference at City Hall in San Francisco on Aug. 15, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco and Santa Clara County have also sued the federal government over the new policy in a separate lawsuit. “If even a fraction of households are withdrawing from these social services, our city stands to lose millions of dollars in federal reimbursements,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bay Area counties are already \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082251/after-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-free-clinics-are-stepping-up\">expecting to lose\u003c/a> millions of dollars in Medicaid funding thanks to cuts from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. More funding losses could strain local services even more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, DHS said that state leaders pushing back against the policy “are terrified they will lose federal funds because hundreds of thousands of illegals and noncitizens might remove themselves from American welfare programs.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re shaking in our boots over this supposedly terrible outcome,” DHS added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2019, San Francisco and Santa Clara County won a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-and-county-of-santa-clara-conclude-public-charge-lawsuit\">legal battle\u003c/a> against the first Trump administration over a similar change to the public charge rule. “This is something that we have fought before,” Chiu said. “This is a cruel attempt by the federal administration to impose a wealth test on families that are seeking a future in our country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "what-to-do-if-you-see-a-mountain-lion-while-hiking-in-the-bay-area",
"title": "Another Mountain Lion Seen in San Francisco? What to Do If You Encounter One",
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"headTitle": "Another Mountain Lion Seen in San Francisco? What to Do If You Encounter One | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Yet \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoACC/posts/pfbid0Gua8yrHfmTsd1oJWFp3Ukp44HLs1CTMfpXsoKhGMp4vbUsoLGTytqSJAMDGpaXeMl\">\u003cem>another \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071216/san-francisco-mountain-lion-is-tranquilized-as-officials-work-to-capture-the-cougar\">mountain lion\u003c/a> has been \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/DanielLurie/status/2100988932871893476?s=20\">spotted \u003c/a>roaming the streets of San Francisco — this time, an animal sighted Friday in the Sunset District, on 44th Avenue near Ulloa Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a Friday statement from San Francisco Animal Care and Control, city authorities, officials from the state fish and wildlife department and staff from the San Francisco Zoo were dispatched to the scene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By 11:15 a.m., a citywide alert announced the animal had been taken in the care of state game wardens and “there is no danger to the public.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This marks the second San Francisco mountain lion sighting in two weeks, after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcra.com/article/san-francisco-mountain-lion-sighting-panhandle/73632758\">another animal was seen\u003c/a> around the Panhandle earlier in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This latest sighting — in an urban setting — might have you wondering: “How exactly \u003cem>should \u003c/em>I react if I see a mountain lion?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Encountering a mountain lion up close\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Two decades ago, Zara McDonald was on a run in Marin near \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997579/bay-area-hikes-views-clouds-marine-inversion-layer\">Mount Tamalpais\u003c/a> around dusk when a mountain lion suddenly appeared above her, just 5 feet away — and stared at her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its eyes then fixed on something behind her, and the mountain lion disappeared back into the bushes. When she turned around, she saw three deer on the hillside behind her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt really small,” said McDonald, a biologist and researcher who’s now the founder and president of the \u003ca href=\"https://bapp.org/\">Bay Area Puma Project\u003c/a>, a local wild cat research and conservation organization that’s part of the \u003ca href=\"https://felidaefund.org/\">Felidae Conservation Fund\u003c/a>. “I disrupted his opportunity to get a meal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#avoid-mountain-lions\">How to avoid mountain lions — and what to do if you see one\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>And while she had fears, “he was not a threat,” she said. Rather, “I left feeling like I was an intruder.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For McDonald, this experience back in the early 2000s was “transformative” in how she saw humans’ relationship to nature. Now, her organization has around \u003ca href=\"https://bapp.org/our-work/remote-cameras\">200 cameras placed around the Bay Area\u003c/a> that collect data on mountain lion movement. The project also \u003ca href=\"https://bapp.org/updates/updates/bay-area-puma-project/scat-field-work-2024\">studies their fecal matter\u003c/a> for information on genetics and overall population health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052071\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052071\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mountain lion stares into a wildlife camera on Sept. 9, 2023. \u003ccite>(Photo by Felidae Conservation Fund/Bay Area Puma Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The mountain lion is the second-largest cat in all of North America and is native to the Bay Area. While you may have never seen one, \u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion#632445330-statewide-integrated-population-modeling\">40% of the state is considered suitable for mountain lion habitat,\u003c/a> making it likely that these elusive animals are around hiking trails or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897584/here-kitty-kitty-that-mountain-lion-spotted-in-bernal-heights-has-been-captured\">areas you might already be frequenting.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mountain lions are \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/science/apex-predator\">apex predators\u003c/a>, but experts say, for the most part, they just want to do their own thing. \u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion#632445330-statewide-integrated-population-modeling\">According to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife\u003c/a>, there have been only 26 total verified mountain lion attacks on humans in California in the last four decades — and four deaths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So how common are these animals, really? And how afraid should you be of them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Education is our best tool for preventing conflict,” McDonald said. “When people understand mountain lion behavior, fear turns into respect. And respect is the foundation of coexistence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How do I know it’s a mountain lion?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You should know: \u003ca href=\"https://felidaefund.org/news/general/mistaken-mountain-lion-sightings-have-major-consequences\">upwards of 90% of all “mountain lion sightings” in California are not actually mountain lions\u003c/a>. And there are only about 3,200 to 4,500 lions across the entire state, said Mairan Smith, a CDFW unit biologist for the Bay Delta region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, they’re often confused for \u003ca href=\"https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/bobcat\">bobcats \u003c/a>or stray domestic cats. But an actual mountain lion will be:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.openspace.org/where-to-go/nature/mountain-lions\">Much larger\u003c/a>, with adult males reaching around 8 feet long and up to 150 pounds.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Gray, brown or tan in color with black-tipped ears.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Likely \u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion#632445330-statewide-integrated-population-modeling\">traveling alone.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCIOIbRtAWs\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where am I most likely to see a mountain lion?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Smith said they thrive in redwood forests, brushland and mountain environments — all of which are habitats found in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the animals can live almost everywhere in the state, most people who report sightings are closer to the rural-urban divide, she said — not only because these areas are more likely to be their habitat, but also because they’re often a source of livestock or other food.[aside postID=news_12042615 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/E.-CSL-Quly-left-and-Togozees_release_8-4-23_photo-by-Bill-Hunnewell-%C2%A9-The-Marine-Mammal-Center-2-1020x754.jpg']Mountain lions are predators, and their main prey is deer. “Wherever deer move, lions are going to follow,” McDonald said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For food or other resources, they will travel across large territories — up to around 200 square miles for males, which makes places like urban parks, which connect them from area to area, so important, McDonald said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mountain lions are really trying to figure out how to get that space they need so they can move through it safely and reproduce,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given this movement, conservation experts want to keep populations of mountain lions connected — and join currently siloed groups to one another. John Benson, associate professor of Vertebrate Ecology at the University of Nebraska’s School of Natural Resources, is \u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion#632445330-statewide-integrated-population-modeling\">studying population dynamics of mountain lions across California\u003c/a> to better “understand what we can do from a conservation perspective to get more connectivity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benson said the waters of the San Francisco Bay itself — \u003ca href=\"https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2688-8319.12093#:~:text=Our%20results%20indicate%20that%20mountain,human%20activity%20on%20the%20landscape.\">as well as human infrastructure like housing development and roads\u003c/a> — all play a role in dividing up populations in the Bay Area. And as mountain lions travel from one open space area to another, \u003ca href=\"https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2025.1013\">this may raise your chances of running into a mountain lion. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as mountain lions and human development share more of the same space, the danger to these animals increases. \u003ca href=\"https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/mountain-lion-mortality-maps-show-rough-road-cougars\">One of the leading causes of mountain lion mortalities is being struck by a car, McDonald said.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mountain lions still live in the Bay Area and move through the Bay Area because we’ve preserved enough habitat to support them,” she said. “But along with that privilege comes the responsibility to coexist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDonald called it a common misconception that mountain lions are becoming more adapted to humans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YW3ESNuGWY\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re seeing more mountain lion activity near urban edges — not because they’re changing but because we are, and development is pushing deeper into their habitat,” McDonald said. “It’s really just survival instinct for them. It’s not anything to do with humans — it’s in \u003cem>spite \u003c/em>of humans that they’re going into these areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How can I avoid \u003ca id=\"avoid-mountain-lions\">\u003c/a>mountain lion encounters altogether?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Around your home\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While attacks on humans by mountain lions are extremely rare, they are nonetheless “a risk to outdoor pets and livestock,” Smith said. “It’s really important to keep your pets inside.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That goes for outdoor cats and unsupervised dogs in yards as well as livestock like goats and sheep, she said — advising you keep them fully enclosed at night or consider other methods of safeguarding them, like a \u003ca href=\"https://monocounty.ca.gov/animal/page/livestock-protection-dogs\">livestock guardian dog\u003c/a> or noise deterrents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052075\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052075\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1448\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-2000x1131.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-1536x869.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-2048x1158.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A puma passes by a wildlife camera on March 26, 2025. \u003ccite>(Video by Felidae Conservation Fund/ Bay Area Puma Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Anywhere in the Bay Area, if you have livestock, it’s something you should probably be thinking about,” Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also clear brush around your property or install lights if you’re worried about hiding spots for mountain lions, Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you feed stray cats that approach your home, Smith said that the food you leave out can also attract deer, and mountain lions may follow as they hunt their prey — the food itself might tempt them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mountain lions will come up and eat cat food off of people’s porches,” Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for the most part, “the last thing most [mountain lions] want to do is encounter us,” Benson said. “In general, they do an excellent job of staying away from people and avoiding areas where they think they’re likely to run into people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>On the trail\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned about running into a mountain lion while walking or hiking on a trail, remember that they’re nocturnal and crepuscular animals — meaning they are most active at night and during the sunset and sunrise hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means that you can avoid being out on the trail altogether at those times — or allay your fears by traveling in pairs on trails if you know you’re in an area they inhabit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mountain lions also tend to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/yoursafety_mountainlions.htm\">stick to densely vegetated areas\u003c/a>. So if you’re worried about stumbling upon one, head to a more open area.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What to do if you see a mountain lion\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If the mountain lion is still some distance from you, and you think they haven’t yet noticed you, “you could just sort of quietly slip away,” Benson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if the mountain lion has indeed spotted you, remember: “The last thing you want to do is run or show fear,” Benson said. Stand your ground, he said, and look as big as possible. If you have a dog or child with you, you can pick them up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you have a backpack, you can put that over your head to make yourself seem a bit bigger,” he said. If the mountain lion is advancing toward you, you can even throw rocks or sticks at it, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are certainly a lot of stories out there of people that successfully were able to fight the mountain lion off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in general, remember: mountain lion attacks — especially fatal ones — are extremely rare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052047\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052047\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE01A_2023Nov12_puma-kittens4-scaled-e1755118173322.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mountain lion kittens are caught on wildlife cameras on Nov. 12, 2023. \u003ccite>( Felidae Conservation Fund/Bay Area Puma Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The most likely thing that will happen is that it will walk away,” Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And remember: Even just seeing a mountain lion is “pretty special,” she said. And if you do, you can report your sighting on the \u003ca href=\"https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir\">CDFW website,\u003c/a> which will be forwarded to a regional biologist for study, and the Bay Area Puma Project’s own \u003ca href=\"https://bapp.org/meet-puma/sightings\">Puma and Bobcat Sightings Map.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCeDp_MY_h4G6VWj_-VPl-BJlQ3Uya2H0vxRZZd_47BpXwVA/viewform?embedded=true\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/carlysevern\">Carly Severn\u003c/a> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare, but they do happen. Here’s how to steer clear of mountain lions altogether and how to respond in the moment if you do see one.",
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"title": "Another Mountain Lion Seen in San Francisco? What to Do If You Encounter One | KQED",
"description": "Mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare, but they do happen. Here’s how to steer clear of mountain lions altogether and how to respond in the moment if you do see one.",
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"headline": "Another Mountain Lion Seen in San Francisco? What to Do If You Encounter One",
"datePublished": "2026-09-18T10:48:32-07:00",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Yet \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoACC/posts/pfbid0Gua8yrHfmTsd1oJWFp3Ukp44HLs1CTMfpXsoKhGMp4vbUsoLGTytqSJAMDGpaXeMl\">\u003cem>another \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071216/san-francisco-mountain-lion-is-tranquilized-as-officials-work-to-capture-the-cougar\">mountain lion\u003c/a> has been \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/DanielLurie/status/2100988932871893476?s=20\">spotted \u003c/a>roaming the streets of San Francisco — this time, an animal sighted Friday in the Sunset District, on 44th Avenue near Ulloa Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a Friday statement from San Francisco Animal Care and Control, city authorities, officials from the state fish and wildlife department and staff from the San Francisco Zoo were dispatched to the scene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By 11:15 a.m., a citywide alert announced the animal had been taken in the care of state game wardens and “there is no danger to the public.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This marks the second San Francisco mountain lion sighting in two weeks, after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcra.com/article/san-francisco-mountain-lion-sighting-panhandle/73632758\">another animal was seen\u003c/a> around the Panhandle earlier in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This latest sighting — in an urban setting — might have you wondering: “How exactly \u003cem>should \u003c/em>I react if I see a mountain lion?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Encountering a mountain lion up close\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Two decades ago, Zara McDonald was on a run in Marin near \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997579/bay-area-hikes-views-clouds-marine-inversion-layer\">Mount Tamalpais\u003c/a> around dusk when a mountain lion suddenly appeared above her, just 5 feet away — and stared at her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its eyes then fixed on something behind her, and the mountain lion disappeared back into the bushes. When she turned around, she saw three deer on the hillside behind her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt really small,” said McDonald, a biologist and researcher who’s now the founder and president of the \u003ca href=\"https://bapp.org/\">Bay Area Puma Project\u003c/a>, a local wild cat research and conservation organization that’s part of the \u003ca href=\"https://felidaefund.org/\">Felidae Conservation Fund\u003c/a>. “I disrupted his opportunity to get a meal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#avoid-mountain-lions\">How to avoid mountain lions — and what to do if you see one\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>And while she had fears, “he was not a threat,” she said. Rather, “I left feeling like I was an intruder.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For McDonald, this experience back in the early 2000s was “transformative” in how she saw humans’ relationship to nature. Now, her organization has around \u003ca href=\"https://bapp.org/our-work/remote-cameras\">200 cameras placed around the Bay Area\u003c/a> that collect data on mountain lion movement. The project also \u003ca href=\"https://bapp.org/updates/updates/bay-area-puma-project/scat-field-work-2024\">studies their fecal matter\u003c/a> for information on genetics and overall population health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052071\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052071\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/Coe01_Sep-9-2023_puma-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mountain lion stares into a wildlife camera on Sept. 9, 2023. \u003ccite>(Photo by Felidae Conservation Fund/Bay Area Puma Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The mountain lion is the second-largest cat in all of North America and is native to the Bay Area. While you may have never seen one, \u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion#632445330-statewide-integrated-population-modeling\">40% of the state is considered suitable for mountain lion habitat,\u003c/a> making it likely that these elusive animals are around hiking trails or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897584/here-kitty-kitty-that-mountain-lion-spotted-in-bernal-heights-has-been-captured\">areas you might already be frequenting.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mountain lions are \u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/science/apex-predator\">apex predators\u003c/a>, but experts say, for the most part, they just want to do their own thing. \u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion#632445330-statewide-integrated-population-modeling\">According to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife\u003c/a>, there have been only 26 total verified mountain lion attacks on humans in California in the last four decades — and four deaths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So how common are these animals, really? And how afraid should you be of them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Education is our best tool for preventing conflict,” McDonald said. “When people understand mountain lion behavior, fear turns into respect. And respect is the foundation of coexistence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How do I know it’s a mountain lion?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You should know: \u003ca href=\"https://felidaefund.org/news/general/mistaken-mountain-lion-sightings-have-major-consequences\">upwards of 90% of all “mountain lion sightings” in California are not actually mountain lions\u003c/a>. And there are only about 3,200 to 4,500 lions across the entire state, said Mairan Smith, a CDFW unit biologist for the Bay Delta region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, they’re often confused for \u003ca href=\"https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/bobcat\">bobcats \u003c/a>or stray domestic cats. But an actual mountain lion will be:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.openspace.org/where-to-go/nature/mountain-lions\">Much larger\u003c/a>, with adult males reaching around 8 feet long and up to 150 pounds.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Gray, brown or tan in color with black-tipped ears.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Likely \u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion#632445330-statewide-integrated-population-modeling\">traveling alone.\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/jCIOIbRtAWs'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/jCIOIbRtAWs'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>Where am I most likely to see a mountain lion?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Smith said they thrive in redwood forests, brushland and mountain environments — all of which are habitats found in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the animals can live almost everywhere in the state, most people who report sightings are closer to the rural-urban divide, she said — not only because these areas are more likely to be their habitat, but also because they’re often a source of livestock or other food.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Mountain lions are predators, and their main prey is deer. “Wherever deer move, lions are going to follow,” McDonald said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For food or other resources, they will travel across large territories — up to around 200 square miles for males, which makes places like urban parks, which connect them from area to area, so important, McDonald said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mountain lions are really trying to figure out how to get that space they need so they can move through it safely and reproduce,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given this movement, conservation experts want to keep populations of mountain lions connected — and join currently siloed groups to one another. John Benson, associate professor of Vertebrate Ecology at the University of Nebraska’s School of Natural Resources, is \u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion#632445330-statewide-integrated-population-modeling\">studying population dynamics of mountain lions across California\u003c/a> to better “understand what we can do from a conservation perspective to get more connectivity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benson said the waters of the San Francisco Bay itself — \u003ca href=\"https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2688-8319.12093#:~:text=Our%20results%20indicate%20that%20mountain,human%20activity%20on%20the%20landscape.\">as well as human infrastructure like housing development and roads\u003c/a> — all play a role in dividing up populations in the Bay Area. And as mountain lions travel from one open space area to another, \u003ca href=\"https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2025.1013\">this may raise your chances of running into a mountain lion. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as mountain lions and human development share more of the same space, the danger to these animals increases. \u003ca href=\"https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/mountain-lion-mortality-maps-show-rough-road-cougars\">One of the leading causes of mountain lion mortalities is being struck by a car, McDonald said.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mountain lions still live in the Bay Area and move through the Bay Area because we’ve preserved enough habitat to support them,” she said. “But along with that privilege comes the responsibility to coexist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDonald called it a common misconception that mountain lions are becoming more adapted to humans.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/0YW3ESNuGWY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/0YW3ESNuGWY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>“We’re seeing more mountain lion activity near urban edges — not because they’re changing but because we are, and development is pushing deeper into their habitat,” McDonald said. “It’s really just survival instinct for them. It’s not anything to do with humans — it’s in \u003cem>spite \u003c/em>of humans that they’re going into these areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How can I avoid \u003ca id=\"avoid-mountain-lions\">\u003c/a>mountain lion encounters altogether?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Around your home\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While attacks on humans by mountain lions are extremely rare, they are nonetheless “a risk to outdoor pets and livestock,” Smith said. “It’s really important to keep your pets inside.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That goes for outdoor cats and unsupervised dogs in yards as well as livestock like goats and sheep, she said — advising you keep them fully enclosed at night or consider other methods of safeguarding them, like a \u003ca href=\"https://monocounty.ca.gov/animal/page/livestock-protection-dogs\">livestock guardian dog\u003c/a> or noise deterrents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052075\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052075\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1448\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-2000x1131.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-1536x869.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE06A_2024Feb12_puma3-2048x1158.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A puma passes by a wildlife camera on March 26, 2025. \u003ccite>(Video by Felidae Conservation Fund/ Bay Area Puma Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Anywhere in the Bay Area, if you have livestock, it’s something you should probably be thinking about,” Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also clear brush around your property or install lights if you’re worried about hiding spots for mountain lions, Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you feed stray cats that approach your home, Smith said that the food you leave out can also attract deer, and mountain lions may follow as they hunt their prey — the food itself might tempt them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mountain lions will come up and eat cat food off of people’s porches,” Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for the most part, “the last thing most [mountain lions] want to do is encounter us,” Benson said. “In general, they do an excellent job of staying away from people and avoiding areas where they think they’re likely to run into people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>On the trail\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned about running into a mountain lion while walking or hiking on a trail, remember that they’re nocturnal and crepuscular animals — meaning they are most active at night and during the sunset and sunrise hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means that you can avoid being out on the trail altogether at those times — or allay your fears by traveling in pairs on trails if you know you’re in an area they inhabit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mountain lions also tend to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/yoursafety_mountainlions.htm\">stick to densely vegetated areas\u003c/a>. So if you’re worried about stumbling upon one, head to a more open area.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What to do if you see a mountain lion\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If the mountain lion is still some distance from you, and you think they haven’t yet noticed you, “you could just sort of quietly slip away,” Benson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if the mountain lion has indeed spotted you, remember: “The last thing you want to do is run or show fear,” Benson said. Stand your ground, he said, and look as big as possible. If you have a dog or child with you, you can pick them up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you have a backpack, you can put that over your head to make yourself seem a bit bigger,” he said. If the mountain lion is advancing toward you, you can even throw rocks or sticks at it, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are certainly a lot of stories out there of people that successfully were able to fight the mountain lion off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in general, remember: mountain lion attacks — especially fatal ones — are extremely rare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052047\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052047\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/COE01A_2023Nov12_puma-kittens4-scaled-e1755118173322.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mountain lion kittens are caught on wildlife cameras on Nov. 12, 2023. \u003ccite>( Felidae Conservation Fund/Bay Area Puma Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The most likely thing that will happen is that it will walk away,” Smith said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And remember: Even just seeing a mountain lion is “pretty special,” she said. And if you do, you can report your sighting on the \u003ca href=\"https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir\">CDFW website,\u003c/a> which will be forwarded to a regional biologist for study, and the Bay Area Puma Project’s own \u003ca href=\"https://bapp.org/meet-puma/sightings\">Puma and Bobcat Sightings Map.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCeDp_MY_h4G6VWj_-VPl-BJlQ3Uya2H0vxRZZd_47BpXwVA/viewform?embedded=true?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCeDp_MY_h4G6VWj_-VPl-BJlQ3Uya2H0vxRZZd_47BpXwVA/viewform?embedded=true'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/carlysevern\">Carly Severn\u003c/a> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> workplace regulators pushing to ban the use of a popular countertop material linked to a deadly lung disease released a proposed roadmap, the nation’s first, on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/doshreg/silica-2026/\">discussion draft\u003c/a> would give fabrication shops nearly six months from the date a final rule goes into effect to phase out their use of artificial stone with more than 1% crystalline silica, common in kitchen and bathroom countertops and other construction surfaces.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The factory-made slabs, also known as quartz or engineered stone, release ultratoxic silica particles that have sickened more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/essdashboard.aspx\">650 stoneworkers\u003c/a> who inhaled them while cutting or polishing the material, according to the California Department of Public Health.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dozens of Latino men, often immigrants who didn’t know about the dangers of handling engineered stone until they got sick, have undergone lung transplants or died from silicosis since 2019. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA officials estimate that without a prohibition about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084910/california-steps-closer-to-ban-on-engineered-stone-after-silicosis-surge\">1,000 more silicosis cases\u003c/a> will develop over the next two years in California, the only state actively tracking the disease in the multibillion-dollar industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A man's hand is seen resting on a table.\" class=\"wp-image-11969878\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jorge Moreno places his hand on a table that he cut at his home in San Francisco on Oct. 17, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I hope that we will look back at Cal/OSHA’s emergency standard as the beginning of the end of this terrible quartz countertop silicosis epidemic,” said David Michaels, a former head of federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration who teaches at the George Washington University School of Public Health\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Consumers prefer quartz to lower-silica natural stones because it’s cheaper, stain-resistant and designed in attractive palettes. But its skyrocketing popularity has coincided with a deadly silicosis trail among stoneworkers in countries like Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom and Australia, which became the first to prohibit the material’s import, supply and fabrication in 2024. Australia’s ban triggered cost increases and supply-chain delays in the construction industry, according to some reports, but warnings that residential and commercial development would collapse have not proven to be true. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some large manufacturers developed alternatives made with amorphous silica, which is considered safer for stonecutters. Public health experts like Michaels believe that California’s proposed ban would encourage more big-box stores, designers and consumers to opt for safer alternatives for the workers who shape and install countertops.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Banning fabrication and installation of artificial stone products in California is the first step in stopping this deadly work nationally,” Michaels said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The public has until Sept. 30 to comment on Cal/OSHA’s draft regulation before the agency can submit it to an occupational safety board for final approval, a process that could take months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the draft emergency regulation, fabrication shops would be required to notify workers in English and Spanish that engineered stone with crystalline silica is dangerous and prohibited. Cal/OSHA inspectors could halt operations at businesses that work on this material after a two-month grace period. Employers would have 180 days to use up inventory they already purchased or contracted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some employers worry they’ll need more time to adjust, as artificial stone makes up a majority of their business. A countertop sold today may be installed four to eight months from now, said Laurie Weber, who heads the International Surface Fabricators Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the prohibition reaches repair work, warranty work, remnants and material already in distribution, then 180 days isn’t a wind-down period, it’s a cliff,” wrote Weber in an e-mail. “Slabs already ordered and in transit aren’t in anyone’s shop yet, and no one has said who absorbs that cost.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Industry representatives have pointed out that banning artificial stone could raise prices for building and remodeling, and add expenses for fabrication shop owners who have already \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079653/california-fabricators-face-artificial-stone-ban-as-silicosis-cases-mount\">spent heavily\u003c/a> to protect their workers. \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/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084039\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Eleazar Resendiz Cortes’ wife shows scans of his chest that revealed particles around his lungs linked to his silicosis diagnosis, in their home in Bakersfield, California, on May 14, 2026. (Julie Leopo for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nate Kolenski, president of Black Tops Countertop Surfaces in Sacramento, told Cal/OSHA staffers at a July public meeting that his company has two years’ worth of inventory already stockpiled, valued at $1 million or less. He said the state should consider a buy-back program, akin to those related to guns, to minimize financial losses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the state wants to ban this product, they should be buying back our inventory because we’ll have no use for it. It will be worthless, and thousands of fabricators will have the same situation with inventory and capital that’s sitting out there that they won’t get,” said Kolenski, who opposes a prohibition. “Plus we’ll have to buy the new product.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s plan comes as major manufacturers of high-silica quartz have pushed for a bill in Congress that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">would dismiss hundreds\u003c/a> of lawsuits against them by sick stoneworkers seeking damages. Most of the handful of cases that have reached trial resulted in multimillion-dollar verdicts for workers or their families.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The largest U.S. manufacturer, Cambria, fought efforts by worker advocates and doctors to get California to take steps toward a prohibition, maintaining that their products can be handled safely if the proper precautions are followed. But growing evidence shows that the dust generated when cutting or polishing artificial stone is so toxic that it can sicken people at sophisticated fabrication shops following Cal/OSHA’s current rules, which prohibit dry cutting of the material and require advanced respiratory protection. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A representative for Cambria did not immediately return a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The factory-made slabs, also known as quartz or engineered stone, release ultratoxic silica particles that have sickened more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/essdashboard.aspx\">650 stoneworkers\u003c/a> who inhaled them while cutting or polishing the material, according to the California Department of Public Health.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA officials estimate that without a prohibition about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084910/california-steps-closer-to-ban-on-engineered-stone-after-silicosis-surge\">1,000 more silicosis cases\u003c/a> will develop over the next two years in California, the only state actively tracking the disease in the multibillion-dollar industry.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I hope that we will look back at Cal/OSHA’s emergency standard as the beginning of the end of this terrible quartz countertop silicosis epidemic,” said David Michaels, a former head of federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration who teaches at the George Washington University School of Public Health\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Consumers prefer quartz to lower-silica natural stones because it’s cheaper, stain-resistant and designed in attractive palettes. But its skyrocketing popularity has coincided with a deadly silicosis trail among stoneworkers in countries like Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom and Australia, which became the first to prohibit the material’s import, supply and fabrication in 2024. Australia’s ban triggered cost increases and supply-chain delays in the construction industry, according to some reports, but warnings that residential and commercial development would collapse have not proven to be true. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Consumers prefer quartz to lower-silica natural stones because it’s cheaper, stain-resistant and designed in attractive palettes. But its skyrocketing popularity has coincided with a deadly silicosis trail among stoneworkers in countries like Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom and Australia, which became the first to prohibit the material’s import, supply and fabrication in 2024. Australia’s ban triggered cost increases and supply-chain delays in the construction industry, according to some reports, but warnings that residential and commercial development would collapse have not proven to be true. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some large manufacturers developed alternatives made with amorphous silica, which is considered safer for stonecutters. Public health experts like Michaels believe that California’s proposed ban would encourage more big-box stores, designers and consumers to opt for safer alternatives for the workers who shape and install countertops.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some large manufacturers developed alternatives made with amorphous silica, which is considered safer for stonecutters. Public health experts like Michaels believe that California’s proposed ban would encourage more big-box stores, designers and consumers to opt for safer alternatives for the workers who shape and install countertops.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Banning fabrication and installation of artificial stone products in California is the first step in stopping this deadly work nationally,” Michaels said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Banning fabrication and installation of artificial stone products in California is the first step in stopping this deadly work nationally,” Michaels said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The public has until Sept. 30 to comment on Cal/OSHA’s draft regulation before the agency can submit it to an occupational safety board for final approval, a process that could take months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the draft emergency regulation, fabrication shops would be required to notify workers in English and Spanish that engineered stone with crystalline silica is dangerous and prohibited. Cal/OSHA inspectors could halt operations at businesses that work on this material after a two-month grace period. Employers would have 180 days to use up inventory they already purchased or contracted.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under the draft emergency regulation, fabrication shops would be required to notify workers in English and Spanish that engineered stone with crystalline silica is dangerous and prohibited. Cal/OSHA inspectors could halt operations at businesses that work on this material after a two-month grace period. Employers would have 180 days to use up inventory they already purchased or contracted.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some employers worry they’ll need more time to adjust, as artificial stone makes up a majority of their business. A countertop sold today may be installed four to eight months from now, said Laurie Weber, who heads the International Surface Fabricators Association.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some employers worry they’ll need more time to adjust, as artificial stone makes up a majority of their business. A countertop sold today may be installed four to eight months from now, said Laurie Weber, who heads the International Surface Fabricators Association.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If the prohibition reaches repair work, warranty work, remnants and material already in distribution, then 180 days isn’t a wind-down period, it’s a cliff,” wrote Weber in an e-mail. “Slabs already ordered and in transit aren’t in anyone’s shop yet, and no one has said who absorbs that cost.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If the prohibition reaches repair work, warranty work, remnants and material already in distribution, then 180 days isn’t a wind-down period, it’s a cliff,” wrote Weber in an e-mail. “Slabs already ordered and in transit aren’t in anyone’s shop yet, and no one has said who absorbs that cost.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Industry representatives have pointed out that banning artificial stone could raise prices for building and remodeling, and add expenses for fabrication shop owners who have already \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079653/california-fabricators-face-artificial-stone-ban-as-silicosis-cases-mount\">spent heavily\u003c/a> to protect their workers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Industry representatives have pointed out that banning artificial stone could raise prices for building and remodeling, and add expenses for fabrication shop owners who have already \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079653/california-fabricators-face-artificial-stone-ban-as-silicosis-cases-mount\">spent heavily\u003c/a> to protect their workers. \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/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084039\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-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\">Eleazar Resendiz Cortes’ wife shows scans of his chest that revealed particles around his lungs linked to his silicosis diagnosis, in their home in Bakersfield, California, on May 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Julie Leopo for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nate Kolenski, president of Black Tops Countertop Surfaces in Sacramento, told Cal/OSHA staffers at a July public meeting that his company has two years’ worth of inventory already stockpiled, valued at $1 million or less. He said the state should consider a buy-back program, akin to those related to guns, to minimize financial losses.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If the state wants to ban this product, they should be buying back our inventory because we’ll have no use for it. It will be worthless, and thousands of fabricators will have the same situation with inventory and capital that’s sitting out there that they won’t get,” said Kolenski, who opposes a prohibition. “Plus we’ll have to buy the new product.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If the state wants to ban this product, they should be buying back our inventory because we’ll have no use for it. It will be worthless, and thousands of fabricators will have the same situation with inventory and capital that’s sitting out there that they won’t get,” said Kolenski, who opposes a prohibition. “Plus we’ll have to buy the new product.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state’s plan comes as major manufacturers of high-silica quartz have pushed for a bill in Congress that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">would dismiss hundreds\u003c/a> of lawsuits against them by sick stoneworkers seeking damages. Most of the handful of cases that have reached trial resulted in multimillion-dollar verdicts for workers or their families.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state’s plan comes as major manufacturers of high-silica quartz have pushed for a bill in Congress that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">would dismiss hundreds\u003c/a> of lawsuits against them by sick stoneworkers seeking damages. Most of the handful of cases that have reached trial resulted in multimillion-dollar verdicts for workers or their families.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The largest U.S. manufacturer, Cambria, fought efforts by worker advocates and doctors to get California to take steps toward a prohibition, maintaining that their products can be handled safely if the proper precautions are followed. But growing evidence shows that the dust generated when cutting or polishing artificial stone is so toxic that it can sicken people at sophisticated fabrication shops following Cal/OSHA’s current rules, which prohibit dry cutting of the material and require advanced respiratory protection. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The largest U.S. manufacturer, Cambria, fought efforts by worker advocates and doctors to get California to take steps toward a prohibition, maintaining that their products can be handled safely if the proper precautions are followed. But growing evidence shows that the dust generated when cutting or polishing artificial stone is so toxic that it can sicken people at sophisticated fabrication shops following Cal/OSHA’s current rules, which prohibit dry cutting of the material and require advanced respiratory protection. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A representative for Cambria did not immediately return a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Cal/OSHA draft would give fabrication shops nearly six months to phase out inventory of the popular countertop material, which is linked to a deadly lung disease among stonecutters. ",
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"title": "California Regulators Unveil Plan to Ban New Quartz Countertops Amid Rising Worker Deaths | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> workplace regulators pushing to ban the use of a popular countertop material linked to a deadly lung disease released a proposed roadmap, the nation’s first, on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/doshreg/silica-2026/\">discussion draft\u003c/a> would give fabrication shops nearly six months from the date a final rule goes into effect to phase out their use of artificial stone with more than 1% crystalline silica, common in kitchen and bathroom countertops and other construction surfaces.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The factory-made slabs, also known as quartz or engineered stone, release ultratoxic silica particles that have sickened more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/essdashboard.aspx\">650 stoneworkers\u003c/a> who inhaled them while cutting or polishing the material, according to the California Department of Public Health.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dozens of Latino men, often immigrants who didn’t know about the dangers of handling engineered stone until they got sick, have undergone lung transplants or died from silicosis since 2019. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cal/OSHA officials estimate that without a prohibition about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084910/california-steps-closer-to-ban-on-engineered-stone-after-silicosis-surge\">1,000 more silicosis cases\u003c/a> will develop over the next two years in California, the only state actively tracking the disease in the multibillion-dollar industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A man's hand is seen resting on a table.\" class=\"wp-image-11969878\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/231017-StonecutterSilicosis-002-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jorge Moreno places his hand on a table that he cut at his home in San Francisco on Oct. 17, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I hope that we will look back at Cal/OSHA’s emergency standard as the beginning of the end of this terrible quartz countertop silicosis epidemic,” said David Michaels, a former head of federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration who teaches at the George Washington University School of Public Health\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Consumers prefer quartz to lower-silica natural stones because it’s cheaper, stain-resistant and designed in attractive palettes. But its skyrocketing popularity has coincided with a deadly silicosis trail among stoneworkers in countries like Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom and Australia, which became the first to prohibit the material’s import, supply and fabrication in 2024. Australia’s ban triggered cost increases and supply-chain delays in the construction industry, according to some reports, but warnings that residential and commercial development would collapse have not proven to be true. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some large manufacturers developed alternatives made with amorphous silica, which is considered safer for stonecutters. Public health experts like Michaels believe that California’s proposed ban would encourage more big-box stores, designers and consumers to opt for safer alternatives for the workers who shape and install countertops.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Banning fabrication and installation of artificial stone products in California is the first step in stopping this deadly work nationally,” Michaels said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The public has until Sept. 30 to comment on Cal/OSHA’s draft regulation before the agency can submit it to an occupational safety board for final approval, a process that could take months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the draft emergency regulation, fabrication shops would be required to notify workers in English and Spanish that engineered stone with crystalline silica is dangerous and prohibited. Cal/OSHA inspectors could halt operations at businesses that work on this material after a two-month grace period. Employers would have 180 days to use up inventory they already purchased or contracted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some employers worry they’ll need more time to adjust, as artificial stone makes up a majority of their business. A countertop sold today may be installed four to eight months from now, said Laurie Weber, who heads the International Surface Fabricators Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the prohibition reaches repair work, warranty work, remnants and material already in distribution, then 180 days isn’t a wind-down period, it’s a cliff,” wrote Weber in an e-mail. “Slabs already ordered and in transit aren’t in anyone’s shop yet, and no one has said who absorbs that cost.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Industry representatives have pointed out that banning artificial stone could raise prices for building and remodeling, and add expenses for fabrication shop owners who have already \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079653/california-fabricators-face-artificial-stone-ban-as-silicosis-cases-mount\">spent heavily\u003c/a> to protect their workers. \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/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084039\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ELEAZAR-RESENDIZ-CORTES-KQED-LEOPO-2026-1289-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Eleazar Resendiz Cortes’ wife shows scans of his chest that revealed particles around his lungs linked to his silicosis diagnosis, in their home in Bakersfield, California, on May 14, 2026. (Julie Leopo for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nate Kolenski, president of Black Tops Countertop Surfaces in Sacramento, told Cal/OSHA staffers at a July public meeting that his company has two years’ worth of inventory already stockpiled, valued at $1 million or less. He said the state should consider a buy-back program, akin to those related to guns, to minimize financial losses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the state wants to ban this product, they should be buying back our inventory because we’ll have no use for it. It will be worthless, and thousands of fabricators will have the same situation with inventory and capital that’s sitting out there that they won’t get,” said Kolenski, who opposes a prohibition. “Plus we’ll have to buy the new product.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s plan comes as major manufacturers of high-silica quartz have pushed for a bill in Congress that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">would dismiss hundreds\u003c/a> of lawsuits against them by sick stoneworkers seeking damages. Most of the handful of cases that have reached trial resulted in multimillion-dollar verdicts for workers or their families.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The largest U.S. manufacturer, Cambria, fought efforts by worker advocates and doctors to get California to take steps toward a prohibition, maintaining that their products can be handled safely if the proper precautions are followed. But growing evidence shows that the dust generated when cutting or polishing artificial stone is so toxic that it can sicken people at sophisticated fabrication shops following Cal/OSHA’s current rules, which prohibit dry cutting of the material and require advanced respiratory protection. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A representative for Cambria did not immediately return a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "warden-at-central-california-womens-prison-ousted-amid-sexual-abuse-scandal",
"title": "Warden at Central California Women's Prison Ousted Amid Sexual Abuse Scandal",
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"headTitle": "Warden at Central California Women’s Prison Ousted Amid Sexual Abuse Scandal | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, September 18, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">demoted and reassigned from her position\u003c/a> this week.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California Senator Alex Padilla just announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">new bipartisan legislation\u003c/a> to address health and safety concerns for wildland firefighters.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy’s this week… but it’s also getting another kind of recognition. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER.\u003c/a> We go inside suburban San Diego’s Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right, and how it may be shaping patient expectations.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">Warden’s Demotion Comes One Month After Feds Found an ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse at the Prison \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anissa De La Cruz is no longer warden of the Central California Women’s Facility as of Tuesday. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says she will become a correctional administrator at nearby Valley State Prison next month.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The move comes one month after the U.S. Department of Justice found a “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault and retaliation at the facility. The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elizabeth Nomura is a formerly incarcerated advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. She says the issue of sexual assault in prisons is bigger than one person.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just because you cut off the head of the snake doesn’t mean that the poison that is within that snake doesn’t continue to seep out,” said Nomura.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR said they cannot comment on personnel decisions and did not say why De La Cruz had been moved from her position.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">Senator Padilla Builds on Firefighter Legislation\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/RYA26A78.pdf\">legislation would create\u003c/a> a task force on firefighters’ long-term health issues… and a pilot program to develop better respiratory protections…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Padilla says it also aims to set health and safety standards and increase compensation for time spent showering and cleaning gear.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have municipal firefighters who for years now have been better protected through decontamination processes and protocols, equipment that helps protect them that our wildland firefighters do not benefit from,” Padilla said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4271/text\">builds on legislation\u003c/a> introduced by Padilla earlier this year that mandates paid rest periods for firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">HBO’s “The Pitt” Hits Close to Home for Healthcare Workers\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you work in an emergency room, there’s a good chance you’ve watched The Pitt.\u003cbr>Emergency room doctor James Elia says he was hooked when he heard the show uses real cases.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I kind of try to figure out what’s going on with the patient. But at the same time you get a little bit of anxiety because it kind of brings you back to thinking, geez, am I on shift?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elia has worked at Sharp Grossmont for 17 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some days we are like the pitt, you know, and it’s not every single day. It’s not every single hour. But we definitely have days where it’s that busy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elia says television can create very different expectations about what actually happens in an ER, and those TV versions of medicine can stick with patients.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s of course some Hollywood hype in these shows as some things that are exaggerated. People throughout the years would ask me, for example, are you going to pump the stomach? Which we don’t really do, but you see that on some of these shows.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then there are the moments that may show viewers a side of the ER they rarely see.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amber Dinh is an ER nurse. Some scenes in particular hit close to home for her. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“There’s a fight scene with a nurse, she gets in a fight with a patient because the patient is getting aggressive,” said Dinh. “I was recently in a fight with a patient, a patient on a hold, and she’s in a psychiatric moment. And she started, she ran out of her room and started swinging fists at people. I think it’s finally opening the public’s eyes and like, oh my gosh, like, people actually do this every day and have to help people in these conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she says the show isn’t just capturing the dramatic moments. It also shows the constant juggling that happens behind the scenes, and things most patients don’t see when they’re waiting for care.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Someone’s dying in room five and someone’s asking for a hot blanket in room two,” Dinh said. “Meanwhile, you have to have send someone to cath lab in room three. Everything’s going on at once, whether it’s minor or little. And I think it’s nice that people see like, oh, there’s something bigger going on than just sometimes what I’m going through.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And it turns out, the show may be teaching people more than she realizes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A study from USC’s Norman Lear Center surveyed more than 1,400 viewers of The Pitt.\u003cbr>Viewers who watched an end of life storyline said they were more likely to plan ahead, including making a living will or designating a power of attorney.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s an area where palliative care doctor Nicki Rao says the show is helping start important conversations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it is sadly very common that people have not ironed out their wishes for end of life. So I probably see this scenario on a weekly basis, if not more often,” said Rao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And now, when she talks with patients about those difficult decisions…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m glad I can finally tell them that, hey, there are shows on TV, did you watch this and see if they reply? Or sometimes they tell me like, oh, it’s kind of like The Pitt. And so I’m glad that there’s finally a kind of third party space that I can refer to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And she says The Pitt is showing a version of medicine that looks different from the medical dramas many viewers grew up with.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Before you’d watch medical TV shows for the drama, the affairs, the crazy scenarios that you couldn’t figure out. And now they’re showing real medicine. So things like heart failure or bad COPD or cancer, those are very realistic things that come into our E.R,” said Rao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rao says the show is also bringing attention to fields many people don’t know about.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So like palliative care, like death doulas, like chaplains, the people that are really supporting our patients.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dinh says maybe pulling back the curtain on the people who run emergency rooms is the real impact of The Pitt.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, September 18, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been demoted and reassigned from her position this week.",
"California Senator Alex Padilla just announced new bipartisan legislation to address health and safety concerns for wildland firefighters.",
"The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy’s this week… but it’s also getting another kind of recognition. Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER. We go inside suburban San Diego’s Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right, and how it may be shaping patient expectations."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">demoted and reassigned from her position\u003c/a> this week.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">demoted and reassigned from her position\u003c/a> this week.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>California Senator Alex Padilla just announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">new bipartisan legislation\u003c/a> to address health and safety concerns for wildland firefighters.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>California Senator Alex Padilla just announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">new bipartisan legislation\u003c/a> to address health and safety concerns for wildland firefighters.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy’s this week… but it’s also getting another kind of recognition. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER.\u003c/a> We go inside suburban San Diego’s Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right, and how it may be shaping patient expectations.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy’s this week… but it’s also getting another kind of recognition. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER.\u003c/a> We go inside suburban San Diego’s Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right, and how it may be shaping patient expectations.\u003c/li>\n"
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"text": "Warden’s Demotion Comes One Month After Feds Found an ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse at the Prison",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">Warden’s Demotion Comes One Month After Feds Found an ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse at the Prison \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Anissa De La Cruz is no longer warden of the Central California Women’s Facility as of Tuesday. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says she will become a correctional administrator at nearby Valley State Prison next month.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Anissa De La Cruz is no longer warden of the Central California Women’s Facility as of Tuesday. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says she will become a correctional administrator at nearby Valley State Prison next month.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The move comes one month after the U.S. Department of Justice found a “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault and retaliation at the facility. The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The move comes one month after the U.S. Department of Justice found a “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault and retaliation at the facility. The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elizabeth Nomura is a formerly incarcerated advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. She says the issue of sexual assault in prisons is bigger than one person.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Elizabeth Nomura is a formerly incarcerated advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. She says the issue of sexual assault in prisons is bigger than one person.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Just because you cut off the head of the snake doesn’t mean that the poison that is within that snake doesn’t continue to seep out,” said Nomura.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Just because you cut off the head of the snake doesn’t mean that the poison that is within that snake doesn’t continue to seep out,” said Nomura.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR said they cannot comment on personnel decisions and did not say why De La Cruz had been moved from her position.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>CDCR said they cannot comment on personnel decisions and did not say why De La Cruz had been moved from her position.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Senator Padilla Builds on Firefighter Legislation",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">Senator Padilla Builds on Firefighter Legislation\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/RYA26A78.pdf\">legislation would create\u003c/a> a task force on firefighters’ long-term health issues… and a pilot program to develop better respiratory protections…\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/RYA26A78.pdf\">legislation would create\u003c/a> a task force on firefighters’ long-term health issues… and a pilot program to develop better respiratory protections…\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Padilla says it also aims to set health and safety standards and increase compensation for time spent showering and cleaning gear.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have municipal firefighters who for years now have been better protected through decontamination processes and protocols, equipment that helps protect them that our wildland firefighters do not benefit from,” Padilla said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have municipal firefighters who for years now have been better protected through decontamination processes and protocols, equipment that helps protect them that our wildland firefighters do not benefit from,” Padilla said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4271/text\">builds on legislation\u003c/a> introduced by Padilla earlier this year that mandates paid rest periods for firefighters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4271/text\">builds on legislation\u003c/a> introduced by Padilla earlier this year that mandates paid rest periods for firefighters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "HBO’s “The Pitt” Hits Close to Home for Healthcare Workers",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">HBO’s “The Pitt” Hits Close to Home for Healthcare Workers\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">HBO’s “The Pitt” Hits Close to Home for Healthcare Workers\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you work in an emergency room, there’s a good chance you’ve watched The Pitt.\u003cbr>Emergency room doctor James Elia says he was hooked when he heard the show uses real cases.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you work in an emergency room, there’s a good chance you’ve watched The Pitt.\u003cbr>Emergency room doctor James Elia says he was hooked when he heard the show uses real cases.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I kind of try to figure out what’s going on with the patient. But at the same time you get a little bit of anxiety because it kind of brings you back to thinking, geez, am I on shift?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I kind of try to figure out what’s going on with the patient. But at the same time you get a little bit of anxiety because it kind of brings you back to thinking, geez, am I on shift?” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elia has worked at Sharp Grossmont for 17 years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Elia has worked at Sharp Grossmont for 17 years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Some days we are like the pitt, you know, and it’s not every single day. It’s not every single hour. But we definitely have days where it’s that busy.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Some days we are like the pitt, you know, and it’s not every single day. It’s not every single hour. But we definitely have days where it’s that busy.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elia says television can create very different expectations about what actually happens in an ER, and those TV versions of medicine can stick with patients.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Elia says television can create very different expectations about what actually happens in an ER, and those TV versions of medicine can stick with patients.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s of course some Hollywood hype in these shows as some things that are exaggerated. People throughout the years would ask me, for example, are you going to pump the stomach? Which we don’t really do, but you see that on some of these shows.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There’s of course some Hollywood hype in these shows as some things that are exaggerated. People throughout the years would ask me, for example, are you going to pump the stomach? Which we don’t really do, but you see that on some of these shows.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then there are the moments that may show viewers a side of the ER they rarely see.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Amber Dinh is an ER nurse. Some scenes in particular hit close to home for her. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“There’s a fight scene with a nurse, she gets in a fight with a patient because the patient is getting aggressive,” said Dinh. “I was recently in a fight with a patient, a patient on a hold, and she’s in a psychiatric moment. And she started, she ran out of her room and started swinging fists at people. I think it’s finally opening the public’s eyes and like, oh my gosh, like, people actually do this every day and have to help people in these conditions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Amber Dinh is an ER nurse. Some scenes in particular hit close to home for her. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“There’s a fight scene with a nurse, she gets in a fight with a patient because the patient is getting aggressive,” said Dinh. “I was recently in a fight with a patient, a patient on a hold, and she’s in a psychiatric moment. And she started, she ran out of her room and started swinging fists at people. I think it’s finally opening the public’s eyes and like, oh my gosh, like, people actually do this every day and have to help people in these conditions.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But she says the show isn’t just capturing the dramatic moments. It also shows the constant juggling that happens behind the scenes, and things most patients don’t see when they’re waiting for care.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But she says the show isn’t just capturing the dramatic moments. It also shows the constant juggling that happens behind the scenes, and things most patients don’t see when they’re waiting for care.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Someone’s dying in room five and someone’s asking for a hot blanket in room two,” Dinh said. “Meanwhile, you have to have send someone to cath lab in room three. Everything’s going on at once, whether it’s minor or little. And I think it’s nice that people see like, oh, there’s something bigger going on than just sometimes what I’m going through.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Someone’s dying in room five and someone’s asking for a hot blanket in room two,” Dinh said. “Meanwhile, you have to have send someone to cath lab in room three. Everything’s going on at once, whether it’s minor or little. And I think it’s nice that people see like, oh, there’s something bigger going on than just sometimes what I’m going through.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And it turns out, the show may be teaching people more than she realizes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And it turns out, the show may be teaching people more than she realizes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A study from USC’s Norman Lear Center surveyed more than 1,400 viewers of The Pitt.\u003cbr>Viewers who watched an end of life storyline said they were more likely to plan ahead, including making a living will or designating a power of attorney.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A study from USC’s Norman Lear Center surveyed more than 1,400 viewers of The Pitt.\u003cbr>Viewers who watched an end of life storyline said they were more likely to plan ahead, including making a living will or designating a power of attorney.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s an area where palliative care doctor Nicki Rao says the show is helping start important conversations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So it is sadly very common that people have not ironed out their wishes for end of life. So I probably see this scenario on a weekly basis, if not more often,” said Rao. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So it is sadly very common that people have not ironed out their wishes for end of life. So I probably see this scenario on a weekly basis, if not more often,” said Rao. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And now, when she talks with patients about those difficult decisions…\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m glad I can finally tell them that, hey, there are shows on TV, did you watch this and see if they reply? Or sometimes they tell me like, oh, it’s kind of like The Pitt. And so I’m glad that there’s finally a kind of third party space that I can refer to.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m glad I can finally tell them that, hey, there are shows on TV, did you watch this and see if they reply? Or sometimes they tell me like, oh, it’s kind of like The Pitt. And so I’m glad that there’s finally a kind of third party space that I can refer to.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And she says The Pitt is showing a version of medicine that looks different from the medical dramas many viewers grew up with.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Before you’d watch medical TV shows for the drama, the affairs, the crazy scenarios that you couldn’t figure out. And now they’re showing real medicine. So things like heart failure or bad COPD or cancer, those are very realistic things that come into our E.R,” said Rao.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Before you’d watch medical TV shows for the drama, the affairs, the crazy scenarios that you couldn’t figure out. And now they’re showing real medicine. So things like heart failure or bad COPD or cancer, those are very realistic things that come into our E.R,” said Rao.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rao says the show is also bringing attention to fields many people don’t know about.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rao says the show is also bringing attention to fields many people don’t know about.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So like palliative care, like death doulas, like chaplains, the people that are really supporting our patients.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dinh says maybe pulling back the curtain on the people who run emergency rooms is the real impact of The Pitt.\u003c/p>\n",
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"headline": "Warden at Central California Women's Prison Ousted Amid Sexual Abuse Scandal",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, September 18, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>The warden of the state women’s prison in Chowchilla has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">demoted and reassigned from her position\u003c/a> this week.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>California Senator Alex Padilla just announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">new bipartisan legislation\u003c/a> to address health and safety concerns for wildland firefighters.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The HBO drama, The Pitt, won six Emmy’s this week… but it’s also getting another kind of recognition. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">Health care workers say it gives viewers a glimpse inside the ER.\u003c/a> We go inside suburban San Diego’s Sharp Grossmont hospital to find out what local doctors and nurses think it gets right, and how it may be shaping patient expectations.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095240/us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff\">Warden’s Demotion Comes One Month After Feds Found an ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse at the Prison \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anissa De La Cruz is no longer warden of the Central California Women’s Facility as of Tuesday. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says she will become a correctional administrator at nearby Valley State Prison next month.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The move comes one month after the U.S. Department of Justice found a “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault and retaliation at the facility. The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elizabeth Nomura is a formerly incarcerated advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. She says the issue of sexual assault in prisons is bigger than one person.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just because you cut off the head of the snake doesn’t mean that the poison that is within that snake doesn’t continue to seep out,” said Nomura.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR said they cannot comment on personnel decisions and did not say why De La Cruz had been moved from her position.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-curtis-merkley-sheehy-dexter-announce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-federal-wildland-firefighters/\">Senator Padilla Builds on Firefighter Legislation\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.padilla.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/RYA26A78.pdf\">legislation would create\u003c/a> a task force on firefighters’ long-term health issues… and a pilot program to develop better respiratory protections…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Padilla says it also aims to set health and safety standards and increase compensation for time spent showering and cleaning gear.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have municipal firefighters who for years now have been better protected through decontamination processes and protocols, equipment that helps protect them that our wildland firefighters do not benefit from,” Padilla said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4271/text\">builds on legislation\u003c/a> introduced by Padilla earlier this year that mandates paid rest periods for firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/09/14/emmy-winning-the-pitt-hits-close-to-home-for-san-diego-healthcare-workers\">HBO’s “The Pitt” Hits Close to Home for Healthcare Workers\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you work in an emergency room, there’s a good chance you’ve watched The Pitt.\u003cbr>Emergency room doctor James Elia says he was hooked when he heard the show uses real cases.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I kind of try to figure out what’s going on with the patient. But at the same time you get a little bit of anxiety because it kind of brings you back to thinking, geez, am I on shift?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elia has worked at Sharp Grossmont for 17 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some days we are like the pitt, you know, and it’s not every single day. It’s not every single hour. But we definitely have days where it’s that busy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elia says television can create very different expectations about what actually happens in an ER, and those TV versions of medicine can stick with patients.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s of course some Hollywood hype in these shows as some things that are exaggerated. People throughout the years would ask me, for example, are you going to pump the stomach? Which we don’t really do, but you see that on some of these shows.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then there are the moments that may show viewers a side of the ER they rarely see.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amber Dinh is an ER nurse. Some scenes in particular hit close to home for her. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“There’s a fight scene with a nurse, she gets in a fight with a patient because the patient is getting aggressive,” said Dinh. “I was recently in a fight with a patient, a patient on a hold, and she’s in a psychiatric moment. And she started, she ran out of her room and started swinging fists at people. I think it’s finally opening the public’s eyes and like, oh my gosh, like, people actually do this every day and have to help people in these conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she says the show isn’t just capturing the dramatic moments. It also shows the constant juggling that happens behind the scenes, and things most patients don’t see when they’re waiting for care.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Someone’s dying in room five and someone’s asking for a hot blanket in room two,” Dinh said. “Meanwhile, you have to have send someone to cath lab in room three. Everything’s going on at once, whether it’s minor or little. And I think it’s nice that people see like, oh, there’s something bigger going on than just sometimes what I’m going through.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And it turns out, the show may be teaching people more than she realizes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A study from USC’s Norman Lear Center surveyed more than 1,400 viewers of The Pitt.\u003cbr>Viewers who watched an end of life storyline said they were more likely to plan ahead, including making a living will or designating a power of attorney.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s an area where palliative care doctor Nicki Rao says the show is helping start important conversations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it is sadly very common that people have not ironed out their wishes for end of life. So I probably see this scenario on a weekly basis, if not more often,” said Rao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And now, when she talks with patients about those difficult decisions…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m glad I can finally tell them that, hey, there are shows on TV, did you watch this and see if they reply? Or sometimes they tell me like, oh, it’s kind of like The Pitt. And so I’m glad that there’s finally a kind of third party space that I can refer to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And she says The Pitt is showing a version of medicine that looks different from the medical dramas many viewers grew up with.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Before you’d watch medical TV shows for the drama, the affairs, the crazy scenarios that you couldn’t figure out. And now they’re showing real medicine. So things like heart failure or bad COPD or cancer, those are very realistic things that come into our E.R,” said Rao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rao says the show is also bringing attention to fields many people don’t know about.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So like palliative care, like death doulas, like chaplains, the people that are really supporting our patients.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dinh says maybe pulling back the curtain on the people who run emergency rooms is the real impact of The Pitt.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003ci> \u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098628/the-ultimate-insider\">\u003cstrong>The Speaker: A New Podcast on Nancy Pelosi’s Unlikely Path to Power\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ahead of Nancy Pelosi’s retirement, KQED’s Scott Shafer traces her improbable 1987 rise in a new podcast \u003cem>The Speaker: How Nancy Pelosi Changed the Face of Power\u003c/em>. The first episode revisits her primary against Democratic Socialist Harry Britt, who had hoped to become San Francisco’s first openly gay congressman amid the AIDS crisis — a race Pelosi narrowly won on her way to becoming one of the most powerful women in American politics.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> mom Anna Karrer Manley remembers one of the hardest conversations she had two years ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She was 45 and had recently learned about her breast cancer diagnosis. She needed to share the news with her two kids, then ages 6 and 11, to prepare them for her battle with the disease — six rounds of chemotherapy and their most recognizable side effect, hair loss. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My son had just started a new school in sixth grade, and he sheepishly asked me, ‘So, Mom, are you still gonna come to pick up?’” Karrer Manley said. “[My daughter] just cried because she didn’t want Mommy to change\u003cem>.\u003c/em>”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Soon after her diagnosis, Karrer Manley joined a breast cancer patient support group, \u003ca href=\"https://bayareayoungsurvivors.org/\">Bay Area Young Survivors\u003c/a>, where she learned about scalp cooling, an FDA-cleared treatment that helps patients keep their hair through cooling caps, which can be worn before, during and after chemotherapy infusions. The technology helps restrict blood flow and reduce the amount of medication that reaches the hair follicles. The vast majority of people who use scalp cooling, like Karrer Manley, are battling breast cancer, according to \u003ca href=\"https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.e18739\">research\u003c/a> presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2021. \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/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-46-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099645\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-46-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-46-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-46-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ines (from left), Stacey Manley, Etienne, Anna Karrer Manley, and their chemo puppy, Asa, at their home in Oakland on Sept. 13, 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-5 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=\"12099642\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-27-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099642\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-27-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-27-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-27-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Karrer Manley shows strands of her hair that grew back darker and curlier after falling out during chemotherapy. (Nina Glick/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=\"12099641\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-26-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099641\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-26-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-26-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-26-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Karrer Manley holds a photo of herself wearing a cold cap at her home in Oakland on Sept. 13, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The technology wasn’t covered through insurance, but Karrer Manley said she and her husband scraped around $5,000 to pay for the treatment. (She returned to work part time during treatment.) The cooling caps allowed her to keep 70% of her hair, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her vibrant complexion and beyond-shoulder-length hair belie the difficult journey of survival — and advocacy — she’s undertaken. Karrer Manley has since joined survivors, medical professionals and public health advocates calling for the passage of \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1682\">AB 1682\u003c/a>, which is currently on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, that aims to make automated mechanical scalp-cooling devices more accessible, beginning in 2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“To move about the world during chemo treatment with your hair and not everybody realizing what’s going on with you or staring at you, I think that’s really meaningful and important, and it has such an impact on your mental health,” said Karrer Manley, sitting at her dining room table alongside Asa, the “chemo puppy” she adopted for treatment support. “You know, cancer takes so much from you, it really robs so much of you, but at least I had a little bit of hair.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At a June \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1682\">hearing\u003c/a> in Sacramento, the bill’s co-author Assemblymember Gregg Hart of Santa Barbara said the measure – which resembles \u003ca href=\"https://rapunzelproject.org/\">similar\u003c/a> laws in five states (Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, New York and West Virginia) — would preserve “dignity, confidence and quality of life” for Californians fighting cancer, regardless of their ability to pay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The amended proposal — which state legislators passed unanimously — applies to large group insurers and Medi-Cal plans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In April, the California Health Benefits Review Program, a nonpartisan \u003ca href=\"https://www.chbrp.org/about\">group\u003c/a> tasked with responding to the state Legislature’s request for independent review of all proposed bills related to health benefits, reviewed an earlier, broader draft of AB 1682. The original legislation would have applied to \u003cem>all\u003c/em> state-regulated health insurance, but would have resulted in 680 additional enrollees receiving scalp cooling, for an additional $4 million in annual premiums paid by employers and enrollees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Janet Coffman, a member of the benefits review program and a health policy expert with UCSF, said the technology has a relatively small fiscal impact (unlike, for example, proposed insurance \u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Wellness/halle-berry-criticizes-gov-gavin-newsom-devaluing-women/story?id=128104843\">mandates\u003c/a> for pre- and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy that Newsom vetoed in 2025, calling it “too far-reaching”).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s only for people who are actively undergoing cancer treatment. And they’re really only used with a subset of cancers,” Coffman said. “The marginal cost is pretty small.”\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/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-57-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099646\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-57-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-57-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-57-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Karrer Manley (center) with her children Etienne (left) and Ines (right) at their home in Oakland on Sept. 13, 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-6 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=\"12099647\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-69-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099647\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-69-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-69-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-69-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Karrer Manley walks her dog, Asa, whom she got while she was undergoing chemotherapy, near her home in Oakland on Sept. 13, 2026. (Nina Glick/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=\"12099639\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099639\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cookbooks, including The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery, in Anna Karrer Manley’s home in Oakland on Sept. 13, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The insurance lobby group California Association of Health Plans has opposed the measure, arguing that Californians are facing a health care affordability crisis, citing a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/06/california-health-tax-medi-cal-premiums/\">health tax redesign\u003c/a> recently approved by the governor that the California Medical Association, a physician advocacy group, has \u003ca href=\"https://www.cmadocs.org/newsroom/news/view/cma-warns-2026-27-state-budget-will-increase-health-insurance-costs\">warned\u003c/a> could pass through to consumers in the form of higher premiums.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“At the same time, six additional health care mandates, including AB 1682, have been sent to the governor for his signature that will altogether increase premiums by more than $170 million, piling on even more health care costs for working families across the state,” the CAHP said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor’s office declined to comment on bills pending action from Newsom by a Sept. 30 deadline. He is no stranger to the disease, as he has previously \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/04/gavin-newsom-assisted-suicide\">spoken\u003c/a> about being with his mother during her assisted suicide in 2002 after her yearslong battle with breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Karrer Manley hopes that he will advocate for supportive cancer care for people who otherwise cannot afford it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are just too many people impacted by cancer, and yet the fiscal impact is so small,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> mom Anna Karrer Manley remembers one of the hardest conversations she had two years ago.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She was 45 and had recently learned about her breast cancer diagnosis. She needed to share the news with her two kids, then ages 6 and 11, to prepare them for her battle with the disease — six rounds of chemotherapy and their most recognizable side effect, hair loss. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My son had just started a new school in sixth grade, and he sheepishly asked me, ‘So, Mom, are you still gonna come to pick up?’” Karrer Manley said. “[My daughter] just cried because she didn’t want Mommy to change\u003cem>.\u003c/em>”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Soon after her diagnosis, Karrer Manley joined a breast cancer patient support group, \u003ca href=\"https://bayareayoungsurvivors.org/\">Bay Area Young Survivors\u003c/a>, where she learned about scalp cooling, an FDA-cleared treatment that helps patients keep their hair through cooling caps, which can be worn before, during and after chemotherapy infusions. The technology helps restrict blood flow and reduce the amount of medication that reaches the hair follicles. The vast majority of people who use scalp cooling, like Karrer Manley, are battling breast cancer, according to \u003ca href=\"https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.e18739\">research\u003c/a> presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2021. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At a June \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1682\">hearing\u003c/a> in Sacramento, the bill’s co-author Assemblymember Gregg Hart of Santa Barbara said the measure – which resembles \u003ca href=\"https://rapunzelproject.org/\">similar\u003c/a> laws in five states (Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, New York and West Virginia) — would preserve “dignity, confidence and quality of life” for Californians fighting cancer, regardless of their ability to pay.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In April, the California Health Benefits Review Program, a nonpartisan \u003ca href=\"https://www.chbrp.org/about\">group\u003c/a> tasked with responding to the state Legislature’s request for independent review of all proposed bills related to health benefits, reviewed an earlier, broader draft of AB 1682. The original legislation would have applied to \u003cem>all\u003c/em> state-regulated health insurance, but would have resulted in 680 additional enrollees receiving scalp cooling, for an additional $4 million in annual premiums paid by employers and enrollees.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Janet Coffman, a member of the benefits review program and a health policy expert with UCSF, said the technology has a relatively small fiscal impact (unlike, for example, proposed insurance \u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Wellness/halle-berry-criticizes-gov-gavin-newsom-devaluing-women/story?id=128104843\">mandates\u003c/a> for pre- and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy that Newsom vetoed in 2025, calling it “too far-reaching”).\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s only for people who are actively undergoing cancer treatment. And they’re really only used with a subset of cancers,” Coffman said. “The marginal cost is pretty small.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The insurance lobby group California Association of Health Plans has opposed the measure, arguing that Californians are facing a health care affordability crisis, citing a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/06/california-health-tax-medi-cal-premiums/\">health tax redesign\u003c/a> recently approved by the governor that the California Medical Association, a physician advocacy group, has \u003ca href=\"https://www.cmadocs.org/newsroom/news/view/cma-warns-2026-27-state-budget-will-increase-health-insurance-costs\">warned\u003c/a> could pass through to consumers in the form of higher premiums.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“At the same time, six additional health care mandates, including AB 1682, have been sent to the governor for his signature that will altogether increase premiums by more than $170 million, piling on even more health care costs for working families across the state,” the CAHP said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The governor’s office declined to comment on bills pending action from Newsom by a Sept. 30 deadline. He is no stranger to the disease, as he has previously \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/04/gavin-newsom-assisted-suicide\">spoken\u003c/a> about being with his mother during her assisted suicide in 2002 after her yearslong battle with breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The governor’s office declined to comment on bills pending action from Newsom by a Sept. 30 deadline. He is no stranger to the disease, as he has previously \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/04/gavin-newsom-assisted-suicide\">spoken\u003c/a> about being with his mother during her assisted suicide in 2002 after her yearslong battle with breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Karrer Manley hopes that he will advocate for supportive cancer care for people who otherwise cannot afford it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There are just too many people impacted by cancer, and yet the fiscal impact is so small,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "If the measure becomes law, it would require Medi-Cal and other large group health plans to cover scalp-cooling treatments.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> mom Anna Karrer Manley remembers one of the hardest conversations she had two years ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She was 45 and had recently learned about her breast cancer diagnosis. She needed to share the news with her two kids, then ages 6 and 11, to prepare them for her battle with the disease — six rounds of chemotherapy and their most recognizable side effect, hair loss. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My son had just started a new school in sixth grade, and he sheepishly asked me, ‘So, Mom, are you still gonna come to pick up?’” Karrer Manley said. “[My daughter] just cried because she didn’t want Mommy to change\u003cem>.\u003c/em>”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Soon after her diagnosis, Karrer Manley joined a breast cancer patient support group, \u003ca href=\"https://bayareayoungsurvivors.org/\">Bay Area Young Survivors\u003c/a>, where she learned about scalp cooling, an FDA-cleared treatment that helps patients keep their hair through cooling caps, which can be worn before, during and after chemotherapy infusions. The technology helps restrict blood flow and reduce the amount of medication that reaches the hair follicles. The vast majority of people who use scalp cooling, like Karrer Manley, are battling breast cancer, according to \u003ca href=\"https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.e18739\">research\u003c/a> presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2021. \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/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-46-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099645\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-46-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-46-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-46-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ines (from left), Stacey Manley, Etienne, Anna Karrer Manley, and their chemo puppy, Asa, at their home in Oakland on Sept. 13, 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-5 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=\"12099642\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-27-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099642\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-27-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-27-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-27-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Karrer Manley shows strands of her hair that grew back darker and curlier after falling out during chemotherapy. (Nina Glick/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=\"12099641\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-26-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099641\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-26-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-26-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-26-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Karrer Manley holds a photo of herself wearing a cold cap at her home in Oakland on Sept. 13, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The technology wasn’t covered through insurance, but Karrer Manley said she and her husband scraped around $5,000 to pay for the treatment. (She returned to work part time during treatment.) The cooling caps allowed her to keep 70% of her hair, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her vibrant complexion and beyond-shoulder-length hair belie the difficult journey of survival — and advocacy — she’s undertaken. Karrer Manley has since joined survivors, medical professionals and public health advocates calling for the passage of \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1682\">AB 1682\u003c/a>, which is currently on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, that aims to make automated mechanical scalp-cooling devices more accessible, beginning in 2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“To move about the world during chemo treatment with your hair and not everybody realizing what’s going on with you or staring at you, I think that’s really meaningful and important, and it has such an impact on your mental health,” said Karrer Manley, sitting at her dining room table alongside Asa, the “chemo puppy” she adopted for treatment support. “You know, cancer takes so much from you, it really robs so much of you, but at least I had a little bit of hair.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At a June \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1682\">hearing\u003c/a> in Sacramento, the bill’s co-author Assemblymember Gregg Hart of Santa Barbara said the measure – which resembles \u003ca href=\"https://rapunzelproject.org/\">similar\u003c/a> laws in five states (Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, New York and West Virginia) — would preserve “dignity, confidence and quality of life” for Californians fighting cancer, regardless of their ability to pay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The amended proposal — which state legislators passed unanimously — applies to large group insurers and Medi-Cal plans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In April, the California Health Benefits Review Program, a nonpartisan \u003ca href=\"https://www.chbrp.org/about\">group\u003c/a> tasked with responding to the state Legislature’s request for independent review of all proposed bills related to health benefits, reviewed an earlier, broader draft of AB 1682. The original legislation would have applied to \u003cem>all\u003c/em> state-regulated health insurance, but would have resulted in 680 additional enrollees receiving scalp cooling, for an additional $4 million in annual premiums paid by employers and enrollees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Janet Coffman, a member of the benefits review program and a health policy expert with UCSF, said the technology has a relatively small fiscal impact (unlike, for example, proposed insurance \u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Wellness/halle-berry-criticizes-gov-gavin-newsom-devaluing-women/story?id=128104843\">mandates\u003c/a> for pre- and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy that Newsom vetoed in 2025, calling it “too far-reaching”).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s only for people who are actively undergoing cancer treatment. And they’re really only used with a subset of cancers,” Coffman said. “The marginal cost is pretty small.”\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/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-57-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099646\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-57-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-57-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-57-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Karrer Manley (center) with her children Etienne (left) and Ines (right) at their home in Oakland on Sept. 13, 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-6 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=\"12099647\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-69-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099647\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-69-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-69-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-69-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anna Karrer Manley walks her dog, Asa, whom she got while she was undergoing chemotherapy, near her home in Oakland on Sept. 13, 2026. (Nina Glick/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=\"12099639\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099639\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260913-CancerScalpTreatment-NG-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cookbooks, including The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery, in Anna Karrer Manley’s home in Oakland on Sept. 13, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The insurance lobby group California Association of Health Plans has opposed the measure, arguing that Californians are facing a health care affordability crisis, citing a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/06/california-health-tax-medi-cal-premiums/\">health tax redesign\u003c/a> recently approved by the governor that the California Medical Association, a physician advocacy group, has \u003ca href=\"https://www.cmadocs.org/newsroom/news/view/cma-warns-2026-27-state-budget-will-increase-health-insurance-costs\">warned\u003c/a> could pass through to consumers in the form of higher premiums.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“At the same time, six additional health care mandates, including AB 1682, have been sent to the governor for his signature that will altogether increase premiums by more than $170 million, piling on even more health care costs for working families across the state,” the CAHP said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor’s office declined to comment on bills pending action from Newsom by a Sept. 30 deadline. He is no stranger to the disease, as he has previously \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/04/gavin-newsom-assisted-suicide\">spoken\u003c/a> about being with his mother during her assisted suicide in 2002 after her yearslong battle with breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Karrer Manley hopes that he will advocate for supportive cancer care for people who otherwise cannot afford it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are just too many people impacted by cancer, and yet the fiscal impact is so small,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "former-employee-accuses-sf-standard-chief-of-harassment-and-wrongful-termination",
"title": "Former Employee Accuses SF Standard Chief of Harassment and Wrongful Termination",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A former employee of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">\u003cem>San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> Standard\u003c/em> accused the news outlet’s CEO and its ownership of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A lawsuit from Julia Ryan, the former director of growth at the \u003cem>Standard\u003c/em>, against CEO Griffin Gaffney and Here/Say Media, which does business as the \u003cem>Standard\u003c/em>, paints a portrait of a male-dominated culture where sexual remarks were tolerated and where female employees were treated differently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The suit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court earlier this month, alleges that the \u003cem>Standard\u003c/em> wrongfully terminated Ryan as “a scapegoat for a broader issue caused by several teams of men” — while protecting and supporting the careers of male employees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I had never seen a culture that was so inappropriate and unprofessional and sexist, where remarks like this were made and not addressed, where there were such different standards, different performance standards for men and women,” Ryan told KQED. “I believe deeply in the value of local news, and I believed in the mission of what we were trying to accomplish. And this kind of culture holds organizations back from accomplishing their work and their mission.”\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/10/2026/05/260529-GGBTRIALTESTIMONY00445_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260529-GGBTRIALTESTIMONY00445_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260529-GGBTRIALTESTIMONY00445_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260529-GGBTRIALTESTIMONY00445_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The San Francisco Superior Courthouse in San Francisco on May 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ryan is seeking emotional and financial damages, though she and her attorneys declined to state an amount. In a phone call with KQED on Thursday, Ryan alleged that Gaffney made “sexualized and sexist comments” to her, creating situations that she felt were difficult to navigate. She described attending an event in San Francisco where Gaffney allegedly made belittling and highly critical remarks about women, and mocked them as having “crazy eyes” or “going on Ozempic.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was very dismissive about female colleagues at other companies in ways that I found really concerning and distressing,” Ryan said. “It didn’t stay in the professional realm. … It became personal attacks on that woman’s appearance, on her credentials, on how she got her job.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gaffney co-founded the \u003cem>Standard\u003c/em> with financing from billionaire venture capitalist Michael Moritz. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The local news site employs about 75 people, including reporters, editors, photographers, software engineers, data analysts and social media producers, according to its website. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the \u003cem>Standard\u003c/em> disputed Ryan’s account of her performance leading subscription growth, and her allegations about why she was terminated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Gender played no role in the decision,” the statement says. “We will address these claims through the legal process, not in the press.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What first raised “alarm bells” for Ryan was the different treatment given to women and men “who had documented and acknowledged performance and behavioral issues, who were receiving really extraordinary measures to try to improve their performance, executive coaching.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I saw firsthand how this impacted other women at the company,” Ryan continued, “and not everyone has been in a position to speak up or do something about what’s been going on.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2207512963.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100492\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2207512963.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2207512963-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2207512963-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco billionaire Michael Moritz listens to speakers during a panel discussion during an event releasing Crankstart report “Streets to Stability” in the Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco on April 1, 2025. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ryan, who lives in Rhode Island, was hired in 2024 as a remote employee, and traveled to San Francisco frequently for work, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead of a dedicated human resources officer, the company’s chief of business operations served both roles, the suit states. The CBO, also a woman, was “very close with Mr. Gaffney and reported directly to him,” which left Ryan without a meaningful avenue to address her concerns about the behavior of the CEO, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2025, she discussed with other managers her observations that Gaffney applied different performance standards to men compared with women. Ryan also “opposed the employment of at least two other men on the ground that they exhibited gender-biased behavior,” the lawsuit says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite those issues, Gaffney expressed satisfaction with Ryan’s work, she said. Ryan, who is now 35, got her start working in editorial strategy and developing audiences for news with the \u003cem>New York Post\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Airmail\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m proud of the work that I was doing for more than a year,” she said. “All of the feedback I got was very positive in nature.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the days leading up to her termination, however, Gaffney confronted Ryan for poor performance, she said. She then confronted Gaffney about the double standard he had for men and women, and in response, the lawsuit says, Gaffney raised his voice and his tone became markedly more aggressive. \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/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person walks up a hill with the San Francisco skyline in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-11956043\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The San Francisco skyline seen from Bernal Heights Hill in San Francisco on Dec. 7, 2020. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Griffin became irate and angry with me that I was pointing this out. And it was shortly thereafter that he terminated me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two days later, Gaffney fired Ryan, she said. He stated that The Standard was not meeting key performance indicators, and then blamed Ryan, as the director of growth. Gaffney gave her no time or support to improve her alleged performance issues, the lawsuit states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ryan said she’s been using the year since her termination to understand how to use “the legal system to stand up to this kind of harassment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the lever that I have available to me right now to stand up and speak out about wrongdoing and problems,” Ryan said. “This is my opportunity to speak out about an injustice.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Gender played no role in the decision,” the statement says. “We will address these claims through the legal process, not in the press.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What first raised “alarm bells” for Ryan was the different treatment given to women and men “who had documented and acknowledged performance and behavioral issues, who were receiving really extraordinary measures to try to improve their performance, executive coaching.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I saw firsthand how this impacted other women at the company,” Ryan continued, “and not everyone has been in a position to speak up or do something about what’s been going on.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ryan, who lives in Rhode Island, was hired in 2024 as a remote employee, and traveled to San Francisco frequently for work, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2025, she discussed with other managers her observations that Gaffney applied different performance standards to men compared with women. Ryan also “opposed the employment of at least two other men on the ground that they exhibited gender-biased behavior,” the lawsuit says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite those issues, Gaffney expressed satisfaction with Ryan’s work, she said. Ryan, who is now 35, got her start working in editorial strategy and developing audiences for news with the \u003cem>New York Post\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Airmail\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the days leading up to her termination, however, Gaffney confronted Ryan for poor performance, she said. She then confronted Gaffney about the double standard he had for men and women, and in response, the lawsuit says, Gaffney raised his voice and his tone became markedly more aggressive. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Griffin became irate and angry with me that I was pointing this out. And it was shortly thereafter that he terminated me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two days later, Gaffney fired Ryan, she said. He stated that The Standard was not meeting key performance indicators, and then blamed Ryan, as the director of growth. Gaffney gave her no time or support to improve her alleged performance issues, the lawsuit states. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ryan said she’s been using the year since her termination to understand how to use “the legal system to stand up to this kind of harassment.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is the lever that I have available to me right now to stand up and speak out about wrongdoing and problems,” Ryan said. “This is my opportunity to speak out about an injustice.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A former employee of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">\u003cem>San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> Standard\u003c/em> accused the news outlet’s CEO and its ownership of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A lawsuit from Julia Ryan, the former director of growth at the \u003cem>Standard\u003c/em>, against CEO Griffin Gaffney and Here/Say Media, which does business as the \u003cem>Standard\u003c/em>, paints a portrait of a male-dominated culture where sexual remarks were tolerated and where female employees were treated differently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The suit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court earlier this month, alleges that the \u003cem>Standard\u003c/em> wrongfully terminated Ryan as “a scapegoat for a broader issue caused by several teams of men” — while protecting and supporting the careers of male employees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I had never seen a culture that was so inappropriate and unprofessional and sexist, where remarks like this were made and not addressed, where there were such different standards, different performance standards for men and women,” Ryan told KQED. “I believe deeply in the value of local news, and I believed in the mission of what we were trying to accomplish. And this kind of culture holds organizations back from accomplishing their work and their mission.”\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/10/2026/05/260529-GGBTRIALTESTIMONY00445_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260529-GGBTRIALTESTIMONY00445_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260529-GGBTRIALTESTIMONY00445_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260529-GGBTRIALTESTIMONY00445_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The San Francisco Superior Courthouse in San Francisco on May 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ryan is seeking emotional and financial damages, though she and her attorneys declined to state an amount. In a phone call with KQED on Thursday, Ryan alleged that Gaffney made “sexualized and sexist comments” to her, creating situations that she felt were difficult to navigate. She described attending an event in San Francisco where Gaffney allegedly made belittling and highly critical remarks about women, and mocked them as having “crazy eyes” or “going on Ozempic.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was very dismissive about female colleagues at other companies in ways that I found really concerning and distressing,” Ryan said. “It didn’t stay in the professional realm. … It became personal attacks on that woman’s appearance, on her credentials, on how she got her job.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gaffney co-founded the \u003cem>Standard\u003c/em> with financing from billionaire venture capitalist Michael Moritz. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The local news site employs about 75 people, including reporters, editors, photographers, software engineers, data analysts and social media producers, according to its website. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the \u003cem>Standard\u003c/em> disputed Ryan’s account of her performance leading subscription growth, and her allegations about why she was terminated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Gender played no role in the decision,” the statement says. “We will address these claims through the legal process, not in the press.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What first raised “alarm bells” for Ryan was the different treatment given to women and men “who had documented and acknowledged performance and behavioral issues, who were receiving really extraordinary measures to try to improve their performance, executive coaching.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I saw firsthand how this impacted other women at the company,” Ryan continued, “and not everyone has been in a position to speak up or do something about what’s been going on.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2207512963.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12100492\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2207512963.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2207512963-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2207512963-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco billionaire Michael Moritz listens to speakers during a panel discussion during an event releasing Crankstart report “Streets to Stability” in the Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco on April 1, 2025. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ryan, who lives in Rhode Island, was hired in 2024 as a remote employee, and traveled to San Francisco frequently for work, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead of a dedicated human resources officer, the company’s chief of business operations served both roles, the suit states. The CBO, also a woman, was “very close with Mr. Gaffney and reported directly to him,” which left Ryan without a meaningful avenue to address her concerns about the behavior of the CEO, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2025, she discussed with other managers her observations that Gaffney applied different performance standards to men compared with women. Ryan also “opposed the employment of at least two other men on the ground that they exhibited gender-biased behavior,” the lawsuit says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite those issues, Gaffney expressed satisfaction with Ryan’s work, she said. Ryan, who is now 35, got her start working in editorial strategy and developing audiences for news with the \u003cem>New York Post\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Airmail\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m proud of the work that I was doing for more than a year,” she said. “All of the feedback I got was very positive in nature.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the days leading up to her termination, however, Gaffney confronted Ryan for poor performance, she said. She then confronted Gaffney about the double standard he had for men and women, and in response, the lawsuit says, Gaffney raised his voice and his tone became markedly more aggressive. \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/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person walks up a hill with the San Francisco skyline in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-11956043\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230719-SAN-FRANCISCO-SKYLINE-AP-JC-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The San Francisco skyline seen from Bernal Heights Hill in San Francisco on Dec. 7, 2020. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Griffin became irate and angry with me that I was pointing this out. And it was shortly thereafter that he terminated me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two days later, Gaffney fired Ryan, she said. He stated that The Standard was not meeting key performance indicators, and then blamed Ryan, as the director of growth. Gaffney gave her no time or support to improve her alleged performance issues, the lawsuit states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ryan said she’s been using the year since her termination to understand how to use “the legal system to stand up to this kind of harassment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the lever that I have available to me right now to stand up and speak out about wrongdoing and problems,” Ryan said. “This is my opportunity to speak out about an injustice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "As Fast-Moving Wildfire Near Truckee Burns 640 Acres, I-80 Remains Closed",
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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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"\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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"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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"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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"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": "this-bay-area-immigrant-rights-organization-is-helping-filipino-caregivers-care-for-themselves",
"title": "This Bay Area Immigrant Rights Organization Is Helping Filipino Caregivers Care for Themselves",
"publishDate": 1789642800,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "This Bay Area Immigrant Rights Organization Is Helping Filipino Caregivers Care for Themselves | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This project was produced jointly by KQED and CatchLight as part of the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://catchlight.io/mental-health\">\u003cem>mental health visual desk initiative.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet’s only obligation was to focus on himself. At least for one day. In the bright orange office of Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJ), where he was attending a special wellness meeting for caregiver worker leaders like himself, he closed his eyes, relaxed his shoulders and breathed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You are seen. Inhale,” a staff member told the group. “You are valued. Exhale.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sometimes, Pakbet said he feels valued, like when he was a private aide for Teddy, a 98-year-old woman at the retirement home. They developed a relationship like a mother and son, and he would treat her so — cooking her homemade chicken feet adobo, or watching makeup tutorials with her online. He’d apply her lipstick, dress her in a gown and accompany her into the dining room, declaring, “The queen has arrived!” Besides bathing her and monitoring vitals, he saw it as his job to make her laugh.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099853\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1-2000x666.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1-2048x682.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Karen Villanueva, executive director of Kilusan Wellness, leads a mental wellness breathing and massage exercise to open FAJ’s Kapwa Circle, a monthly community-building event, at the organization’s Union City location on March 6, 2026. Right: Pakbet (center) sings “Precious and Few” as the FAJ community honors FAJ worker organizer, Santi Tagle Buensuceso, during a surprise farewell party about one week before Buensuceso relocates back to the Philippines. Although Pakbet had a caregiving shift that evening, he joined the first half of the Kapwa Circle to attend the surprise going-away party for Buensuceso, who he considers an older sister. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096175\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the Filipino Advocates for Justice community practice a breathing and movement exercise during the organization’s March Kapwa Circle. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Other times, his body remembers: panic attacks from the chronic stress of unstable paychecks and exploitative employers, grief for his mother with cancer back home in the Philippines, whom he hasn’t hugged in a decade. The depression has led to insomnia and isolation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My world is work, home. I don’t have any trusted friends,” he said. “This is my life.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet, 54, said caregivers like him can feel overworked and undervalued. A Bay Area immigrant rights organization, FAJ creates an affirming space for them to rest and celebrate, so they can show up whole — not only for themselves but for others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"994\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18-1536x763.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Center: Pakbet poses for a portrait in his Bay Area home on May 4, 2026, where he has lived with his family for six years. Previously, they lived in abusive situations, sharing cramped spaces and experiencing mistreatment. In 2020, with guidance from a friend at FAJ, they secured their own apartment. “We rent, and we’re very happy because my son has a room. I can cook now,” said Pakbet. “That’s our paradise.” Left and Right: A Bible and cross adorn the walls of Pakbet’s apartment. The demands of caregiving often weigh heavily on his mind, but he finds solace in his faith. “It’s hard, it’s very tiring,” he said. “Without my son, without my faith, I almost give up.” (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Leaning on Filipino cultural practices and intergenerational connection, mental health is woven into everything they do, from monthly gatherings and wellness clinics to everyday grounding techniques and artistic expression. Yet the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and statewide funding cuts to mental health services have threatened their prevention work, even as a shortage in \u003ca href=\"https://mpa.aging.ca.gov/Goals/4\">care workers \u003c/a>looms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Filipinos are heavily represented in the healthcare workforce, according to \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7969854/\">research\u003c/a>, and many are paid to care for older adults. Respect for elders is a deeply embedded cultural value. As California’s population continues to age — \u003ca href=\"https://mpa.aging.ca.gov/\">about 25% will be an older adult by 2030\u003c/a> — caregivers will become even more essential. But isolation, burnout, racial discrimination, wage theft, and more can all contribute to mental health challenges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They are the first to take care of everybody else. And that’s done at the expense of their own bodies, their own emotional health,” said Geraldine Alcid, executive director of FAJ. “They deserve to take care of themselves, and they deserve rest.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1272\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096185\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17-1536x977.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An old photograph of Pakbet and Teddy decorated with makeup and his written reflections. To help Teddy prepare for outings, Pakbet watched YouTube tutorials to learn makeup and helped her choose dresses and jewelry. At the care home, Pakbet recalls people asking him, “Where is your master?” but Teddy always defended him, responding that he was her family. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED; instant photo made with and handwriting and decorations by Pakbet)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1620\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/FAJ_Video_05_Caregiver1_CookingAdobo_TEST.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096600\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet cooks chicken adobo at home. He de-stresses through cooking and finds joy in sharing his food. When caring for Teddy, a former client who was bedridden, he learned she had grown tired of retirement home meals and missed eating dim sum and chicken feet. He made her chicken feet adobo and began cooking for her. Over time, Pakbet says, she regained energy and began walking again. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED; handwriting by Pakbet)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>When Pakbet first arrived in the States alone over a decade ago, he lived and worked at a residential care home for older adults. He said his boss forced him to sleep on cardboard in the garage, and his paychecks didn’t reflect the long, exhausting hours. He also knew caregivers who died by suicide. Pakbet, at times, didn’t know if he’d make it. The reason he immigrated was to provide for his son’s education.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Pakbet said his Bible and a photo of his son got him through.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet’s experience is common. Yet cultural \u003ca href=\"https://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/3-30-22-Filipino-Advocates-for-Justice-FAJ_-A-Mental-Health-Report-_-Kumusta-Tayo-2021.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">stigma\u003c/a> and shame can prevent Filipino immigrants from seeking support. “I’ve witnessed many times caregivers who need help. They get scared and hide in the dark,” Pakbet said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over a decade ago, Oakland-based community health center Asian Health Services referred an exploited caregiver who was anxious and stressed to FAJ. The organization realized others had similar stories, and it was the catalyst for it to focus efforts on prevention. In 2015, they launched a mental health support group for caregivers, many of them older, funded through a two-year Alameda County innovations grant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>FAJ expanded its program with the help of an eight-year county contract. They hired a licensed mental health professional on staff, as well as three part-time community outreach specialists to facilitate mental health offerings rooted in culture. FAJ also created a Healing Advisory Committee that organizes free annual wellness clinics, featuring Filipino traditions such as hilot, a massage focused on releasing trauma. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096179\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet hangs a wet sheet to dry near the window in his Bay Area home. After years of living in the United States without access to an in-home washing machine, he set up a small washer in his apartment kitchen — a change he says has saved him time and eased the routines of daily life. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096178\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10-160x74.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10-1536x707.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Pakbet holds calamansi — a sweet and sour Filipino citrus with fragrant flowers — that he harvested from the office garden at Filipino Advocates for Justice for cooking. Right: Pakbet’s caregiving scrubs drape the living room couch where he sleeps so that his son can have the only bedroom in their apartment. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023, a one-time state grant from the Department of Aging enabled FAJ to shift attention again to caregivers. They provided training on topics such as nutrition and managing grief, weaving in hands-on clinics for everyday self-care. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At first, caregivers expressed apprehensive curiosity. Then eventually, they requested chia seed pudding recipes and acupuncture, even the caregivers who feared needles. The organization also provided acupressure rings people could roll on their fingers whenever they needed to calm themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nervous system regulation is essential for moving from merely surviving to thriving, said Dr. Karen Villanueva, training lead and executive director of Kilusan Wellness. And for the majority of caregivers with little time or money, accessibility is key. “So much the better if you can tuck it in your pocket and take it out when you need it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This July, the policy changes California made to its landmark Behavioral Services Act took effect. When voters passed Proposition 1 in 2024, they approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plans to shift funds away from prevention and early intervention toward treatment beds. FAJ’s prevention funding, which supports half of their direct services, was reduced from $360,000 to zero dollars — the organization lost its licensed mental health professional and folded its community outreach advisers into other roles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the special meeting for wellness worker leaders, where Pakbet could slow down and breathe, the thinning manifested in another way. Usually, nearly a dozen caregivers would be gearing up to knock on the doors of care homes in the East Bay, handing “know your rights” information to employees. The organization pays these workers a learning stipend to perform this outreach work. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But when Pakbet looked around the office, he was one of the few caregivers who had stayed. Half of the group had chosen to spend their remaining years in the Philippines as the Trump administration pushes to aggressively crack down on immigration. Many said they were tired of feeling criminalized and undervalued, or, as one staff member of the organization said, an “America-doesn’t-deserve-me” mentality. Others said they missed moments with loved ones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet listens to a talk on safety in sanctuary cities during an FAJ informational session for caregivers and their community. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Along with other caregivers in this story, KQED is referring to Pakbet only by a nickname to allow them to speak openly about their mental health struggles and working conditions without jeopardizing their employment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet understands the impulse to return home. Still, he said he was feeling especially tender.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His “lifeline,” FAJ’s worker organizer and seasoned activist Santi Tagle Buensuceso, had announced that she was also returning to her homeland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whenever Pakbet struggled, instead of crying alone, he’d call Tagle Buensuceso. Sometimes, he’d voice his doubts about his ability to be a provider: “Am I a good father? Am I doing OK? Do I need to go back to the Philippines?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She would assure him that trying his best was good enough, that he was a great father and husband. She also realized caregivers like Pakbet needed more outlets and two years ago suggested FAJ host monthly Kapwa Circles for the wider community. A third space to unwind, to reflect, to create joy. \u003ca href=\"https://sswr.confex.com/sswr/2026/webprogram/Paper61579.html\">Kapwa\u003c/a>, a Filipino value meaning interconnectedness, the recognition of yourself in each other.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096176\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Community members practice a breathing and movement exercise as Santi Tagle Buensuceso reads a farewell card signed by the Filipino Advocates for Justice community during a surprise party held a week before her return to the Philippines. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096171\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet, right, says goodbye to Tagle Buensuceso during her surprise farewell party. To Pakbet, Buensuceso was like an older sister, someone who always looked out for and advocated for him. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>On a Friday evening in March, the young and old came together at FAJ’s Union City office to recreate a slice of the Philippines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fried chicken from Jollibee piled high on paper plates, the sounds of people speaking Tagalog could be heard. Outside, a community garden where calamansi, a citrus fruit native to the Philippines, had been harvested for a jar of juice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The event is what FAJ leadership describes as a “Filipino family party” or a Kapwa Circle. It has a different flavor each month and begins with a discussion of a social justice topic — sanctuary cities, for one, or voter registration — to invite people into FAJ’s organizing work. After the community conversation, they host an activity like bingo or mahjong. Always karaoke, whether planned or not. There is a rule of no chisme, but many will say gossip is their favorite part. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096174\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People dance the Pinoy Cha-Cha during the March Kapwa Circle at the offices of Filipino Advocates for Justice in Union City, California. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099855\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-2000x666.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-2048x682.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Cristy Ferrer, a Filipino Advocates for Justice organizer, left, and Ine, a caregiver and FAJ worker leader, lead a Pinoy Cha-Cha dance lesson. Right: Ine dances with another community member during the Kapwa Circle. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The evening was Tagle Buensuceso’s last circle. Pakbet was there, drawn to a space where he could laugh and smile naturally. “I don’t need to fake it,” he said. He must leave early, however, to care for a client. Pakbet is now a certified nurse assistant and works hourly one-on-one with clients, but stability has been elusive lately. Clients have entered hospital care or passed away. With fewer hours, he has no choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For now, he joined in celebrating Tagle Buensuceso. As a surprise, staff handed out printed lyrics of her favorite song, “Precious and Few” by the band Climax. Ine, a fellow caregiver worker leader, grabbed her guitar. She led the group for a sing-along to the ’70s soft-rock song about cherishing moments, and the metaphor was not lost.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A mother of three, Ine came solo to the U.S. 15 years ago to provide her children a good college education, and has lived and worked at a care home ever since. As the home’s cook, Ine, 63, plates green pesto pasta and other colorful food with the intention to appeal to her dementia patients. She also administers medicine, having gone back to school to become a pharmacy technician, graduating with honors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9ectSMWvm4\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she talks with her husband and children via video every night, but misses them the most on holidays and birthdays. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in her room at the care home, she filled a balikbayan box for her son’s 41st birthday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She lovingly selected Lacoste polo shirts, Ferrero Rocher chocolate and other items for the care package by hand, a proxy for her presence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1513\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/FAJ_Video_06_VideoPortraits_TEST.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096610\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caregivers, community members and staff of Filipino Advocates for Justice pose for portraits in the garden near a calamansi tree cared for by staff and harvested by caregivers for their food. Some chose gestures of wellness to express in their portraits. “There’s such a deep, immense healing power that caregivers have,” said Daisy Maxion, FAJ organizing director. “They remind us of what it means to be human.” (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Every month, she makes sure she has time off for the Kapwa Circle. When she is tired, when the monotony of caregiving is grueling, she said being with other caregivers at FAJ and, better, using her musical talent to entertain, gives her the “strength to work for another day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This evening, Ine passed the mic to Tagle Buensuceso, who said that before FAJ, she believed cigarettes were the only form of wellness. She left the group with one last piece of wisdom. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your community.” Pakbet clapped. The music began. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hands linked and people moved to the Cupid Shuffle, the Macarena, the Pinoy Cha-Cha. Ine was in her element, her first love, dance. The food whittled down. When a delivery worker stopped by to drop off more Spam musubi, she was met with a chorus of: “Stay. Take a plate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096181\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13-160x74.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13-1536x707.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: A community member of Filipino Advocates for Justice holds a flower in her hand as she poses in front of a backdrop. “If you’re able to breathe deeply and freely, if you’re able to sit with difficult emotions, if you’re able to get regular sleep and eat food that has some nutrition in it … you’re leaving room for creativity and imagination and the courage to reach out,” said Karen Villanueva, executive director of Kilusan Wellness. “Nervous system regulation allows us to really know who we are.” Right: Two attendees wear Filipiniana dresses as they fill ttheir plates during a Kapwa Circle potluck. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>There is power in knowing others share similar experiences, said Dr. Annalisa Enrile, a Filipina community organizer and professor at the USC School of Social Work.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Enrile has researched how \u003ca href=\"https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-27795-003.html\">communal care in Filipino immigrant communities\u003c/a> that draws on cultural practices can ease stress and improve mental well-being. “If you feel like you belong in a way that gives you agency, and reduces stigma,” she said, “then you’re more apt to ask for help.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>FAJ’s leaders, too, realized belonging was a way to build trust and encourage caregivers to open up, and it’s why they have prioritized connection as the heart of their programming. Recently, they were relieved to hear they received one year of bridge funding to bring back their mental health specialist as they figure out how to sustain their wellness and mental health services. A temporary bandage, executive director Geraldine Alcid said, but enough to keep going. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-16.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-16.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-16-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ine near the San Francisco Bay, where she likes to go and recharge when she has time. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the funding uncertainty, the group is sustained by a deep hope: Show up, and something might shift. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet wasn’t sure if he’d come back to FAJ when Tagle Buensuceso left. He decided to keep showing up anyway, without a community elsewhere. Later that spring, he attended a picnic for caregivers at Contra Loma Regional Park in Contra Costa County. The stillness of the oak-tree-dotted hills contrasted with the chaos of the last few months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of his male clients was in the hospital, which meant Pakbet was not being paid to take care of him and was spending too much time alone at home in his apartment. He nearly missed a rent payment until he reached out to FAJ to help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096180\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet, center, joins other caregivers and staff of Filipino Advocates for Justice under the shade of a tree at Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch for an annual picnic–an opportunity to connect with caregivers from across the Bay Area and enjoy nature. Caregivers practiced wellness stretching, shared food and reenacted moments from caregiving through a “Theater of the Oppressed” activity. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Grateful for people, for peaceful nature, he set up his phone on a tripod to document the picnic. The wind was gentle. The wetlands glassy. A duck swam by and Pakbet paused to look at it, reminding him of balut, a delicacy with roots in his mother’s province. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The caregivers took turns sharing their favorite stretch before acting out a scripted scene from \u003cem>Theater of the Oppressed\u003c/em>, an approach that uses roleplay to explore solutions to social problems. Pakbet assumed the role of a care home owner. Drawing from his own experience, he joked about doling out “expensive” perfume from the Dollar Tree instead of actual dollars for overtime. People burst out laughing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet reflected afterward and said he has never felt more anchored in his purpose to empower caregivers like himself. Next outreach, when he knocks on doors, before asking about rights, before handing them a booklet, he will first ask, “How are you doing?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was made possible in part by the Aging Beat workshop, convened by the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pakbet’s only obligation was to focus on himself. At least for one day. In the bright orange office of Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJ), where he was attending a special wellness meeting for caregiver worker leaders like himself, he closed his eyes, relaxed his shoulders and breathed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sometimes, Pakbet said he feels valued, like when he was a private aide for Teddy, a 98-year-old woman at the retirement home. They developed a relationship like a mother and son, and he would treat her so — cooking her homemade chicken feet adobo, or watching makeup tutorials with her online. He’d apply her lipstick, dress her in a gown and accompany her into the dining room, declaring, “The queen has arrived!” Besides bathing her and monitoring vitals, he saw it as his job to make her laugh.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099853\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Karen Villanueva, executive director of Kilusan Wellness, leads a mental wellness breathing and massage exercise to open FAJ’s Kapwa Circle, a monthly community-building event, at the organization’s Union City location on March 6, 2026. Right: Pakbet (center) sings “Precious and Few” as the FAJ community honors FAJ worker organizer, Santi Tagle Buensuceso, during a surprise farewell party about one week before Buensuceso relocates back to the Philippines. Although Pakbet had a caregiving shift that evening, he joined the first half of the Kapwa Circle to attend the surprise going-away party for Buensuceso, who he considers an older sister.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096175\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the Filipino Advocates for Justice community practice a breathing and movement exercise during the organization’s March Kapwa Circle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096175\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the Filipino Advocates for Justice community practice a breathing and movement exercise during the organization’s March Kapwa Circle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other times, his body remembers: panic attacks from the chronic stress of unstable paychecks and exploitative employers, grief for his mother with cancer back home in the Philippines, whom he hasn’t hugged in a decade. The depression has led to insomnia and isolation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other times, his body remembers: panic attacks from the chronic stress of unstable paychecks and exploitative employers, grief for his mother with cancer back home in the Philippines, whom he hasn’t hugged in a decade. The depression has led to insomnia and isolation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pakbet, 54, said caregivers like him can feel overworked and undervalued. A Bay Area immigrant rights organization, FAJ creates an affirming space for them to rest and celebrate, so they can show up whole — not only for themselves but for others.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Pakbet, 54, said caregivers like him can feel overworked and undervalued. A Bay Area immigrant rights organization, FAJ creates an affirming space for them to rest and celebrate, so they can show up whole — not only for themselves but for others.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18-1536x763.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Center: Pakbet poses for a portrait in his Bay Area home on May 4, 2026, where he has lived with his family for six years. Previously, they lived in abusive situations, sharing cramped spaces and experiencing mistreatment. In 2020, with guidance from a friend at FAJ, they secured their own apartment. “We rent, and we’re very happy because my son has a room. I can cook now,” said Pakbet. “That’s our paradise.” Left and Right: A Bible and cross adorn the walls of Pakbet’s apartment. The demands of caregiving often weigh heavily on his mind, but he finds solace in his faith. “It’s hard, it’s very tiring,” he said. “Without my son, without my faith, I almost give up.”\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096186\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Center: Pakbet poses for a portrait in his Bay Area home on May 4, 2026, where he has lived with his family for six years. Previously, they lived in abusive situations, sharing cramped spaces and experiencing mistreatment. In 2020, with guidance from a friend at FAJ, they secured their own apartment. “We rent, and we’re very happy because my son has a room. I can cook now,” said Pakbet. “That’s our paradise.” Left and Right: A Bible and cross adorn the walls of Pakbet’s apartment. The demands of caregiving often weigh heavily on his mind, but he finds solace in his faith. “It’s hard, it’s very tiring,” he said. “Without my son, without my faith, I almost give up.”\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Leaning on Filipino cultural practices and intergenerational connection, mental health is woven into everything they do, from monthly gatherings and wellness clinics to everyday grounding techniques and artistic expression. Yet the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and statewide funding cuts to mental health services have threatened their prevention work, even as a shortage in \u003ca href=\"https://mpa.aging.ca.gov/Goals/4\">care workers \u003c/a>looms. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Leaning on Filipino cultural practices and intergenerational connection, mental health is woven into everything they do, from monthly gatherings and wellness clinics to everyday grounding techniques and artistic expression. Yet the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and statewide funding cuts to mental health services have threatened their prevention work, even as a shortage in \u003ca href=\"https://mpa.aging.ca.gov/Goals/4\">care workers \u003c/a>looms. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Filipinos are heavily represented in the healthcare workforce, according to \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7969854/\">research\u003c/a>, and many are paid to care for older adults. Respect for elders is a deeply embedded cultural value. As California’s population continues to age — \u003ca href=\"https://mpa.aging.ca.gov/\">about 25% will be an older adult by 2030\u003c/a> — caregivers will become even more essential. But isolation, burnout, racial discrimination, wage theft, and more can all contribute to mental health challenges.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Filipinos are heavily represented in the healthcare workforce, according to \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7969854/\">research\u003c/a>, and many are paid to care for older adults. Respect for elders is a deeply embedded cultural value. As California’s population continues to age — \u003ca href=\"https://mpa.aging.ca.gov/\">about 25% will be an older adult by 2030\u003c/a> — caregivers will become even more essential. But isolation, burnout, racial discrimination, wage theft, and more can all contribute to mental health challenges.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They are the first to take care of everybody else. And that’s done at the expense of their own bodies, their own emotional health,” said Geraldine Alcid, executive director of FAJ. “They deserve to take care of themselves, and they deserve rest.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They are the first to take care of everybody else. And that’s done at the expense of their own bodies, their own emotional health,” said Geraldine Alcid, executive director of FAJ. “They deserve to take care of themselves, and they deserve rest.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096185\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17-1536x977.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An old photograph of Pakbet and Teddy decorated with makeup and his written reflections. To help Teddy prepare for outings, Pakbet watched YouTube tutorials to learn makeup and helped her choose dresses and jewelry. At the care home, Pakbet recalls people asking him, “Where is your master?” but Teddy always defended him, responding that he was her family.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED; instant photo made with and handwriting and decorations by Pakbet)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096185\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An old photograph of Pakbet and Teddy decorated with makeup and his written reflections. To help Teddy prepare for outings, Pakbet watched YouTube tutorials to learn makeup and helped her choose dresses and jewelry. At the care home, Pakbet recalls people asking him, “Where is your master?” but Teddy always defended him, responding that he was her family.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED; instant photo made with and handwriting and decorations by Pakbet)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/FAJ_Video_05_Caregiver1_CookingAdobo_TEST.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096600\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet cooks chicken adobo at home. He de-stresses through cooking and finds joy in sharing his food. When caring for Teddy, a former client who was bedridden, he learned she had grown tired of retirement home meals and missed eating dim sum and chicken feet. He made her chicken feet adobo and began cooking for her. Over time, Pakbet says, she regained energy and began walking again.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED; handwriting by Pakbet)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/FAJ_Video_05_Caregiver1_CookingAdobo_TEST.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096600\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet cooks chicken adobo at home. He de-stresses through cooking and finds joy in sharing his food. When caring for Teddy, a former client who was bedridden, he learned she had grown tired of retirement home meals and missed eating dim sum and chicken feet. He made her chicken feet adobo and began cooking for her. Over time, Pakbet says, she regained energy and began walking again.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED; handwriting by Pakbet)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Pakbet first arrived in the States alone over a decade ago, he lived and worked at a residential care home for older adults. He said his boss forced him to sleep on cardboard in the garage, and his paychecks didn’t reflect the long, exhausting hours. He also knew caregivers who died by suicide. Pakbet, at times, didn’t know if he’d make it. The reason he immigrated was to provide for his son’s education.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Pakbet said his Bible and a photo of his son got him through.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When Pakbet first arrived in the States alone over a decade ago, he lived and worked at a residential care home for older adults. He said his boss forced him to sleep on cardboard in the garage, and his paychecks didn’t reflect the long, exhausting hours. He also knew caregivers who died by suicide. Pakbet, at times, didn’t know if he’d make it. The reason he immigrated was to provide for his son’s education.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Pakbet said his Bible and a photo of his son got him through.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pakbet’s experience is common. Yet cultural \u003ca href=\"https://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/3-30-22-Filipino-Advocates-for-Justice-FAJ_-A-Mental-Health-Report-_-Kumusta-Tayo-2021.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">stigma\u003c/a> and shame can prevent Filipino immigrants from seeking support. “I’ve witnessed many times caregivers who need help. They get scared and hide in the dark,” Pakbet said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Pakbet’s experience is common. Yet cultural \u003ca href=\"https://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/3-30-22-Filipino-Advocates-for-Justice-FAJ_-A-Mental-Health-Report-_-Kumusta-Tayo-2021.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">stigma\u003c/a> and shame can prevent Filipino immigrants from seeking support. “I’ve witnessed many times caregivers who need help. They get scared and hide in the dark,” Pakbet said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over a decade ago, Oakland-based community health center Asian Health Services referred an exploited caregiver who was anxious and stressed to FAJ. The organization realized others had similar stories, and it was the catalyst for it to focus efforts on prevention. In 2015, they launched a mental health support group for caregivers, many of them older, funded through a two-year Alameda County innovations grant. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Over a decade ago, Oakland-based community health center Asian Health Services referred an exploited caregiver who was anxious and stressed to FAJ. The organization realized others had similar stories, and it was the catalyst for it to focus efforts on prevention. In 2015, they launched a mental health support group for caregivers, many of them older, funded through a two-year Alameda County innovations grant. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>FAJ expanded its program with the help of an eight-year county contract. They hired a licensed mental health professional on staff, as well as three part-time community outreach specialists to facilitate mental health offerings rooted in culture. FAJ also created a Healing Advisory Committee that organizes free annual wellness clinics, featuring Filipino traditions such as hilot, a massage focused on releasing trauma. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>FAJ expanded its program with the help of an eight-year county contract. They hired a licensed mental health professional on staff, as well as three part-time community outreach specialists to facilitate mental health offerings rooted in culture. FAJ also created a Healing Advisory Committee that organizes free annual wellness clinics, featuring Filipino traditions such as hilot, a massage focused on releasing trauma. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096179\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet hangs a wet sheet to dry near the window in his Bay Area home. After years of living in the United States without access to an in-home washing machine, he set up a small washer in his apartment kitchen — a change he says has saved him time and eased the routines of daily life.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096179\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet hangs a wet sheet to dry near the window in his Bay Area home. After years of living in the United States without access to an in-home washing machine, he set up a small washer in his apartment kitchen — a change he says has saved him time and eased the routines of daily life.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096178\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10-160x74.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10-1536x707.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Pakbet holds calamansi — a sweet and sour Filipino citrus with fragrant flowers — that he harvested from the office garden at Filipino Advocates for Justice for cooking. Right: Pakbet’s caregiving scrubs drape the living room couch where he sleeps so that his son can have the only bedroom in their apartment.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096178\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Pakbet holds calamansi — a sweet and sour Filipino citrus with fragrant flowers — that he harvested from the office garden at Filipino Advocates for Justice for cooking. Right: Pakbet’s caregiving scrubs drape the living room couch where he sleeps so that his son can have the only bedroom in their apartment.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2023, a one-time state grant from the Department of Aging enabled FAJ to shift attention again to caregivers. They provided training on topics such as nutrition and managing grief, weaving in hands-on clinics for everyday self-care. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2023, a one-time state grant from the Department of Aging enabled FAJ to shift attention again to caregivers. They provided training on topics such as nutrition and managing grief, weaving in hands-on clinics for everyday self-care. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At first, caregivers expressed apprehensive curiosity. Then eventually, they requested chia seed pudding recipes and acupuncture, even the caregivers who feared needles. The organization also provided acupressure rings people could roll on their fingers whenever they needed to calm themselves.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At first, caregivers expressed apprehensive curiosity. Then eventually, they requested chia seed pudding recipes and acupuncture, even the caregivers who feared needles. The organization also provided acupressure rings people could roll on their fingers whenever they needed to calm themselves.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nervous system regulation is essential for moving from merely surviving to thriving, said Dr. Karen Villanueva, training lead and executive director of Kilusan Wellness. And for the majority of caregivers with little time or money, accessibility is key. “So much the better if you can tuck it in your pocket and take it out when you need it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nervous system regulation is essential for moving from merely surviving to thriving, said Dr. Karen Villanueva, training lead and executive director of Kilusan Wellness. And for the majority of caregivers with little time or money, accessibility is key. “So much the better if you can tuck it in your pocket and take it out when you need it.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This July, the policy changes California made to its landmark Behavioral Services Act took effect. When voters passed Proposition 1 in 2024, they approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plans to shift funds away from prevention and early intervention toward treatment beds. FAJ’s prevention funding, which supports half of their direct services, was reduced from $360,000 to zero dollars — the organization lost its licensed mental health professional and folded its community outreach advisers into other roles.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This July, the policy changes California made to its landmark Behavioral Services Act took effect. When voters passed Proposition 1 in 2024, they approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plans to shift funds away from prevention and early intervention toward treatment beds. FAJ’s prevention funding, which supports half of their direct services, was reduced from $360,000 to zero dollars — the organization lost its licensed mental health professional and folded its community outreach advisers into other roles.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the special meeting for wellness worker leaders, where Pakbet could slow down and breathe, the thinning manifested in another way. Usually, nearly a dozen caregivers would be gearing up to knock on the doors of care homes in the East Bay, handing “know your rights” information to employees. The organization pays these workers a learning stipend to perform this outreach work. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the special meeting for wellness worker leaders, where Pakbet could slow down and breathe, the thinning manifested in another way. Usually, nearly a dozen caregivers would be gearing up to knock on the doors of care homes in the East Bay, handing “know your rights” information to employees. The organization pays these workers a learning stipend to perform this outreach work. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But when Pakbet looked around the office, he was one of the few caregivers who had stayed. Half of the group had chosen to spend their remaining years in the Philippines as the Trump administration pushes to aggressively crack down on immigration. Many said they were tired of feeling criminalized and undervalued, or, as one staff member of the organization said, an “America-doesn’t-deserve-me” mentality. Others said they missed moments with loved ones.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But when Pakbet looked around the office, he was one of the few caregivers who had stayed. Half of the group had chosen to spend their remaining years in the Philippines as the Trump administration pushes to aggressively crack down on immigration. Many said they were tired of feeling criminalized and undervalued, or, as one staff member of the organization said, an “America-doesn’t-deserve-me” mentality. Others said they missed moments with loved ones.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet listens to a talk on safety in sanctuary cities during an FAJ informational session for caregivers and their community. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096177\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet listens to a talk on safety in sanctuary cities during an FAJ informational session for caregivers and their community. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Along with other caregivers in this story, KQED is referring to Pakbet only by a nickname to allow them to speak openly about their mental health struggles and working conditions without jeopardizing their employment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Along with other caregivers in this story, KQED is referring to Pakbet only by a nickname to allow them to speak openly about their mental health struggles and working conditions without jeopardizing their employment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pakbet understands the impulse to return home. Still, he said he was feeling especially tender.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Pakbet understands the impulse to return home. Still, he said he was feeling especially tender.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His “lifeline,” FAJ’s worker organizer and seasoned activist Santi Tagle Buensuceso, had announced that she was also returning to her homeland.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>His “lifeline,” FAJ’s worker organizer and seasoned activist Santi Tagle Buensuceso, had announced that she was also returning to her homeland.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whenever Pakbet struggled, instead of crying alone, he’d call Tagle Buensuceso. Sometimes, he’d voice his doubts about his ability to be a provider: “Am I a good father? Am I doing OK? Do I need to go back to the Philippines?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Whenever Pakbet struggled, instead of crying alone, he’d call Tagle Buensuceso. Sometimes, he’d voice his doubts about his ability to be a provider: “Am I a good father? Am I doing OK? Do I need to go back to the Philippines?” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She would assure him that trying his best was good enough, that he was a great father and husband. She also realized caregivers like Pakbet needed more outlets and two years ago suggested FAJ host monthly Kapwa Circles for the wider community. A third space to unwind, to reflect, to create joy. \u003ca href=\"https://sswr.confex.com/sswr/2026/webprogram/Paper61579.html\">Kapwa\u003c/a>, a Filipino value meaning interconnectedness, the recognition of yourself in each other.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She would assure him that trying his best was good enough, that he was a great father and husband. She also realized caregivers like Pakbet needed more outlets and two years ago suggested FAJ host monthly Kapwa Circles for the wider community. A third space to unwind, to reflect, to create joy. \u003ca href=\"https://sswr.confex.com/sswr/2026/webprogram/Paper61579.html\">Kapwa\u003c/a>, a Filipino value meaning interconnectedness, the recognition of yourself in each other.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096176\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Community members practice a breathing and movement exercise as Santi Tagle Buensuceso reads a farewell card signed by the Filipino Advocates for Justice community during a surprise party held a week before her return to the Philippines.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096176\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Community members practice a breathing and movement exercise as Santi Tagle Buensuceso reads a farewell card signed by the Filipino Advocates for Justice community during a surprise party held a week before her return to the Philippines.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096171\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet, right, says goodbye to Tagle Buensuceso during her surprise farewell party. To Pakbet, Buensuceso was like an older sister, someone who always looked out for and advocated for him.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096171\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet, right, says goodbye to Tagle Buensuceso during her surprise farewell party. To Pakbet, Buensuceso was like an older sister, someone who always looked out for and advocated for him.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On a Friday evening in March, the young and old came together at FAJ’s Union City office to recreate a slice of the Philippines.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fried chicken from Jollibee piled high on paper plates, the sounds of people speaking Tagalog could be heard. Outside, a community garden where calamansi, a citrus fruit native to the Philippines, had been harvested for a jar of juice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Fried chicken from Jollibee piled high on paper plates, the sounds of people speaking Tagalog could be heard. Outside, a community garden where calamansi, a citrus fruit native to the Philippines, had been harvested for a jar of juice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The event is what FAJ leadership describes as a “Filipino family party” or a Kapwa Circle. It has a different flavor each month and begins with a discussion of a social justice topic — sanctuary cities, for one, or voter registration — to invite people into FAJ’s organizing work. After the community conversation, they host an activity like bingo or mahjong. Always karaoke, whether planned or not. There is a rule of no chisme, but many will say gossip is their favorite part. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The event is what FAJ leadership describes as a “Filipino family party” or a Kapwa Circle. It has a different flavor each month and begins with a discussion of a social justice topic — sanctuary cities, for one, or voter registration — to invite people into FAJ’s organizing work. After the community conversation, they host an activity like bingo or mahjong. Always karaoke, whether planned or not. There is a rule of no chisme, but many will say gossip is their favorite part. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096174\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People dance the Pinoy Cha-Cha during the March Kapwa Circle at the offices of Filipino Advocates for Justice in Union City, California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099855\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-2000x666.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-2048x682.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Cristy Ferrer, a Filipino Advocates for Justice organizer, left, and Ine, a caregiver and FAJ worker leader, lead a Pinoy Cha-Cha dance lesson. Right: Ine dances with another community member during the Kapwa Circle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099855\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Cristy Ferrer, a Filipino Advocates for Justice organizer, left, and Ine, a caregiver and FAJ worker leader, lead a Pinoy Cha-Cha dance lesson. Right: Ine dances with another community member during the Kapwa Circle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The evening was Tagle Buensuceso’s last circle. Pakbet was there, drawn to a space where he could laugh and smile naturally. “I don’t need to fake it,” he said. He must leave early, however, to care for a client. Pakbet is now a certified nurse assistant and works hourly one-on-one with clients, but stability has been elusive lately. Clients have entered hospital care or passed away. With fewer hours, he has no choice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The evening was Tagle Buensuceso’s last circle. Pakbet was there, drawn to a space where he could laugh and smile naturally. “I don’t need to fake it,” he said. He must leave early, however, to care for a client. Pakbet is now a certified nurse assistant and works hourly one-on-one with clients, but stability has been elusive lately. Clients have entered hospital care or passed away. With fewer hours, he has no choice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For now, he joined in celebrating Tagle Buensuceso. As a surprise, staff handed out printed lyrics of her favorite song, “Precious and Few” by the band Climax. Ine, a fellow caregiver worker leader, grabbed her guitar. She led the group for a sing-along to the ’70s soft-rock song about cherishing moments, and the metaphor was not lost.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For now, he joined in celebrating Tagle Buensuceso. As a surprise, staff handed out printed lyrics of her favorite song, “Precious and Few” by the band Climax. Ine, a fellow caregiver worker leader, grabbed her guitar. She led the group for a sing-along to the ’70s soft-rock song about cherishing moments, and the metaphor was not lost.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A mother of three, Ine came solo to the U.S. 15 years ago to provide her children a good college education, and has lived and worked at a care home ever since. As the home’s cook, Ine, 63, plates green pesto pasta and other colorful food with the intention to appeal to her dementia patients. She also administers medicine, having gone back to school to become a pharmacy technician, graduating with honors. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A mother of three, Ine came solo to the U.S. 15 years ago to provide her children a good college education, and has lived and worked at a care home ever since. As the home’s cook, Ine, 63, plates green pesto pasta and other colorful food with the intention to appeal to her dementia patients. She also administers medicine, having gone back to school to become a pharmacy technician, graduating with honors. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9ectSMWvm4\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9ectSMWvm4\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said she talks with her husband and children via video every night, but misses them the most on holidays and birthdays. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Back in her room at the care home, she filled a balikbayan box for her son’s 41st birthday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She lovingly selected Lacoste polo shirts, Ferrero Rocher chocolate and other items for the care package by hand, a proxy for her presence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She lovingly selected Lacoste polo shirts, Ferrero Rocher chocolate and other items for the care package by hand, a proxy for her presence. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/FAJ_Video_06_VideoPortraits_TEST.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096610\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caregivers, community members and staff of Filipino Advocates for Justice pose for portraits in the garden near a calamansi tree cared for by staff and harvested by caregivers for their food. Some chose gestures of wellness to express in their portraits. “There’s such a deep, immense healing power that caregivers have,” said Daisy Maxion, FAJ organizing director. “They remind us of what it means to be human.”\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/FAJ_Video_06_VideoPortraits_TEST.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096610\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caregivers, community members and staff of Filipino Advocates for Justice pose for portraits in the garden near a calamansi tree cared for by staff and harvested by caregivers for their food. Some chose gestures of wellness to express in their portraits. “There’s such a deep, immense healing power that caregivers have,” said Daisy Maxion, FAJ organizing director. “They remind us of what it means to be human.”\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Every month, she makes sure she has time off for the Kapwa Circle. When she is tired, when the monotony of caregiving is grueling, she said being with other caregivers at FAJ and, better, using her musical talent to entertain, gives her the “strength to work for another day.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Every month, she makes sure she has time off for the Kapwa Circle. When she is tired, when the monotony of caregiving is grueling, she said being with other caregivers at FAJ and, better, using her musical talent to entertain, gives her the “strength to work for another day.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This evening, Ine passed the mic to Tagle Buensuceso, who said that before FAJ, she believed cigarettes were the only form of wellness. She left the group with one last piece of wisdom. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your community.” Pakbet clapped. The music began. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This evening, Ine passed the mic to Tagle Buensuceso, who said that before FAJ, she believed cigarettes were the only form of wellness. She left the group with one last piece of wisdom. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your community.” Pakbet clapped. The music began. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hands linked and people moved to the Cupid Shuffle, the Macarena, the Pinoy Cha-Cha. Ine was in her element, her first love, dance. The food whittled down. When a delivery worker stopped by to drop off more Spam musubi, she was met with a chorus of: “Stay. Take a plate.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096181\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13-160x74.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13-1536x707.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: A community member of Filipino Advocates for Justice holds a flower in her hand as she poses in front of a backdrop. “If you’re able to breathe deeply and freely, if you’re able to sit with difficult emotions, if you’re able to get regular sleep and eat food that has some nutrition in it … you’re leaving room for creativity and imagination and the courage to reach out,” said Karen Villanueva, executive director of Kilusan Wellness. “Nervous system regulation allows us to really know who we are.” Right: Two attendees wear Filipiniana dresses as they fill ttheir plates during a Kapwa Circle potluck.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096181\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: A community member of Filipino Advocates for Justice holds a flower in her hand as she poses in front of a backdrop. “If you’re able to breathe deeply and freely, if you’re able to sit with difficult emotions, if you’re able to get regular sleep and eat food that has some nutrition in it … you’re leaving room for creativity and imagination and the courage to reach out,” said Karen Villanueva, executive director of Kilusan Wellness. “Nervous system regulation allows us to really know who we are.” Right: Two attendees wear Filipiniana dresses as they fill ttheir plates during a Kapwa Circle potluck.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There is power in knowing others share similar experiences, said Dr. Annalisa Enrile, a Filipina community organizer and professor at the USC School of Social Work.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Enrile has researched how \u003ca href=\"https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-27795-003.html\">communal care in Filipino immigrant communities\u003c/a> that draws on cultural practices can ease stress and improve mental well-being. “If you feel like you belong in a way that gives you agency, and reduces stigma,” she said, “then you’re more apt to ask for help.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There is power in knowing others share similar experiences, said Dr. Annalisa Enrile, a Filipina community organizer and professor at the USC School of Social Work.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Enrile has researched how \u003ca href=\"https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-27795-003.html\">communal care in Filipino immigrant communities\u003c/a> that draws on cultural practices can ease stress and improve mental well-being. “If you feel like you belong in a way that gives you agency, and reduces stigma,” she said, “then you’re more apt to ask for help.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>FAJ’s leaders, too, realized belonging was a way to build trust and encourage caregivers to open up, and it’s why they have prioritized connection as the heart of their programming. Recently, they were relieved to hear they received one year of bridge funding to bring back their mental health specialist as they figure out how to sustain their wellness and mental health services. A temporary bandage, executive director Geraldine Alcid said, but enough to keep going. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>FAJ’s leaders, too, realized belonging was a way to build trust and encourage caregivers to open up, and it’s why they have prioritized connection as the heart of their programming. Recently, they were relieved to hear they received one year of bridge funding to bring back their mental health specialist as they figure out how to sustain their wellness and mental health services. A temporary bandage, executive director Geraldine Alcid said, but enough to keep going. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-16.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096184\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ine near the San Francisco Bay, where she likes to go and recharge when she has time.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the funding uncertainty, the group is sustained by a deep hope: Show up, and something might shift. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Despite the funding uncertainty, the group is sustained by a deep hope: Show up, and something might shift. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pakbet wasn’t sure if he’d come back to FAJ when Tagle Buensuceso left. He decided to keep showing up anyway, without a community elsewhere. Later that spring, he attended a picnic for caregivers at Contra Loma Regional Park in Contra Costa County. The stillness of the oak-tree-dotted hills contrasted with the chaos of the last few months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Pakbet wasn’t sure if he’d come back to FAJ when Tagle Buensuceso left. He decided to keep showing up anyway, without a community elsewhere. Later that spring, he attended a picnic for caregivers at Contra Loma Regional Park in Contra Costa County. The stillness of the oak-tree-dotted hills contrasted with the chaos of the last few months. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of his male clients was in the hospital, which meant Pakbet was not being paid to take care of him and was spending too much time alone at home in his apartment. He nearly missed a rent payment until he reached out to FAJ to help. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of his male clients was in the hospital, which meant Pakbet was not being paid to take care of him and was spending too much time alone at home in his apartment. He nearly missed a rent payment until he reached out to FAJ to help. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096180\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet, center, joins other caregivers and staff of Filipino Advocates for Justice under the shade of a tree at Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch for an annual picnic–an opportunity to connect with caregivers from across the Bay Area and enjoy nature. Caregivers practiced wellness stretching, shared food and reenacted moments from caregiving through a “Theater of the Oppressed” activity.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096180\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet, center, joins other caregivers and staff of Filipino Advocates for Justice under the shade of a tree at Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch for an annual picnic–an opportunity to connect with caregivers from across the Bay Area and enjoy nature. Caregivers practiced wellness stretching, shared food and reenacted moments from caregiving through a “Theater of the Oppressed” activity.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Grateful for people, for peaceful nature, he set up his phone on a tripod to document the picnic. The wind was gentle. The wetlands glassy. A duck swam by and Pakbet paused to look at it, reminding him of balut, a delicacy with roots in his mother’s province. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Grateful for people, for peaceful nature, he set up his phone on a tripod to document the picnic. The wind was gentle. The wetlands glassy. A duck swam by and Pakbet paused to look at it, reminding him of balut, a delicacy with roots in his mother’s province. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The caregivers took turns sharing their favorite stretch before acting out a scripted scene from \u003cem>Theater of the Oppressed\u003c/em>, an approach that uses roleplay to explore solutions to social problems. Pakbet assumed the role of a care home owner. Drawing from his own experience, he joked about doling out “expensive” perfume from the Dollar Tree instead of actual dollars for overtime. People burst out laughing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The caregivers took turns sharing their favorite stretch before acting out a scripted scene from \u003cem>Theater of the Oppressed\u003c/em>, an approach that uses roleplay to explore solutions to social problems. Pakbet assumed the role of a care home owner. Drawing from his own experience, he joked about doling out “expensive” perfume from the Dollar Tree instead of actual dollars for overtime. People burst out laughing.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pakbet reflected afterward and said he has never felt more anchored in his purpose to empower caregivers like himself. Next outreach, when he knocks on doors, before asking about rights, before handing them a booklet, he will first ask, “How are you doing?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Pakbet reflected afterward and said he has never felt more anchored in his purpose to empower caregivers like himself. Next outreach, when he knocks on doors, before asking about rights, before handing them a booklet, he will first ask, “How are you doing?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was made possible in part by the Aging Beat workshop, convened by the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was made possible in part by the Aging Beat workshop, convened by the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Filipino Advocates for Justice creates an affirming space for them to rest and celebrate, so they can show up whole — not only for themselves but for others.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This project was produced jointly by KQED and CatchLight as part of the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://catchlight.io/mental-health\">\u003cem>mental health visual desk initiative.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet’s only obligation was to focus on himself. At least for one day. In the bright orange office of Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJ), where he was attending a special wellness meeting for caregiver worker leaders like himself, he closed his eyes, relaxed his shoulders and breathed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You are seen. Inhale,” a staff member told the group. “You are valued. Exhale.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sometimes, Pakbet said he feels valued, like when he was a private aide for Teddy, a 98-year-old woman at the retirement home. They developed a relationship like a mother and son, and he would treat her so — cooking her homemade chicken feet adobo, or watching makeup tutorials with her online. He’d apply her lipstick, dress her in a gown and accompany her into the dining room, declaring, “The queen has arrived!” Besides bathing her and monitoring vitals, he saw it as his job to make her laugh.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099853\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1-2000x666.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-1-2048x682.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Karen Villanueva, executive director of Kilusan Wellness, leads a mental wellness breathing and massage exercise to open FAJ’s Kapwa Circle, a monthly community-building event, at the organization’s Union City location on March 6, 2026. Right: Pakbet (center) sings “Precious and Few” as the FAJ community honors FAJ worker organizer, Santi Tagle Buensuceso, during a surprise farewell party about one week before Buensuceso relocates back to the Philippines. Although Pakbet had a caregiving shift that evening, he joined the first half of the Kapwa Circle to attend the surprise going-away party for Buensuceso, who he considers an older sister. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096175\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-07-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the Filipino Advocates for Justice community practice a breathing and movement exercise during the organization’s March Kapwa Circle. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Other times, his body remembers: panic attacks from the chronic stress of unstable paychecks and exploitative employers, grief for his mother with cancer back home in the Philippines, whom he hasn’t hugged in a decade. The depression has led to insomnia and isolation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My world is work, home. I don’t have any trusted friends,” he said. “This is my life.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet, 54, said caregivers like him can feel overworked and undervalued. A Bay Area immigrant rights organization, FAJ creates an affirming space for them to rest and celebrate, so they can show up whole — not only for themselves but for others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"994\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-18-1536x763.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Center: Pakbet poses for a portrait in his Bay Area home on May 4, 2026, where he has lived with his family for six years. Previously, they lived in abusive situations, sharing cramped spaces and experiencing mistreatment. In 2020, with guidance from a friend at FAJ, they secured their own apartment. “We rent, and we’re very happy because my son has a room. I can cook now,” said Pakbet. “That’s our paradise.” Left and Right: A Bible and cross adorn the walls of Pakbet’s apartment. The demands of caregiving often weigh heavily on his mind, but he finds solace in his faith. “It’s hard, it’s very tiring,” he said. “Without my son, without my faith, I almost give up.” (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Leaning on Filipino cultural practices and intergenerational connection, mental health is woven into everything they do, from monthly gatherings and wellness clinics to everyday grounding techniques and artistic expression. Yet the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and statewide funding cuts to mental health services have threatened their prevention work, even as a shortage in \u003ca href=\"https://mpa.aging.ca.gov/Goals/4\">care workers \u003c/a>looms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Filipinos are heavily represented in the healthcare workforce, according to \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7969854/\">research\u003c/a>, and many are paid to care for older adults. Respect for elders is a deeply embedded cultural value. As California’s population continues to age — \u003ca href=\"https://mpa.aging.ca.gov/\">about 25% will be an older adult by 2030\u003c/a> — caregivers will become even more essential. But isolation, burnout, racial discrimination, wage theft, and more can all contribute to mental health challenges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They are the first to take care of everybody else. And that’s done at the expense of their own bodies, their own emotional health,” said Geraldine Alcid, executive director of FAJ. “They deserve to take care of themselves, and they deserve rest.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1272\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096185\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-17-1536x977.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An old photograph of Pakbet and Teddy decorated with makeup and his written reflections. To help Teddy prepare for outings, Pakbet watched YouTube tutorials to learn makeup and helped her choose dresses and jewelry. At the care home, Pakbet recalls people asking him, “Where is your master?” but Teddy always defended him, responding that he was her family. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED; instant photo made with and handwriting and decorations by Pakbet)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1620\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/FAJ_Video_05_Caregiver1_CookingAdobo_TEST.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096600\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet cooks chicken adobo at home. He de-stresses through cooking and finds joy in sharing his food. When caring for Teddy, a former client who was bedridden, he learned she had grown tired of retirement home meals and missed eating dim sum and chicken feet. He made her chicken feet adobo and began cooking for her. Over time, Pakbet says, she regained energy and began walking again. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED; handwriting by Pakbet)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>When Pakbet first arrived in the States alone over a decade ago, he lived and worked at a residential care home for older adults. He said his boss forced him to sleep on cardboard in the garage, and his paychecks didn’t reflect the long, exhausting hours. He also knew caregivers who died by suicide. Pakbet, at times, didn’t know if he’d make it. The reason he immigrated was to provide for his son’s education.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Pakbet said his Bible and a photo of his son got him through.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet’s experience is common. Yet cultural \u003ca href=\"https://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/3-30-22-Filipino-Advocates-for-Justice-FAJ_-A-Mental-Health-Report-_-Kumusta-Tayo-2021.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">stigma\u003c/a> and shame can prevent Filipino immigrants from seeking support. “I’ve witnessed many times caregivers who need help. They get scared and hide in the dark,” Pakbet said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over a decade ago, Oakland-based community health center Asian Health Services referred an exploited caregiver who was anxious and stressed to FAJ. The organization realized others had similar stories, and it was the catalyst for it to focus efforts on prevention. In 2015, they launched a mental health support group for caregivers, many of them older, funded through a two-year Alameda County innovations grant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>FAJ expanded its program with the help of an eight-year county contract. They hired a licensed mental health professional on staff, as well as three part-time community outreach specialists to facilitate mental health offerings rooted in culture. FAJ also created a Healing Advisory Committee that organizes free annual wellness clinics, featuring Filipino traditions such as hilot, a massage focused on releasing trauma. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096179\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-11-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet hangs a wet sheet to dry near the window in his Bay Area home. After years of living in the United States without access to an in-home washing machine, he set up a small washer in his apartment kitchen — a change he says has saved him time and eased the routines of daily life. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096178\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10-160x74.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-10-1536x707.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Pakbet holds calamansi — a sweet and sour Filipino citrus with fragrant flowers — that he harvested from the office garden at Filipino Advocates for Justice for cooking. Right: Pakbet’s caregiving scrubs drape the living room couch where he sleeps so that his son can have the only bedroom in their apartment. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023, a one-time state grant from the Department of Aging enabled FAJ to shift attention again to caregivers. They provided training on topics such as nutrition and managing grief, weaving in hands-on clinics for everyday self-care. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At first, caregivers expressed apprehensive curiosity. Then eventually, they requested chia seed pudding recipes and acupuncture, even the caregivers who feared needles. The organization also provided acupressure rings people could roll on their fingers whenever they needed to calm themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nervous system regulation is essential for moving from merely surviving to thriving, said Dr. Karen Villanueva, training lead and executive director of Kilusan Wellness. And for the majority of caregivers with little time or money, accessibility is key. “So much the better if you can tuck it in your pocket and take it out when you need it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This July, the policy changes California made to its landmark Behavioral Services Act took effect. When voters passed Proposition 1 in 2024, they approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plans to shift funds away from prevention and early intervention toward treatment beds. FAJ’s prevention funding, which supports half of their direct services, was reduced from $360,000 to zero dollars — the organization lost its licensed mental health professional and folded its community outreach advisers into other roles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the special meeting for wellness worker leaders, where Pakbet could slow down and breathe, the thinning manifested in another way. Usually, nearly a dozen caregivers would be gearing up to knock on the doors of care homes in the East Bay, handing “know your rights” information to employees. The organization pays these workers a learning stipend to perform this outreach work. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But when Pakbet looked around the office, he was one of the few caregivers who had stayed. Half of the group had chosen to spend their remaining years in the Philippines as the Trump administration pushes to aggressively crack down on immigration. Many said they were tired of feeling criminalized and undervalued, or, as one staff member of the organization said, an “America-doesn’t-deserve-me” mentality. Others said they missed moments with loved ones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-09-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet listens to a talk on safety in sanctuary cities during an FAJ informational session for caregivers and their community. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Along with other caregivers in this story, KQED is referring to Pakbet only by a nickname to allow them to speak openly about their mental health struggles and working conditions without jeopardizing their employment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet understands the impulse to return home. Still, he said he was feeling especially tender.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His “lifeline,” FAJ’s worker organizer and seasoned activist Santi Tagle Buensuceso, had announced that she was also returning to her homeland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whenever Pakbet struggled, instead of crying alone, he’d call Tagle Buensuceso. Sometimes, he’d voice his doubts about his ability to be a provider: “Am I a good father? Am I doing OK? Do I need to go back to the Philippines?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She would assure him that trying his best was good enough, that he was a great father and husband. She also realized caregivers like Pakbet needed more outlets and two years ago suggested FAJ host monthly Kapwa Circles for the wider community. A third space to unwind, to reflect, to create joy. \u003ca href=\"https://sswr.confex.com/sswr/2026/webprogram/Paper61579.html\">Kapwa\u003c/a>, a Filipino value meaning interconnectedness, the recognition of yourself in each other.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096176\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-08-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Community members practice a breathing and movement exercise as Santi Tagle Buensuceso reads a farewell card signed by the Filipino Advocates for Justice community during a surprise party held a week before her return to the Philippines. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096171\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-03-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet, right, says goodbye to Tagle Buensuceso during her surprise farewell party. To Pakbet, Buensuceso was like an older sister, someone who always looked out for and advocated for him. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>On a Friday evening in March, the young and old came together at FAJ’s Union City office to recreate a slice of the Philippines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fried chicken from Jollibee piled high on paper plates, the sounds of people speaking Tagalog could be heard. Outside, a community garden where calamansi, a citrus fruit native to the Philippines, had been harvested for a jar of juice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The event is what FAJ leadership describes as a “Filipino family party” or a Kapwa Circle. It has a different flavor each month and begins with a discussion of a social justice topic — sanctuary cities, for one, or voter registration — to invite people into FAJ’s organizing work. After the community conversation, they host an activity like bingo or mahjong. Always karaoke, whether planned or not. There is a rule of no chisme, but many will say gossip is their favorite part. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096174\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-06-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People dance the Pinoy Cha-Cha during the March Kapwa Circle at the offices of Filipino Advocates for Justice in Union City, California. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"833\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099855\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-2000x666.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-DIP-3-1-2048x682.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: Cristy Ferrer, a Filipino Advocates for Justice organizer, left, and Ine, a caregiver and FAJ worker leader, lead a Pinoy Cha-Cha dance lesson. Right: Ine dances with another community member during the Kapwa Circle. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The evening was Tagle Buensuceso’s last circle. Pakbet was there, drawn to a space where he could laugh and smile naturally. “I don’t need to fake it,” he said. He must leave early, however, to care for a client. Pakbet is now a certified nurse assistant and works hourly one-on-one with clients, but stability has been elusive lately. Clients have entered hospital care or passed away. With fewer hours, he has no choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For now, he joined in celebrating Tagle Buensuceso. As a surprise, staff handed out printed lyrics of her favorite song, “Precious and Few” by the band Climax. Ine, a fellow caregiver worker leader, grabbed her guitar. She led the group for a sing-along to the ’70s soft-rock song about cherishing moments, and the metaphor was not lost.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A mother of three, Ine came solo to the U.S. 15 years ago to provide her children a good college education, and has lived and worked at a care home ever since. As the home’s cook, Ine, 63, plates green pesto pasta and other colorful food with the intention to appeal to her dementia patients. She also administers medicine, having gone back to school to become a pharmacy technician, graduating with honors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/U9ectSMWvm4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/U9ectSMWvm4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she talks with her husband and children via video every night, but misses them the most on holidays and birthdays. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in her room at the care home, she filled a balikbayan box for her son’s 41st birthday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She lovingly selected Lacoste polo shirts, Ferrero Rocher chocolate and other items for the care package by hand, a proxy for her presence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1513\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/FAJ_Video_06_VideoPortraits_TEST.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096610\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caregivers, community members and staff of Filipino Advocates for Justice pose for portraits in the garden near a calamansi tree cared for by staff and harvested by caregivers for their food. Some chose gestures of wellness to express in their portraits. “There’s such a deep, immense healing power that caregivers have,” said Daisy Maxion, FAJ organizing director. “They remind us of what it means to be human.” (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Every month, she makes sure she has time off for the Kapwa Circle. When she is tired, when the monotony of caregiving is grueling, she said being with other caregivers at FAJ and, better, using her musical talent to entertain, gives her the “strength to work for another day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This evening, Ine passed the mic to Tagle Buensuceso, who said that before FAJ, she believed cigarettes were the only form of wellness. She left the group with one last piece of wisdom. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your community.” Pakbet clapped. The music began. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hands linked and people moved to the Cupid Shuffle, the Macarena, the Pinoy Cha-Cha. Ine was in her element, her first love, dance. The food whittled down. When a delivery worker stopped by to drop off more Spam musubi, she was met with a chorus of: “Stay. Take a plate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096181\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13-160x74.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-13-1536x707.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: A community member of Filipino Advocates for Justice holds a flower in her hand as she poses in front of a backdrop. “If you’re able to breathe deeply and freely, if you’re able to sit with difficult emotions, if you’re able to get regular sleep and eat food that has some nutrition in it … you’re leaving room for creativity and imagination and the courage to reach out,” said Karen Villanueva, executive director of Kilusan Wellness. “Nervous system regulation allows us to really know who we are.” Right: Two attendees wear Filipiniana dresses as they fill ttheir plates during a Kapwa Circle potluck. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>There is power in knowing others share similar experiences, said Dr. Annalisa Enrile, a Filipina community organizer and professor at the USC School of Social Work.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Enrile has researched how \u003ca href=\"https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-27795-003.html\">communal care in Filipino immigrant communities\u003c/a> that draws on cultural practices can ease stress and improve mental well-being. “If you feel like you belong in a way that gives you agency, and reduces stigma,” she said, “then you’re more apt to ask for help.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>FAJ’s leaders, too, realized belonging was a way to build trust and encourage caregivers to open up, and it’s why they have prioritized connection as the heart of their programming. Recently, they were relieved to hear they received one year of bridge funding to bring back their mental health specialist as they figure out how to sustain their wellness and mental health services. A temporary bandage, executive director Geraldine Alcid said, but enough to keep going. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-16.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-16.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-16-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ine near the San Francisco Bay, where she likes to go and recharge when she has time. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the funding uncertainty, the group is sustained by a deep hope: Show up, and something might shift. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet wasn’t sure if he’d come back to FAJ when Tagle Buensuceso left. He decided to keep showing up anyway, without a community elsewhere. Later that spring, he attended a picnic for caregivers at Contra Loma Regional Park in Contra Costa County. The stillness of the oak-tree-dotted hills contrasted with the chaos of the last few months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of his male clients was in the hospital, which meant Pakbet was not being paid to take care of him and was spending too much time alone at home in his apartment. He nearly missed a rent payment until he reached out to FAJ to help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096180\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260820-FAJCatchlight-FM-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pakbet, center, joins other caregivers and staff of Filipino Advocates for Justice under the shade of a tree at Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch for an annual picnic–an opportunity to connect with caregivers from across the Bay Area and enjoy nature. Caregivers practiced wellness stretching, shared food and reenacted moments from caregiving through a “Theater of the Oppressed” activity. (Florence Middleton for Catchlight/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Grateful for people, for peaceful nature, he set up his phone on a tripod to document the picnic. The wind was gentle. The wetlands glassy. A duck swam by and Pakbet paused to look at it, reminding him of balut, a delicacy with roots in his mother’s province. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The caregivers took turns sharing their favorite stretch before acting out a scripted scene from \u003cem>Theater of the Oppressed\u003c/em>, an approach that uses roleplay to explore solutions to social problems. Pakbet assumed the role of a care home owner. Drawing from his own experience, he joked about doling out “expensive” perfume from the Dollar Tree instead of actual dollars for overtime. People burst out laughing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pakbet reflected afterward and said he has never felt more anchored in his purpose to empower caregivers like himself. Next outreach, when he knocks on doors, before asking about rights, before handing them a booklet, he will first ask, “How are you doing?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was made possible in part by the Aging Beat workshop, convened by the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-high-speed-rail-consultants-flew-first-class-visited-bars-and-a-nightclub-on-taxpayers-money",
"title": "California High-Speed Rail Consultants Flew First-Class, Visited Bars and a Nightclub on Taxpayers’ Money",
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"headTitle": "California High-Speed Rail Consultants Flew First-Class, Visited Bars and a Nightclub on Taxpayers’ Money | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-high-speed-rail\">California’s High Speed Rail\u003c/a> Authority paid nearly $600,000 in unallowable travel expenses to “questionable locations that appear unrelated to state business,” including trips to gyms, a nightclub, an escape room, a tiki bar and a cigar lounge over a two-year period, according to an investigation released Tuesday by the inspector general that oversees the agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report found that the agency routinely reimbursed consultants for trips that were unauthorized or poorly justified. Some consultants flew first-class and were reimbursed without questioning, in violation of contracts and state policies. One consultant flew his private plane from Washington, D.C. to California and was reimbursed for a premium fare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Paying for travel when it is not necessary or when it exceeds what is allowed by state regulations or the contract terms is waste of public funds and is behavior inconsistent with the Authority’s role as the steward of public resources,” the \u003ca href=\"https://hsr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Investigative-Report-2026-Allegations-of-Wasteful-and-Unallowable-Travel-Expenses-for-Contracted-Consultants-A11Y.pdf\">Office of the Inspector General report\u003c/a> reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matt Rocco, spokesperson for the high-speed rail authority, said in a written statement that the agency “takes these findings seriously” and will work with the inspector general’s office to fix the issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In response, the Authority will strengthen internal controls around consultant travel, implement more rigorous documentation and approval requirements, and recover any improper costs identified,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters in 2008 approved a plan to build a high-speed rail line stretching from San Francisco to Los Angeles by 2020 at a projected cost of $33 billion. Since then, its route has been significantly scaled back and the cost has ballooned to at least $126 billion. \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/us-news/years-late-billions-over-budget-californias-high-speed-rail-hasnt-laid-a-track-bac525ee\">No tracks\u003c/a> have been laid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12100017\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12100017\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHighSpeedRail2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHighSpeedRail2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHighSpeedRail2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHighSpeedRail2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction on the high-speed rail project over a ramp above Highway 99 in south Fresno on March 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters via CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The inspector general reviewed $1.15 million out of more than $2 million in travel reimbursements to four outside consulting firms between 2024 and 2026. The OIG said the firms are KPMG LLP, a global financial consulting firm; Nossaman LLP, a national law firm; AECOM-Fluor Joint Venture, which manages and coordinates the authority’s projects, and SYSTRA/TYPSA Joint Venture, which provides tracks and systems design.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the firms immediately responded to CalMatters’ requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report found the high-speed rail authority greenlighted at least $685,000 — roughly 60% — in payments without first approving the travel. In some cases, agency staff didn’t even know about the trips until they received invoices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even for approved trips, the report found the agency failed to sufficiently vet the requests and lacked records to justify the need for the travel.[aside postID=news_11983907 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/2024_01-Fresno-White-672x372.jpg']The authority frequently approved expenses with vague justifications, such as “typical M-F week” trips, and approved travel at the request of executives without asking why. One consultant flew to California from Denver 20 times during the two-year period to “meet with the executive team” or attend executive meetings, without explaining why the meetings couldn’t have been remote, the report says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One legal consultant was paid $40,800 in travel reimbursements and an additional $86,500 in “travel time” for 30 trips between Denver and Sacramento in a year. The same consultant “frequently booked flights on the same day the traveling occurred,” the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When questioned about whether he needed to attend the meetings in person, the consultant said the authority’s chief executive, Ian Choudri, had requested his presence so he did not need to justify it and that it would not be appropriate for him to question Choudri’s direction, “as other consultants in other Authority offices are learning the hard way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly $600,000 of the $1 million in travel expenses violated state travel policies or the contracts, the report found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The questionable expenses included:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Premium Uber and Lyft rides to and from a restaurant, bar, and nightclub between 9:40 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. that “clearly appear to be for personal enjoyment rather than for the benefit of the state;”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Numerous meals in Folsom, where CEO Choudri has a home;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Repeated reimbursed ride-hailing trips to Planet Fitness gyms in and around Sacramento, even after a supervisor wrote that “the state does not cover ride share[s] to gyms”;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$118,000 in international travel despite the contracts explicitly barring international travel;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A nearly $40 Uber Black luxury car charge for a trip of less than one mile in downtown Sacramento.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Financial adviser KPMG was the consulting firm that billed the authority for trips to the night club, the tiki bar and the cigar lounge, Deputy Inspector General Amanda Millen told CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is important to remember that the critical issue here is not why the consultants visited these locations, but why (High-Speed Rail Authority) consultants included rideshare costs to these locations in their travel claims and why HSRA paid the cost of rideshares to these locations without questioning the business need for these costs,” Millen said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report sparked instant outrage from Assembly GOP Leader \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/alexandra-macedo-187421\">Alexandra Macedo\u003c/a> of Visalia, who called the spending “\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AsmwomanMacedo/status/2099948331107828032\">wasteful and unallowable.\u003c/a>” She has been a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/02/california-high-speed-rail-record-exemption/\">vocal critic\u003c/a> of the project even though Visalia sits along the planned route of the high-speed rail tracks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12083557\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12083557\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_4619_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_4619_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_4619_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_4619_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A viaduct runs alongside Highway 99 in south Fresno on March 27, 2019. \u003ccite>(Alex Hall/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The investigation is the latest wrinkle in the high-speed rail authority’s already troublesome history. The office of inspector general warned in \u003ca href=\"https://hsr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/OIG-HSR-Review-of-2026-Business-Plan-A11Y.pdf\">a scathing July report\u003c/a> that the agency could run out of cash by December 2027, raising doubts about its ability to finish its planned segment connecting Merced to Bakersfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lawmakers this year approved \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1608\">Assembly Bill 1608\u003c/a>, which would strengthen the inspector general’s oversight of the agency. Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the new investigation report, the inspector general’s office made several recommendations to help the authority better enforce its travel policies. The authority should require travel expenses to be cost-effective, capped at state employee reimbursement rates and only for state business, the office says. The agency should also send a memo from the chief executive reiterating that all travel be approved in advance, even when the executive requests it, and that the agency review the expenses for the four contractors and seek reimbursement for unjustified travel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response, authority officials agreed to adopt some recommendations and partially adopt others by March 2027, including that it would send a memo from the chief executive clarifying travel expectations by February 2027 but it would be issued “‘at the appropriate executive level’ indicating that it may not come from the CEO.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the authority insisted it didn’t need to justify each consultant’s trip, prompting the inspector general to reply: “We explained to the Authority that this interpretation is fundamentally incorrect.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The office will conduct another evaluation after March 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/california-high-speed-rail-travel-expenses/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-high-speed-rail\">California’s High Speed Rail\u003c/a> Authority paid nearly $600,000 in unallowable travel expenses to “questionable locations that appear unrelated to state business,” including trips to gyms, a nightclub, an escape room, a tiki bar and a cigar lounge over a two-year period, according to an investigation released Tuesday by the inspector general that oversees the agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report found that the agency routinely reimbursed consultants for trips that were unauthorized or poorly justified. Some consultants flew first-class and were reimbursed without questioning, in violation of contracts and state policies. One consultant flew his private plane from Washington, D.C. to California and was reimbursed for a premium fare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Paying for travel when it is not necessary or when it exceeds what is allowed by state regulations or the contract terms is waste of public funds and is behavior inconsistent with the Authority’s role as the steward of public resources,” the \u003ca href=\"https://hsr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Investigative-Report-2026-Allegations-of-Wasteful-and-Unallowable-Travel-Expenses-for-Contracted-Consultants-A11Y.pdf\">Office of the Inspector General report\u003c/a> reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matt Rocco, spokesperson for the high-speed rail authority, said in a written statement that the agency “takes these findings seriously” and will work with the inspector general’s office to fix the issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In response, the Authority will strengthen internal controls around consultant travel, implement more rigorous documentation and approval requirements, and recover any improper costs identified,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters in 2008 approved a plan to build a high-speed rail line stretching from San Francisco to Los Angeles by 2020 at a projected cost of $33 billion. Since then, its route has been significantly scaled back and the cost has ballooned to at least $126 billion. \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/us-news/years-late-billions-over-budget-californias-high-speed-rail-hasnt-laid-a-track-bac525ee\">No tracks\u003c/a> have been laid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12100017\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12100017\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHighSpeedRail2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHighSpeedRail2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHighSpeedRail2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHighSpeedRail2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction on the high-speed rail project over a ramp above Highway 99 in south Fresno on March 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters via CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The inspector general reviewed $1.15 million out of more than $2 million in travel reimbursements to four outside consulting firms between 2024 and 2026. The OIG said the firms are KPMG LLP, a global financial consulting firm; Nossaman LLP, a national law firm; AECOM-Fluor Joint Venture, which manages and coordinates the authority’s projects, and SYSTRA/TYPSA Joint Venture, which provides tracks and systems design.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the firms immediately responded to CalMatters’ requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report found the high-speed rail authority greenlighted at least $685,000 — roughly 60% — in payments without first approving the travel. In some cases, agency staff didn’t even know about the trips until they received invoices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even for approved trips, the report found the agency failed to sufficiently vet the requests and lacked records to justify the need for the travel.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The authority frequently approved expenses with vague justifications, such as “typical M-F week” trips, and approved travel at the request of executives without asking why. One consultant flew to California from Denver 20 times during the two-year period to “meet with the executive team” or attend executive meetings, without explaining why the meetings couldn’t have been remote, the report says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One legal consultant was paid $40,800 in travel reimbursements and an additional $86,500 in “travel time” for 30 trips between Denver and Sacramento in a year. The same consultant “frequently booked flights on the same day the traveling occurred,” the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When questioned about whether he needed to attend the meetings in person, the consultant said the authority’s chief executive, Ian Choudri, had requested his presence so he did not need to justify it and that it would not be appropriate for him to question Choudri’s direction, “as other consultants in other Authority offices are learning the hard way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly $600,000 of the $1 million in travel expenses violated state travel policies or the contracts, the report found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The questionable expenses included:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Premium Uber and Lyft rides to and from a restaurant, bar, and nightclub between 9:40 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. that “clearly appear to be for personal enjoyment rather than for the benefit of the state;”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Numerous meals in Folsom, where CEO Choudri has a home;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Repeated reimbursed ride-hailing trips to Planet Fitness gyms in and around Sacramento, even after a supervisor wrote that “the state does not cover ride share[s] to gyms”;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>$118,000 in international travel despite the contracts explicitly barring international travel;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A nearly $40 Uber Black luxury car charge for a trip of less than one mile in downtown Sacramento.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Financial adviser KPMG was the consulting firm that billed the authority for trips to the night club, the tiki bar and the cigar lounge, Deputy Inspector General Amanda Millen told CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is important to remember that the critical issue here is not why the consultants visited these locations, but why (High-Speed Rail Authority) consultants included rideshare costs to these locations in their travel claims and why HSRA paid the cost of rideshares to these locations without questioning the business need for these costs,” Millen said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report sparked instant outrage from Assembly GOP Leader \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/alexandra-macedo-187421\">Alexandra Macedo\u003c/a> of Visalia, who called the spending “\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AsmwomanMacedo/status/2099948331107828032\">wasteful and unallowable.\u003c/a>” She has been a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/02/california-high-speed-rail-record-exemption/\">vocal critic\u003c/a> of the project even though Visalia sits along the planned route of the high-speed rail tracks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12083557\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12083557\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_4619_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_4619_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_4619_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_4619_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A viaduct runs alongside Highway 99 in south Fresno on March 27, 2019. \u003ccite>(Alex Hall/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The investigation is the latest wrinkle in the high-speed rail authority’s already troublesome history. The office of inspector general warned in \u003ca href=\"https://hsr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/OIG-HSR-Review-of-2026-Business-Plan-A11Y.pdf\">a scathing July report\u003c/a> that the agency could run out of cash by December 2027, raising doubts about its ability to finish its planned segment connecting Merced to Bakersfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lawmakers this year approved \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1608\">Assembly Bill 1608\u003c/a>, which would strengthen the inspector general’s oversight of the agency. Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the new investigation report, the inspector general’s office made several recommendations to help the authority better enforce its travel policies. The authority should require travel expenses to be cost-effective, capped at state employee reimbursement rates and only for state business, the office says. The agency should also send a memo from the chief executive reiterating that all travel be approved in advance, even when the executive requests it, and that the agency review the expenses for the four contractors and seek reimbursement for unjustified travel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response, authority officials agreed to adopt some recommendations and partially adopt others by March 2027, including that it would send a memo from the chief executive clarifying travel expectations by February 2027 but it would be issued “‘at the appropriate executive level’ indicating that it may not come from the CEO.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the authority insisted it didn’t need to justify each consultant’s trip, prompting the inspector general to reply: “We explained to the Authority that this interpretation is fundamentally incorrect.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The office will conduct another evaluation after March 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/california-high-speed-rail-travel-expenses/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "101-closure-san-francisco-labor-day-weekend-sept-4-7-18-21-bay-bridge-detour-traffic-alternative-route-potrero-general-hospital-curve",
"title": "Reminder: Highway 101 Through SF Is Closed (Again) This Weekend",
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"headTitle": "Reminder: Highway 101 Through SF Is Closed (Again) This Weekend | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Remember that stretch of Highway 101 through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> that was closed over the Labor Day weekend earlier this month? It’ll be closed again this weekend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over a mile of 101 near Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital will be \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-08-19-us101-nb-bayshore-freeway-hospital-curve-upcoming-full-closures\">fully closed to all northbound traffic \u003c/a>starting the night of Friday, Sept. 18 and won’t reopen until early morning on Monday, Sept. 21. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These closures on what’s known as the “Hospital Curve” part of 101 will affect not only drivers trying to drive from the South Bay and Peninsula to the East Bay or North Bay — including people arriving at San Francisco International Airport — but also anyone wanting to travel through the city on this weekend.\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/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center is located at 1001 Potrero Avenue in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>This weekend closure is part of Caltrans’s ongoing work on what the agency calls “the Fab 4”: 101’s Hospital Curve, I-280, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080206/whats-the-deal-with-i-80-and-sfs-central-freeway-heres-a-brief-history\">Central Freeway\u003c/a> and 19th Avenue. The work is coming on the heels of\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078991/i80-101-closure-san-francisco-weekend-april-17-18-19-bay-bridge-detour-traffic-alternative-route\"> April’s major Interstate 80 closure \u003c/a>through San Francisco and last month’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093934/carquinez-bridge-closure-update-weekend-i-80-westbound-alfred-zampa-memorial-bridge-crockett-vallejo-detours-august-21-24\">highway shutdown over the Carquinez Bridge\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With the upcoming 101 work, “all of those lanes are going to be completely closed to traffic so that major pavement work can happen,” said Lori Shepherd, Caltrans’ Bay Area public information officer. “Basically, they’re putting on a brand new repaving [on] the whole entire road.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#northbound\">When exactly will 101 through San Francisco be closed?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#detour\">What kind of detour will I have to take?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Warning: Delays and detours ahead\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shepherd said that drivers should know that “this is going to be a major, major impact,” and that any travelers planning to drive in San Francisco during the weekend closure should expect sizable delays getting through the city — not just around 101, but on surrounding streets and detours.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shepherd said that the greatest traffic impacts from the closure could be felt around Cesar Chavez and 17th streets, as well as around Potrero Avenue — and also on entrances to I-280.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caltrans is urging travelers wherever possible to take \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/trip-planner\">public \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/planner\">transportation \u003c/a>to travel through San Francisco this weekend, instead of using the roads.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It “really remains the best option to bypass congestion and work zone delays — because there \u003cem>will \u003c/em>be some major delays getting through the city,” warned Shepherd. Delays from the closures could also have a knock-on effect on other routes through the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if you \u003cem>really \u003c/em>have to drive through San Francisco this weekend, what should you know about timings, detours and delays?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what we know about navigating the upcoming 101 closure without having your weekend completely hijacked by traffic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>(And a heads up that in October, there’ll be \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-09-09-us101bayshore-freeway-full-closure\">two more weekend Hwy 101 closures\u003c/a> — this time on the southbound side — between Cesar Chavez Street and 10th Street. These closures will take place Oct. 2-5 and Oct. 16-19.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"northbound\">Where will northbound 101 through San Francisco be closed?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All northbound lanes on 101 between Cesar Chavez Street and 10th Street will be closed to traffic — a 1.2-mile stretch of highway.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Any drivers on northbound 101 approaching this closure will be forced to take the Cesar Chavez Street/Potrero Avenue off-ramp before the closed area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All southbound lanes on 101 will remain open during the closures of the northbound lanes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When will the northbound 101 closures in San Francisco take place?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Closure starts: 11 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Closure ends: by 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 21\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"detour\">I need to drive north through San Francisco during the closures. What detour should I take?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you’re already on 101 north through San Francisco\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caltrans recommends that \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-08-19-us101-nb-bayshore-freeway-hospital-curve-upcoming-full-closures\">motorists use I-280 northbound \u003c/a>to reach downtown areas of the city or the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can merge onto I-280 by staying in the right two lanes of 101 around Silver Avenue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1757\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096917\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg 1757w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-160x233.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-1054x1536.jpg 1054w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-1406x2048.jpg 1406w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1757px) 100vw, 1757px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caltrans’ suggested detour for drivers on northbound Highway 101 through San Francisco during the two September weekend closures. (Courtesy of Caltrans)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>If you don’t take the I-280 exit and continue on 101 northbound toward the closure, you’ll be forced to take the last exit before the closed area: the Cesar Chavez Street/Potrero Avenue off-ramp. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From here, you can take Potrero Avenue north and either connect back onto northbound 101 to the Golden Gate Bridge or to Bryant Street, where you can take the Ninth Street/Bryant on-ramp to I-80 over the Bay Bridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you want to drive north through the city from SFO, the Peninsula or South Bay\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caltrans’ detour map suggests drivers on 101 by SFO merge onto I-380 westbound, and then transfer to northbound 280 into San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1913\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096918\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg 1913w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-160x214.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-1148x1536.jpg 1148w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-1531x2048.jpg 1531w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1913px) 100vw, 1913px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caltrans’ suggested detour for drivers heading northbound from SFO during the two September weekend closures. (Courtesy of Caltrans)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why can’t these 101 closures take place overnight instead?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shepherd attributed the length of the multiple closures — first Labor Day weekend, now this weekend — to the sheer scope of the “24-7” repaving work being undertaken on 101 at this time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a major, massive project, if you can imagine, repaving the freeway,” she said, and despite the Labor Day weekend, Caltrans has timed these closures “to do it with the least amount of impact on the public,” Shepherd said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the traffic data Caltrans consulted, “holiday weekends actually are [a] lower volume of traffic,” she said. “So we knew that this would be a good weekend to come in and get the work done as quickly as possible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The concrete used in this kind of repaving work also needs the kind of dry conditions that September brings. “There’s a lot of emphasis on getting work done — as much of it completed in the summer during the dry season as much as possible,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s difficult, yes, for the traveling public to have to find ways around,” Shepherd said. “But in the end, it will produce long-term gains, because the road will be safer and smoother to drive [and] less prone to flooding.”\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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"\n\u003cp>Remember that stretch of Highway 101 through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> that was closed over the Labor Day weekend earlier this month? It’ll be closed again this weekend.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over a mile of 101 near Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital will be \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-08-19-us101-nb-bayshore-freeway-hospital-curve-upcoming-full-closures\">fully closed to all northbound traffic \u003c/a>starting the night of Friday, Sept. 18 and won’t reopen until early morning on Monday, Sept. 21. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Over a mile of 101 near Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital will be \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-08-19-us101-nb-bayshore-freeway-hospital-curve-upcoming-full-closures\">fully closed to all northbound traffic \u003c/a>starting the night of Friday, Sept. 18 and won’t reopen until early morning on Monday, Sept. 21. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These closures on what’s known as the “Hospital Curve” part of 101 will affect not only drivers trying to drive from the South Bay and Peninsula to the East Bay or North Bay — including people arriving at San Francisco International Airport — but also anyone wanting to travel through the city on this weekend.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These closures on what’s known as the “Hospital Curve” part of 101 will affect not only drivers trying to drive from the South Bay and Peninsula to the East Bay or North Bay — including people arriving at San Francisco International Airport — but also anyone wanting to travel through the city on this weekend.\u003c/p>\n"
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"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_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\">The Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center is located at 1001 Potrero Avenue in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096569\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center is located at 1001 Potrero Avenue in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This weekend closure is part of Caltrans’s ongoing work on what the agency calls “the Fab 4”: 101’s Hospital Curve, I-280, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080206/whats-the-deal-with-i-80-and-sfs-central-freeway-heres-a-brief-history\">Central Freeway\u003c/a> and 19th Avenue. The work is coming on the heels of\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078991/i80-101-closure-san-francisco-weekend-april-17-18-19-bay-bridge-detour-traffic-alternative-route\"> April’s major Interstate 80 closure \u003c/a>through San Francisco and last month’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093934/carquinez-bridge-closure-update-weekend-i-80-westbound-alfred-zampa-memorial-bridge-crockett-vallejo-detours-august-21-24\">highway shutdown over the Carquinez Bridge\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This weekend closure is part of Caltrans’s ongoing work on what the agency calls “the Fab 4”: 101’s Hospital Curve, I-280, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080206/whats-the-deal-with-i-80-and-sfs-central-freeway-heres-a-brief-history\">Central Freeway\u003c/a> and 19th Avenue. The work is coming on the heels of\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078991/i80-101-closure-san-francisco-weekend-april-17-18-19-bay-bridge-detour-traffic-alternative-route\"> April’s major Interstate 80 closure \u003c/a>through San Francisco and last month’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093934/carquinez-bridge-closure-update-weekend-i-80-westbound-alfred-zampa-memorial-bridge-crockett-vallejo-detours-august-21-24\">highway shutdown over the Carquinez Bridge\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With the upcoming 101 work, “all of those lanes are going to be completely closed to traffic so that major pavement work can happen,” said Lori Shepherd, Caltrans’ Bay Area public information officer. “Basically, they’re putting on a brand new repaving [on] the whole entire road.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With the upcoming 101 work, “all of those lanes are going to be completely closed to traffic so that major pavement work can happen,” said Lori Shepherd, Caltrans’ Bay Area public information officer. “Basically, they’re putting on a brand new repaving [on] the whole entire road.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#northbound\">When exactly will 101 through San Francisco be closed?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#northbound\">When exactly will 101 through San Francisco be closed?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#detour\">What kind of detour will I have to take?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#detour\">What kind of detour will I have to take?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Warning: Delays and detours ahead",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Warning: Delays and detours ahead\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shepherd said that drivers should know that “this is going to be a major, major impact,” and that any travelers planning to drive in San Francisco during the weekend closure should expect sizable delays getting through the city — not just around 101, but on surrounding streets and detours.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shepherd said that drivers should know that “this is going to be a major, major impact,” and that any travelers planning to drive in San Francisco during the weekend closure should expect sizable delays getting through the city — not just around 101, but on surrounding streets and detours.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shepherd said that the greatest traffic impacts from the closure could be felt around Cesar Chavez and 17th streets, as well as around Potrero Avenue — and also on entrances to I-280.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Shepherd said that the greatest traffic impacts from the closure could be felt around Cesar Chavez and 17th streets, as well as around Potrero Avenue — and also on entrances to I-280.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Caltrans is urging travelers wherever possible to take \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/trip-planner\">public \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/planner\">transportation \u003c/a>to travel through San Francisco this weekend, instead of using the roads.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Caltrans is urging travelers wherever possible to take \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/trip-planner\">public \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/planner\">transportation \u003c/a>to travel through San Francisco this weekend, instead of using the roads.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It “really remains the best option to bypass congestion and work zone delays — because there \u003cem>will \u003c/em>be some major delays getting through the city,” warned Shepherd. Delays from the closures could also have a knock-on effect on other routes through the city.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It “really remains the best option to bypass congestion and work zone delays — because there \u003cem>will \u003c/em>be some major delays getting through the city,” warned Shepherd. Delays from the closures could also have a knock-on effect on other routes through the city.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But if you \u003cem>really \u003c/em>have to drive through San Francisco this weekend, what should you know about timings, detours and delays?\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But if you \u003cem>really \u003c/em>have to drive through San Francisco this weekend, what should you know about timings, detours and delays?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what we know about navigating the upcoming 101 closure without having your weekend completely hijacked by traffic.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what we know about navigating the upcoming 101 closure without having your weekend completely hijacked by traffic.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>(And a heads up that in October, there’ll be \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-09-09-us101bayshore-freeway-full-closure\">two more weekend Hwy 101 closures\u003c/a> — this time on the southbound side — between Cesar Chavez Street and 10th Street. These closures will take place Oct. 2-5 and Oct. 16-19.)\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>(And a heads up that in October, there’ll be \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-09-09-us101bayshore-freeway-full-closure\">two more weekend Hwy 101 closures\u003c/a> — this time on the southbound side — between Cesar Chavez Street and 10th Street. These closures will take place Oct. 2-5 and Oct. 16-19.)\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Where will northbound 101 through San Francisco be closed?",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"northbound\">Where will northbound 101 through San Francisco be closed?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All northbound lanes on 101 between Cesar Chavez Street and 10th Street will be closed to traffic — a 1.2-mile stretch of highway.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>All northbound lanes on 101 between Cesar Chavez Street and 10th Street will be closed to traffic — a 1.2-mile stretch of highway.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Any drivers on northbound 101 approaching this closure will be forced to take the Cesar Chavez Street/Potrero Avenue off-ramp before the closed area.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Any drivers on northbound 101 approaching this closure will be forced to take the Cesar Chavez Street/Potrero Avenue off-ramp before the closed area.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All southbound lanes on 101 will remain open during the closures of the northbound lanes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All southbound lanes on 101 will remain open during the closures of the northbound lanes.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "When will the northbound 101 closures in San Francisco take place?",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When will the northbound 101 closures in San Francisco take place?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Closure starts: 11 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Closure ends: by 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 21\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Closure ends: by 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 21\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "I need to drive north through San Francisco during the closures. What detour should I take?",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"detour\">I need to drive north through San Francisco during the closures. What detour should I take?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"detour\">I need to drive north through San Francisco during the closures. What detour should I take?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
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"text": "If you’re already on 101 north through San Francisco"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you’re already on 101 north through San Francisco\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you’re already on 101 north through San Francisco\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Caltrans recommends that \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-08-19-us101-nb-bayshore-freeway-hospital-curve-upcoming-full-closures\">motorists use I-280 northbound \u003c/a>to reach downtown areas of the city or the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Caltrans recommends that \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-08-19-us101-nb-bayshore-freeway-hospital-curve-upcoming-full-closures\">motorists use I-280 northbound \u003c/a>to reach downtown areas of the city or the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can merge onto I-280 by staying in the right two lanes of 101 around Silver Avenue. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You can merge onto I-280 by staying in the right two lanes of 101 around Silver Avenue. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg 1757w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-160x233.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-1054x1536.jpg 1054w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-1406x2048.jpg 1406w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096917\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg 1757w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-160x233.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-1054x1536.jpg 1054w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-1406x2048.jpg 1406w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caltrans’ suggested detour for drivers on northbound Highway 101 through San Francisco during the two September weekend closures.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Caltrans)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096917\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caltrans’ suggested detour for drivers on northbound Highway 101 through San Francisco during the two September weekend closures.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Caltrans)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you don’t take the I-280 exit and continue on 101 northbound toward the closure, you’ll be forced to take the last exit before the closed area: the Cesar Chavez Street/Potrero Avenue off-ramp. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you don’t take the I-280 exit and continue on 101 northbound toward the closure, you’ll be forced to take the last exit before the closed area: the Cesar Chavez Street/Potrero Avenue off-ramp. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>From here, you can take Potrero Avenue north and either connect back onto northbound 101 to the Golden Gate Bridge or to Bryant Street, where you can take the Ninth Street/Bryant on-ramp to I-80 over the Bay Bridge.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>From here, you can take Potrero Avenue north and either connect back onto northbound 101 to the Golden Gate Bridge or to Bryant Street, where you can take the Ninth Street/Bryant on-ramp to I-80 over the Bay Bridge.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "If you want to drive north through the city from SFO, the Peninsula or South Bay"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you want to drive north through the city from SFO, the Peninsula or South Bay\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Caltrans’ detour map suggests drivers on 101 by SFO merge onto I-380 westbound, and then transfer to northbound 280 into San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Caltrans’ detour map suggests drivers on 101 by SFO merge onto I-380 westbound, and then transfer to northbound 280 into San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096918\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg 1913w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-160x214.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-1148x1536.jpg 1148w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-1531x2048.jpg 1531w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caltrans’ suggested detour for drivers heading northbound from SFO during the two September weekend closures.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Caltrans)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096918\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caltrans’ suggested detour for drivers heading northbound from SFO during the two September weekend closures.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Caltrans)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Why can’t these 101 closures take place overnight instead?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shepherd attributed the length of the multiple closures — first Labor Day weekend, now this weekend — to the sheer scope of the “24-7” repaving work being undertaken on 101 at this time.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Shepherd attributed the length of the multiple closures — first Labor Day weekend, now this weekend — to the sheer scope of the “24-7” repaving work being undertaken on 101 at this time.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a major, massive project, if you can imagine, repaving the freeway,” she said, and despite the Labor Day weekend, Caltrans has timed these closures “to do it with the least amount of impact on the public,” Shepherd said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s a major, massive project, if you can imagine, repaving the freeway,” she said, and despite the Labor Day weekend, Caltrans has timed these closures “to do it with the least amount of impact on the public,” Shepherd said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the traffic data Caltrans consulted, “holiday weekends actually are [a] lower volume of traffic,” she said. “So we knew that this would be a good weekend to come in and get the work done as quickly as possible.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>According to the traffic data Caltrans consulted, “holiday weekends actually are [a] lower volume of traffic,” she said. “So we knew that this would be a good weekend to come in and get the work done as quickly as possible.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The concrete used in this kind of repaving work also needs the kind of dry conditions that September brings. “There’s a lot of emphasis on getting work done — as much of it completed in the summer during the dry season as much as possible,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The concrete used in this kind of repaving work also needs the kind of dry conditions that September brings. “There’s a lot of emphasis on getting work done — as much of it completed in the summer during the dry season as much as possible,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s difficult, yes, for the traveling public to have to find ways around,” Shepherd said. “But in the end, it will produce long-term gains, because the road will be safer and smoother to drive [and] less prone to flooding.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s difficult, yes, for the traveling public to have to find ways around,” Shepherd said. “But in the end, it will produce long-term gains, because the road will be safer and smoother to drive [and] less prone to flooding.”\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": "Here’s what to know about the upcoming Friday-Monday 101 closure, the recommended detours and which travelers will be most affected.\n",
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"title": "Reminder: Highway 101 Through SF Is Closed (Again) This Weekend | KQED",
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"headline": "Reminder: Highway 101 Through SF Is Closed (Again) This Weekend",
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"path": "/news/12096905/101-closure-san-francisco-labor-day-weekend-sept-4-7-18-21-bay-bridge-detour-traffic-alternative-route-potrero-general-hospital-curve",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Remember that stretch of Highway 101 through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> that was closed over the Labor Day weekend earlier this month? It’ll be closed again this weekend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over a mile of 101 near Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital will be \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-08-19-us101-nb-bayshore-freeway-hospital-curve-upcoming-full-closures\">fully closed to all northbound traffic \u003c/a>starting the night of Friday, Sept. 18 and won’t reopen until early morning on Monday, Sept. 21. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These closures on what’s known as the “Hospital Curve” part of 101 will affect not only drivers trying to drive from the South Bay and Peninsula to the East Bay or North Bay — including people arriving at San Francisco International Airport — but also anyone wanting to travel through the city on this weekend.\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/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260822-zuckerbergsfhospitalfile-00101_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center is located at 1001 Potrero Avenue in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>This weekend closure is part of Caltrans’s ongoing work on what the agency calls “the Fab 4”: 101’s Hospital Curve, I-280, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080206/whats-the-deal-with-i-80-and-sfs-central-freeway-heres-a-brief-history\">Central Freeway\u003c/a> and 19th Avenue. The work is coming on the heels of\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078991/i80-101-closure-san-francisco-weekend-april-17-18-19-bay-bridge-detour-traffic-alternative-route\"> April’s major Interstate 80 closure \u003c/a>through San Francisco and last month’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093934/carquinez-bridge-closure-update-weekend-i-80-westbound-alfred-zampa-memorial-bridge-crockett-vallejo-detours-august-21-24\">highway shutdown over the Carquinez Bridge\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With the upcoming 101 work, “all of those lanes are going to be completely closed to traffic so that major pavement work can happen,” said Lori Shepherd, Caltrans’ Bay Area public information officer. “Basically, they’re putting on a brand new repaving [on] the whole entire road.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#northbound\">When exactly will 101 through San Francisco be closed?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#detour\">What kind of detour will I have to take?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Warning: Delays and detours ahead\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shepherd said that drivers should know that “this is going to be a major, major impact,” and that any travelers planning to drive in San Francisco during the weekend closure should expect sizable delays getting through the city — not just around 101, but on surrounding streets and detours.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shepherd said that the greatest traffic impacts from the closure could be felt around Cesar Chavez and 17th streets, as well as around Potrero Avenue — and also on entrances to I-280.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caltrans is urging travelers wherever possible to take \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/trip-planner\">public \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bart.gov/planner\">transportation \u003c/a>to travel through San Francisco this weekend, instead of using the roads.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It “really remains the best option to bypass congestion and work zone delays — because there \u003cem>will \u003c/em>be some major delays getting through the city,” warned Shepherd. Delays from the closures could also have a knock-on effect on other routes through the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if you \u003cem>really \u003c/em>have to drive through San Francisco this weekend, what should you know about timings, detours and delays?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what we know about navigating the upcoming 101 closure without having your weekend completely hijacked by traffic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>(And a heads up that in October, there’ll be \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-09-09-us101bayshore-freeway-full-closure\">two more weekend Hwy 101 closures\u003c/a> — this time on the southbound side — between Cesar Chavez Street and 10th Street. These closures will take place Oct. 2-5 and Oct. 16-19.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"northbound\">Where will northbound 101 through San Francisco be closed?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All northbound lanes on 101 between Cesar Chavez Street and 10th Street will be closed to traffic — a 1.2-mile stretch of highway.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Any drivers on northbound 101 approaching this closure will be forced to take the Cesar Chavez Street/Potrero Avenue off-ramp before the closed area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All southbound lanes on 101 will remain open during the closures of the northbound lanes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When will the northbound 101 closures in San Francisco take place?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Closure starts: 11 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Closure ends: by 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 21\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"detour\">I need to drive north through San Francisco during the closures. What detour should I take?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you’re already on 101 north through San Francisco\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caltrans recommends that \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-news/2026-08-19-us101-nb-bayshore-freeway-hospital-curve-upcoming-full-closures\">motorists use I-280 northbound \u003c/a>to reach downtown areas of the city or the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can merge onto I-280 by staying in the right two lanes of 101 around Silver Avenue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1757\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096917\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg 1757w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-160x233.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-1054x1536.jpg 1054w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/1-Detour-101-closure-1406x2048.jpg 1406w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1757px) 100vw, 1757px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caltrans’ suggested detour for drivers on northbound Highway 101 through San Francisco during the two September weekend closures. (Courtesy of Caltrans)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>If you don’t take the I-280 exit and continue on 101 northbound toward the closure, you’ll be forced to take the last exit before the closed area: the Cesar Chavez Street/Potrero Avenue off-ramp. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From here, you can take Potrero Avenue north and either connect back onto northbound 101 to the Golden Gate Bridge or to Bryant Street, where you can take the Ninth Street/Bryant on-ramp to I-80 over the Bay Bridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you want to drive north through the city from SFO, the Peninsula or South Bay\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Caltrans’ detour map suggests drivers on 101 by SFO merge onto I-380 westbound, and then transfer to northbound 280 into San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1913\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096918\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-scaled.jpg 1913w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-160x214.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-1148x1536.jpg 1148w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/2-Detour-101-closure-1531x2048.jpg 1531w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1913px) 100vw, 1913px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caltrans’ suggested detour for drivers heading northbound from SFO during the two September weekend closures. (Courtesy of Caltrans)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why can’t these 101 closures take place overnight instead?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shepherd attributed the length of the multiple closures — first Labor Day weekend, now this weekend — to the sheer scope of the “24-7” repaving work being undertaken on 101 at this time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a major, massive project, if you can imagine, repaving the freeway,” she said, and despite the Labor Day weekend, Caltrans has timed these closures “to do it with the least amount of impact on the public,” Shepherd said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the traffic data Caltrans consulted, “holiday weekends actually are [a] lower volume of traffic,” she said. “So we knew that this would be a good weekend to come in and get the work done as quickly as possible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The concrete used in this kind of repaving work also needs the kind of dry conditions that September brings. “There’s a lot of emphasis on getting work done — as much of it completed in the summer during the dry season as much as possible,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s difficult, yes, for the traveling public to have to find ways around,” Shepherd said. “But in the end, it will produce long-term gains, because the road will be safer and smoother to drive [and] less prone to flooding.”\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": "california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do",
"title": "California Billionaire Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’",
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"headTitle": "California Billionaire Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’ | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A slim majority of likely California voters are backing a proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">tax on billionaires\u003c/a>, according to a new poll, but voters are also lining up behind two competing November ballot measures that could nullify the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the poll released late Tuesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, 52% of likely voters said they would vote yes on the tax, while 46% said they would vote no. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Supporters of Proposition 40, the so-called billionaire tax initiative, have a lot of work to do,” said Mark Baldassare, the institute’s statewide survey director, noting the challenge of keeping support above 50% with what is only a “slim” lead. \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/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A T-shirt with a campaign message is seen before the start of a rally led by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097870/stanford-economist-makes-the-case-against-californias-billionaire-tax-measure\">opponents of the tax\u003c/a>, led by several billionaires, also are asking voters to weigh in on Propositions 41 and 42, which have provisions that could nullify the billionaire tax if they pass with more votes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The poll from the Public Policy Institute surveyed 1,103 likely voters from Sept. 4–10 and found an electorate that is pessimistic about the trajectory of both the state and the nation. Majorities of adults and likely voters told pollsters that price increases have caused financial hardship for their households, and just 27% of likely voters approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey also found Democrat Xavier Becerra leading Republican Steve Hilton 60%-38% in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Affordability continues to be top of mind for Californians,” Baldassare said, “when considering their choice for governor: 65% of likely voters say that a candidate’s plans to address cost-of-living issues are very important to their vote.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The poll also asked voters about the other 11 ballot measures on the November ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It found strong support for Proposition 3, which would make existing higher tax rates permanent for individuals earning more than $371,000 a year, and for Proposition 37, which would create a new loan program for middle-income home buyers in the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 45, which is aimed at speeding up construction by expediting some environmental reviews, is narrowly leading 48% to 46%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Likely voters are also backing Proposition 1, which would authorize $11 billion in state bonds for affordable housing, and Proposition 2, which would increase the state’s rainy-day fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But a voter ID measure, authored by Republicans in the state Legislature, is trailing in the poll, with 43% of likely voters backing Proposition 39 and 55% opposed. \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/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey also shows several other measures trailing among likely voters, including Proposition 4, which would repeal a prohibition against public funding of candidate campaigns; Proposition 5, which would change the process for replacing a state elected official who is recalled by voters; and Proposition 43, which would make it harder for voters to approve local tax increases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088883/california-billionaire-tax-november-ballot-measures\">14 ballot measures \u003c/a>this fall, and the Public Policy Institute found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they are frustrated with the size of the ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Baldassare said it’s the rare question that unites Democrats, Republicans and Independents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Every time we’ve asked this question of Californians, they tell us that, you know, there’s too many ballot measures that they have to deal with,” he said. “This is something that everybody agrees on.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A slim majority of likely California voters are backing a proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">tax on billionaires\u003c/a>, according to a new poll, but voters are also lining up behind two competing November ballot measures that could nullify the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the poll released late Tuesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, 52% of likely voters said they would vote yes on the tax, while 46% said they would vote no. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Supporters of Proposition 40, the so-called billionaire tax initiative, have a lot of work to do,” said Mark Baldassare, the institute’s statewide survey director, noting the challenge of keeping support above 50% with what is only a “slim” lead. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Supporters of Proposition 40, the so-called billionaire tax initiative, have a lot of work to do,” said Mark Baldassare, the institute’s statewide survey director, noting the challenge of keeping support above 50% with what is only a “slim” lead. \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/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-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 T-shirt with a campaign message is seen before the start of a rally led by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP 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/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A T-shirt with a campaign message is seen before the start of a rally led by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097870/stanford-economist-makes-the-case-against-californias-billionaire-tax-measure\">opponents of the tax\u003c/a>, led by several billionaires, also are asking voters to weigh in on Propositions 41 and 42, which have provisions that could nullify the billionaire tax if they pass with more votes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097870/stanford-economist-makes-the-case-against-californias-billionaire-tax-measure\">opponents of the tax\u003c/a>, led by several billionaires, also are asking voters to weigh in on Propositions 41 and 42, which have provisions that could nullify the billionaire tax if they pass with more votes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The poll from the Public Policy Institute surveyed 1,103 likely voters from Sept. 4–10 and found an electorate that is pessimistic about the trajectory of both the state and the nation. Majorities of adults and likely voters told pollsters that price increases have caused financial hardship for their households, and just 27% of likely voters approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The poll from the Public Policy Institute surveyed 1,103 likely voters from Sept. 4–10 and found an electorate that is pessimistic about the trajectory of both the state and the nation. Majorities of adults and likely voters told pollsters that price increases have caused financial hardship for their households, and just 27% of likely voters approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The survey also found Democrat Xavier Becerra leading Republican Steve Hilton 60%-38% in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The survey also found Democrat Xavier Becerra leading Republican Steve Hilton 60%-38% in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Affordability continues to be top of mind for Californians,” Baldassare said, “when considering their choice for governor: 65% of likely voters say that a candidate’s plans to address cost-of-living issues are very important to their vote.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Affordability continues to be top of mind for Californians,” Baldassare said, “when considering their choice for governor: 65% of likely voters say that a candidate’s plans to address cost-of-living issues are very important to their vote.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The poll also asked voters about the other 11 ballot measures on the November ballot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The poll also asked voters about the other 11 ballot measures on the November ballot. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It found strong support for Proposition 3, which would make existing higher tax rates permanent for individuals earning more than $371,000 a year, and for Proposition 37, which would create a new loan program for middle-income home buyers in the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It found strong support for Proposition 3, which would make existing higher tax rates permanent for individuals earning more than $371,000 a year, and for Proposition 37, which would create a new loan program for middle-income home buyers in the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 45, which is aimed at speeding up construction by expediting some environmental reviews, is narrowly leading 48% to 46%. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Proposition 45, which is aimed at speeding up construction by expediting some environmental reviews, is narrowly leading 48% to 46%. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Likely voters are also backing Proposition 1, which would authorize $11 billion in state bonds for affordable housing, and Proposition 2, which would increase the state’s rainy-day fund. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Likely voters are also backing Proposition 1, which would authorize $11 billion in state bonds for affordable housing, and Proposition 2, which would increase the state’s rainy-day fund. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But a voter ID measure, authored by Republicans in the state Legislature, is trailing in the poll, with 43% of likely voters backing Proposition 39 and 55% opposed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But a voter ID measure, authored by Republicans in the state Legislature, is trailing in the poll, with 43% of likely voters backing Proposition 39 and 55% opposed. \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/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_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\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The survey also shows several other measures trailing among likely voters, including Proposition 4, which would repeal a prohibition against public funding of candidate campaigns; Proposition 5, which would change the process for replacing a state elected official who is recalled by voters; and Proposition 43, which would make it harder for voters to approve local tax increases. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The survey also shows several other measures trailing among likely voters, including Proposition 4, which would repeal a prohibition against public funding of candidate campaigns; Proposition 5, which would change the process for replacing a state elected official who is recalled by voters; and Proposition 43, which would make it harder for voters to approve local tax increases. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088883/california-billionaire-tax-november-ballot-measures\">14 ballot measures \u003c/a>this fall, and the Public Policy Institute found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they are frustrated with the size of the ballot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088883/california-billionaire-tax-november-ballot-measures\">14 ballot measures \u003c/a>this fall, and the Public Policy Institute found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they are frustrated with the size of the ballot. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Baldassare said it’s the rare question that unites Democrats, Republicans and Independents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Every time we’ve asked this question of Californians, they tell us that, you know, there’s too many ballot measures that they have to deal with,” he said. “This is something that everybody agrees on.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "While 52% of likely voters said they would vote yes on Proposition 40, they are also lining up behind two competing November ballot measures that could nullify the wealth tax.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A slim majority of likely California voters are backing a proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">tax on billionaires\u003c/a>, according to a new poll, but voters are also lining up behind two competing November ballot measures that could nullify the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the poll released late Tuesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, 52% of likely voters said they would vote yes on the tax, while 46% said they would vote no. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Supporters of Proposition 40, the so-called billionaire tax initiative, have a lot of work to do,” said Mark Baldassare, the institute’s statewide survey director, noting the challenge of keeping support above 50% with what is only a “slim” lead. \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/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A T-shirt with a campaign message is seen before the start of a rally led by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097870/stanford-economist-makes-the-case-against-californias-billionaire-tax-measure\">opponents of the tax\u003c/a>, led by several billionaires, also are asking voters to weigh in on Propositions 41 and 42, which have provisions that could nullify the billionaire tax if they pass with more votes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The poll from the Public Policy Institute surveyed 1,103 likely voters from Sept. 4–10 and found an electorate that is pessimistic about the trajectory of both the state and the nation. Majorities of adults and likely voters told pollsters that price increases have caused financial hardship for their households, and just 27% of likely voters approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey also found Democrat Xavier Becerra leading Republican Steve Hilton 60%-38% in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Affordability continues to be top of mind for Californians,” Baldassare said, “when considering their choice for governor: 65% of likely voters say that a candidate’s plans to address cost-of-living issues are very important to their vote.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The poll also asked voters about the other 11 ballot measures on the November ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It found strong support for Proposition 3, which would make existing higher tax rates permanent for individuals earning more than $371,000 a year, and for Proposition 37, which would create a new loan program for middle-income home buyers in the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 45, which is aimed at speeding up construction by expediting some environmental reviews, is narrowly leading 48% to 46%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Likely voters are also backing Proposition 1, which would authorize $11 billion in state bonds for affordable housing, and Proposition 2, which would increase the state’s rainy-day fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But a voter ID measure, authored by Republicans in the state Legislature, is trailing in the poll, with 43% of likely voters backing Proposition 39 and 55% opposed. \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/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey also shows several other measures trailing among likely voters, including Proposition 4, which would repeal a prohibition against public funding of candidate campaigns; Proposition 5, which would change the process for replacing a state elected official who is recalled by voters; and Proposition 43, which would make it harder for voters to approve local tax increases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088883/california-billionaire-tax-november-ballot-measures\">14 ballot measures \u003c/a>this fall, and the Public Policy Institute found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they are frustrated with the size of the ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Baldassare said it’s the rare question that unites Democrats, Republicans and Independents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Every time we’ve asked this question of Californians, they tell us that, you know, there’s too many ballot measures that they have to deal with,” he said. “This is something that everybody agrees on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"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. ",
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"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. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"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",
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"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>",
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"order": 12
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"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?",
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"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",
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"planet-money": {
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"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
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"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
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},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
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},
"snap-judgment": {
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