window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"news_12000732": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12000732",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12000732",
"found": true
},
"title": "California Ballot Initiatives",
"publishDate": 1724091699,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12000706,
"modified": 1724095831,
"caption": "A patient undergoes kidney dialysis at a clinic in Sacramento on Sept. 24, 2018.",
"credit": "Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo",
"altTag": "Wires and an arm attached with wires to a machine.",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/092418-Dialysis-Center-AP-CM-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/092418-Dialysis-Center-AP-CM-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/092418-Dialysis-Center-AP-CM-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/092418-Dialysis-Center-AP-CM-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/092418-Dialysis-Center-AP-CM-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/092418-Dialysis-Center-AP-CM-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/092418-Dialysis-Center-AP-CM-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/092418-Dialysis-Center-AP-CM.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11998571": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11998571",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11998571",
"found": true
},
"title": "240801-ENCAMPMENT SWEEPS-MD-02-KQED",
"publishDate": 1722601919,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12000938,
"modified": 1732740082,
"caption": "An unhoused man relocates his belongings to a new site in anticipation of an encampment sweep by San Francisco's Department of Public Works near Showplace Square in San Francisco on Aug. 1, 2024.",
"credit": "Martin do Nascimento/KQED",
"altTag": "A person wearing black moves a shopping cart full of belongings.",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-02-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-02-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-02-KQED.jpg?ver=1722631109",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11990228": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11990228",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11990228",
"found": true
},
"title": "240604-InvasiveIcePlant-71-BL_qut",
"publishDate": 1718307122,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1718307282,
"caption": "National Park Service ranger Sierra Frisbie holds an ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, which was removed from a section of dunes at Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4.",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-71-BL_qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-71-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-71-BL_qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-71-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-71-BL_qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-71-BL_qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-71-BL_qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11999997": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11999997",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999997",
"found": true
},
"title": "GettyImages-2095082833-resized copy",
"publishDate": 1723574569,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 11999996,
"modified": 1723580023,
"caption": "California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks at a press conference in Los Angeles on March 21. Bonta sponsored a bill requiring private equity groups and hedge funds to notify his office of planned purchases of many types of health care businesses and obtain its consent. ",
"credit": "Brian Van Der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2095082833-resized-copy-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2095082833-resized-copy-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2095082833-resized-copy-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2095082833-resized-copy-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2095082833-resized-copy-2048x1365.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1365,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2095082833-resized-copy-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2095082833-resized-copy-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2095082833-resized-copy-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2095082833-resized-copy-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1707
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11999967": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11999967",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999967",
"found": true
},
"title": "071223_San-Francisco_SN_CM_02 copy",
"publishDate": 1723568893,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 11999966,
"modified": 1723568917,
"caption": "Houses in San Francisco on July 12, 2023. \n",
"credit": "Semantha Norris/CalMatters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/071223_San-Francisco_SN_CM_02-copy-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/071223_San-Francisco_SN_CM_02-copy-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/071223_San-Francisco_SN_CM_02-copy-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/071223_San-Francisco_SN_CM_02-copy-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/071223_San-Francisco_SN_CM_02-copy-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/071223_San-Francisco_SN_CM_02-copy-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/071223_San-Francisco_SN_CM_02-copy-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/071223_San-Francisco_SN_CM_02-copy.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11999761": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11999761",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999761",
"found": true
},
"title": "BASKETBALL-OLY-PARIS-2024-FRA-USA",
"publishDate": 1723325245,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 11999751,
"modified": 1723325339,
"caption": "Team USA's #4 Stephen Curry celebrates after the USA won the men's gold medal basketball match against France at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games played at the Bercy Arena in Paris on Aug. 10, 2024. ",
"credit": "Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165748228-800x534.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 534,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165748228-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165748228-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165748228-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165748228-1024x576.jpg",
"width": 1024,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165748228.jpg",
"width": 1024,
"height": 683
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11999553": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11999553",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999553",
"found": true
},
"title": "080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_30 copy",
"publishDate": 1723161605,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 11999549,
"modified": 1723161641,
"caption": "Chris Castleman, a Cal Fire firefighter, at the Park Fire command post in Chico on Aug. 2, 2024, shortly after returning from fighting the blaze. Castleman said he looks forward to sleeping in his hotel room after the 36-hour shift. To unwind, he likes walking to the nearby gas station. ",
"credit": "Florence Middleton/CalMatters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_30-copy-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_30-copy-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_30-copy-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_30-copy-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_30-copy-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_30-copy-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_30-copy-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_30-copy.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11999722": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11999722",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999722",
"found": true
},
"title": "Kamala Harris",
"publishDate": 1723296865,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 11999721,
"modified": 1723296950,
"caption": "Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., joins an women's advocacy group, MomsRising, to protest against threats by President Donald Trump against Central American asylum-seekers to separate children from their parents along the southwest border to deter migrants from crossing into the United States, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 23, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)",
"credit": null,
"altTag": "A woman in a suit stands in front of a white building with a dome.",
"description": "Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., joins an women's advocacy group, MomsRising, to protest against threats by President Donald Trump against Central American asylum-seekers to separate children from their parents along the southwest border to deter migrants from crossing into the United States, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 23, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)",
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap18143651019181-800x568.jpeg",
"width": 800,
"height": 568,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap18143651019181-1020x724.jpeg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 724,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap18143651019181-160x114.jpeg",
"width": 160,
"height": 114,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap18143651019181-1536x1091.jpeg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1091,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap18143651019181-2048x1454.jpeg",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1454,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap18143651019181-672x372.jpeg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap18143651019181-1038x576.jpeg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap18143651019181-1920x1363.jpeg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1363,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ap18143651019181-scaled.jpeg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1818
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11999625": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11999625",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999625",
"found": true
},
"title": "Governor Gavin Newsom along with Caltrans clean up an encampement site near Paxton Street and Remick Avenue in Los Angeles as the state's Clean California initiative continues",
"publishDate": 1723229310,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 11999607,
"modified": 1723229358,
"caption": "Gov. Gavin Newsom along with Caltrans clean up an encampment site near Paxton Street and Remick Avenue in Los Angeles as the state's Clean California initiative continues on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024 in Los Angeles. ",
"credit": "Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165417501-800x534.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 534,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165417501-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165417501-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165417501-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165417501-1024x576.jpg",
"width": 1024,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2165417501.jpg",
"width": 1024,
"height": 683
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11996242": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11996242",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11996242",
"found": true
},
"title": "240703-JAPANESE AMERICAN FAMILY FARM-MD-15-KQED",
"publishDate": 1721326800,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1721326971,
"caption": "A sign announces the proposed development of the Sakauye family farm in San José on July 10, 2024.",
"credit": "Martin do Nascimento/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-15-KQED-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-15-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-15-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-15-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-15-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-15-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-15-KQED-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-15-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11991738": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11991738",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11991738",
"found": true
},
"title": "240603-SANQUENTINACES-155-BL-KQED",
"publishDate": 1719262461,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1723076693,
"caption": "Dr. Jenny Espinoza talks with Hugo Campos, an incarcerated person at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, during a Back to the Start session at the prison on June 3, 2024. The writing workshop, which Espinoza co-founded, encourages incarcerated people to produce stories about their lives as a way of processing trauma and influencing policy change.",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"altTag": "A man with long, braided hair in a blue prison jumpsuit stands next to a much shorter woman in front of a table of books.",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-155-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-155-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-155-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-155-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-155-BL-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-155-BL-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-155-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-155-BL-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11999267": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11999267",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999267",
"found": true
},
"title": "20240506_EVFile-2_qed",
"publishDate": 1723064389,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 11999232,
"modified": 1723065361,
"caption": "A Polestar 2 charges at an EV charging station in San Francisco on Monday, May 6, 2024.",
"credit": "Gina Castro/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240506_EVFile-2_qed-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240506_EVFile-2_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240506_EVFile-2_qed-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240506_EVFile-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240506_EVFile-2_qed-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240506_EVFile-2_qed-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240506_EVFile-2_qed-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240506_EVFile-2_qed.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"byline_news_12000706": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12000706",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12000706",
"name": "Kristen Hwang",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11999996": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11999996",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11999996",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/news/author/bernard-j-wolfson/\">Bernard J. Wolfson\u003c/a>, KFF Health News",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11999966": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11999966",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11999966",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/levi-sumagaysay/\">Levi Sumagaysay\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11999751": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11999751",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11999751",
"name": "Tim Reynolds, Associated Press",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11999549": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11999549",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11999549",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/julie-cart/\">Julie Cart\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11999607": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11999607",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11999607",
"name": "Trân Nguyễn, Associated Press",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_11999300": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_11999300",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_11999300",
"name": "Kate Wolffe, CapRadio",
"isLoading": false
},
"tychehendricks": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "259",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "259",
"found": true
},
"name": "Tyche Hendricks",
"firstName": "Tyche",
"lastName": "Hendricks",
"slug": "tychehendricks",
"email": "thendricks@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Senior Editor, Immigration",
"bio": "\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tyche Hendricks is KQED’s senior editor for immigration, leading coverage of the policy and politics that affect California’s immigrant communities. Her work for KQED’s radio and online audiences is also carried on NPR and other national outlets. She has been recognized with awards from the Radio and Television News Directors Association, the Society for Professional Journalists; the Education Writers Association; the Best of the West and the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. Before joining KQED in 2010, Tyche spent more than a dozen years as a newspaper reporter, notably at the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. At different times she has covered criminal justice, government and politics and urban planning. Tyche has taught in the MFA Creative Writing program at the University of San Francisco and at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, where she was co-director of a national immigration symposium for professional journalists. She is the author of \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Wind Doesn't Need a Passport: Stories from the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (University of California Press). \u003c/span>",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b8ee458e2731c2d43df86882ce17267e?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "tychehendricks",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Tyche Hendricks | KQED",
"description": "KQED Senior Editor, Immigration",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b8ee458e2731c2d43df86882ce17267e?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b8ee458e2731c2d43df86882ce17267e?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/tychehendricks"
},
"dcronin": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11362",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11362",
"found": true
},
"name": "Dana Cronin",
"firstName": "Dana",
"lastName": "Cronin",
"slug": "dcronin",
"email": "dcronin@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Dana Cronin is a reporter for KQED News. She loves writing stories about climate change, environmental issues, food and agriculture. She's reported across the country, from Colorado to Washington D.C. to Illinois, and has won numerous awards for her coverage. Her work is regularly featured on national broadcasts, including NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, PBS Newshour and Science Friday. She lives in Oakland and has an avocado tree in her back yard.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bcf89e3455ff7235f96ab6fa7258dd95?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "DanaHCronin",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Dana Cronin | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bcf89e3455ff7235f96ab6fa7258dd95?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bcf89e3455ff7235f96ab6fa7258dd95?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/dcronin"
},
"blaberge": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11667",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11667",
"found": true
},
"name": "Beth LaBerge",
"firstName": "Beth",
"lastName": "LaBerge",
"slug": "blaberge",
"email": "blaberge@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Photographer, News",
"bio": "Beth LaBerge is a visual journalist for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news\">KQED News\u003c/a>.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ce49ecd7a1306685637b45a1f6f5dedfc4ae9481966eb596fea5160466dd6319?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": "https://www.instagram.com/bethlaberge/",
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"edit_plugins",
"manage_categories"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor",
"contributor",
"author",
"manage_categories"
]
},
{
"site": "perspectives",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Beth LaBerge | KQED",
"description": "Photographer, News",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ce49ecd7a1306685637b45a1f6f5dedfc4ae9481966eb596fea5160466dd6319?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ce49ecd7a1306685637b45a1f6f5dedfc4ae9481966eb596fea5160466dd6319?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/blaberge"
},
"sjohnson": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11840",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11840",
"found": true
},
"name": "Sydney Johnson",
"firstName": "Sydney",
"lastName": "Johnson",
"slug": "sjohnson",
"email": "sjohnson@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Reporter",
"bio": "Sydney Johnson is a general assignment reporter at KQED. She previously reported on public health and city government at the San Francisco Examiner, and before that, she covered statewide education policy for EdSource. Her reporting has won multiple local, state and national awards. Sydney is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and lives in San Francisco.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/97855f2719b72ad6190b7c535fe642c8?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "sydneyfjohnson",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Sydney Johnson | KQED",
"description": "KQED Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/97855f2719b72ad6190b7c535fe642c8?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/97855f2719b72ad6190b7c535fe642c8?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/sjohnson"
},
"mdonascimento": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11865",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11865",
"found": true
},
"name": "Martin do Nascimento",
"firstName": "Martin",
"lastName": "do Nascimento",
"slug": "mdonascimento",
"email": "mdonascimento@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news",
"science",
"arts"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e5337c4df47f2c1c9af0124a4550094c9ba92a05654bb02aea5e72d902b41744?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"manage_categories",
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
},
{
"site": "perspectives",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Martin do Nascimento | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e5337c4df47f2c1c9af0124a4550094c9ba92a05654bb02aea5e72d902b41744?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e5337c4df47f2c1c9af0124a4550094c9ba92a05654bb02aea5e72d902b41744?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/mdonascimento"
},
"pbartolone": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11879",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11879",
"found": true
},
"name": "Pauline Bartolone",
"firstName": "Pauline",
"lastName": "Bartolone",
"slug": "pbartolone",
"email": "pbartolone@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Pauline Bartolone has been a journalist for two decades, specializing in longform audio storytelling. Before editing and producing for podcasts like Bay Curious, she was a health care journalist for public radio and print outlets such as CalMatters and Kaiser Health News. Her reporting has won several regional Edward R. Murrow awards, national recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists and a first-place prize from the Association of Health Care Journalists.\r\n\r\nPauline’s work has aired frequently on National Public Radio, and bylines have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, CNN.com, Washingtonpost.com, USA Today and Scientific American.\r\n\r\nPauline has lived in Northern California for 20 years. Her other passions are crafts (now done in collaboration with her daughter) and the Brazilian martial art of capoeira.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/95001c30374b0d3878007af9cf1e120a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "pbartolone",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "podcasts",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Pauline Bartolone | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/95001c30374b0d3878007af9cf1e120a?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/95001c30374b0d3878007af9cf1e120a?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/pbartolone"
},
"jgeha": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11906",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11906",
"found": true
},
"name": "Joseph Geha",
"firstName": "Joseph",
"lastName": "Geha",
"slug": "jgeha",
"email": "jgeha@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news",
"science"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea84d2b6dd93d6369d453edf19dd583f117cd1759d2d9c9c92f9de77017354fe?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Joseph Geha | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea84d2b6dd93d6369d453edf19dd583f117cd1759d2d9c9c92f9de77017354fe?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea84d2b6dd93d6369d453edf19dd583f117cd1759d2d9c9c92f9de77017354fe?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/jgeha"
},
"gcastro": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11908",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11908",
"found": true
},
"name": "Gina Castro",
"firstName": "Gina",
"lastName": "Castro",
"slug": "gcastro",
"email": "gcastro@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27b36c9ac0b86aced91deb0fc63fc510307488fa6761ac6062ac2eb798ed123f?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Gina Castro | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27b36c9ac0b86aced91deb0fc63fc510307488fa6761ac6062ac2eb798ed123f?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27b36c9ac0b86aced91deb0fc63fc510307488fa6761ac6062ac2eb798ed123f?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/gcastro"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"news_category_california": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31795",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31795",
"score": 10.847641
},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31812,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"title": "California",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "news",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 191
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/news?category=california",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 191
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"news_12000706": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12000706",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12000706",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1724164257000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "will-california-regulate-hedge-funds-in-health-care-lawmakers-will-decide-soon",
"title": "Will California Regulate Hedge Funds in Health Care? Lawmakers Will Decide Soon",
"publishDate": 1724164257,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Will California Regulate Hedge Funds in Health Care? Lawmakers Will Decide Soon | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>California lawmakers are poised to vote for the first time on regulating private equity investments in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/health-care/\">health care\u003c/a>, but the proposal they will weigh in on carves out exemptions for some of the industry’s biggest players.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heavy lobbying from deep-pocketed health care and investor groups forced Assemblymember Jim Wood to agree to exclude for-profit hospitals — about 20% of hospitals — from oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of the \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab3129?slug=CA_202320240AB3129&_gl=1*bxg5ij*_gcl_au*MTc1NzI0OTU3NC4xNzI0MDg3MzQw*_ga*MTczNTMzMjUzMS4xNzI0MDg3MzQw*_ga_5TKXNLE5NK*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzUzNC42MC4wLjA.*_ga_DX0K9PCWYH*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzM0MC4wLjAuMA..*_ga_GNY4L81DZE*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzM0MC4wLjAuMA..\">hotly contested measure\u003c/a> warn that private equity takeovers are already driving increased consolidation, higher prices and less access. Opponents contend that the measure will stifle much-needed investment in health care, leading to service cuts and hospital closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wood, a Democrat from Healdsburg, said during a previous committee hearing that no one is more disappointed than he is to have to make concessions, but the bill still has merit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’d rather make progress on (private equity) than lose this,” Wood said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure attempts to place guardrails on private equity and hedge funds by requiring the attorney general to approve the majority of their health care transactions. The amendments exclude hospitals, dermatology practices, and government-run facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The attorney general already has the authority to regulate nonprofit hospital mergers and stipulate conditions intended to protect patient access and cost, such as preventing facilities from eliminating certain services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even with the exclusions, many types of health businesses, such as nursing homes, dialysis centers and large physician groups, would be regulated, according to \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab3129?slug=CA_202320240AB3129&_gl=1*bxg5ij*_gcl_au*MTc1NzI0OTU3NC4xNzI0MDg3MzQw*_ga*MTczNTMzMjUzMS4xNzI0MDg3MzQw*_ga_5TKXNLE5NK*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzUzNC42MC4wLjA.*_ga_DX0K9PCWYH*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzM0MC4wLjAuMA..*_ga_GNY4L81DZE*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzM0MC4wLjAuMA..\">CalMatters’ Digital Democracy project\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More amendments are expected as Wood advocates for the bill in the final weeks of the legislative session. Between April and June, a coalition representing hospitals, investors, some dentists and doctors spent $583,000 lobbying against the measure, according to state financial reporting records. The California Hospital Association, one of the state’s largest political trade associations and a coalition member, independently spent more than $2 million since January on issues it cares about, including opposition to this bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its members include the hospitals that are now exempted from the proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California has made significant strides in improving access to affordable health care in recent years, but parts of the health care system remain severely underfunded, harming the ability of many families and communities to access the care they need,” said Ned Wigglesworth, spokesperson for \u003ca href=\"https://protectcommunityhealthcare.org/\">Californians to Protect Community Health Care\u003c/a>, the coalition that opposes the measure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wood, who is not running for reelection, has staked his political legacy on tackling thorny health care issues. In 2021, he brokered the deal that resulted in the creation of the Office of Health Care Affordability, a new oversight agency tasked with controlling inflationary health costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Addressing private equity’s incursion into health care has been Wood’s No. 1 priority in his final few weeks as a legislator, his staff said. For the five-term lawmaker, the growing market share of private equity in health care is something to be alarmed about. Mounting evidence nationally suggests \u003ca href=\"https://nihcm.org/publications/the-growth-of-private-equity-in-us-health-care-impact-and-outlook\">private equity acquisitions lead to higher prices\u003c/a> and spending with mixed effects on quality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is no oversight at all on private equity in the health care space, period,” Wood said in a hearing last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>More private equity deals in California health care\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>His allies say the proposal would not necessarily prevent private equity investments in California health care businesses. For instance, the attorney general’s office generally approved mergers and acquisitions among nonprofit hospitals, said Katie Van Deynze, a lobbyist with Health Access California, which supports the legislation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the history of the attorney general…80-90% of mergers have been approved,” Van Deynze said. “The goal has been to maintain access to care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In health care, private equity firms tend to finance the purchase of hospitals, doctors offices, nursing homes and the like with borrowed money. The acquired entity then becomes responsible for the debt, which private equity firms rationalize can be paid for by increasing efficiency or selling off assets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Investors typically sell the acquired facilities after three to seven years, according to a national advocacy group called the \u003ca href=\"https://pestakeholder.org/issues/healthcare/\">Private Equity Stakeholder Project\u003c/a>. Nationally, private equity has garnered a larger and larger share of health care, investing more than $200 billion in 2021 on acquisitions alone, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2023/nov/private-equity-role-health-care#:~:text=Private%20equity%20investors%20spent%20more,home%2C%20and%20home%20care%20settings.\">the Commonwealth Fund\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California health care companies — battered by inflation, thinning margins and a sometimes rocky pandemic recovery — have also increasingly turned to private equity investors for an influx of cash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between 2005 and 2021, private equity deals grew from $1 billion to $20 billion annually, according to a recent policy paper from \u003ca href=\"https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PrivateEquityPrevalenceImpactPolicy.pdf\">the California Health Care Foundation\u003c/a>. The paper identified 22 hospitals owned by private equity in California. The majority of investments have been in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is not an emerging issue. It is here, and it is creating challenges for the delivery of health care,” Wood said in a recent hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Hospital sold its land to a private equity firm\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In one recent example, a public buyout and an $8 million state loan saved \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/hospital-deal-gone-bust-puts-real-estate-firm-in-spotlight-11648734104\">Watsonville Community Hospital\u003c/a> from bankruptcy after its for-profit owners sold the hospital’s land to a private equity real estate group, The Wall Street Journal reported. That group, Medical Properties Trust, is also entangled in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/finance/the-private-equity-deal-that-flattened-a-hospital-chain-and-its-landlord-3096747d\">collapse of Steward Health Care System\u003c/a>, a 30-hospital chain primarily on the East Coast owned by another private equity firm that filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They take over, and bad things happen. How can you see all of that and not try to keep it from happening to our health care?” Van Deynze said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, investors and some industry groups take issue with the characterization that private equity investors are inherently bad actors. The group opposing the measure points to recent partnerships like those made between UC Davis and UC Irvine and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, which is backed by investment firm Apollo Global Management, to open new rehab hospitals.[aside tag=\"hospital, medical\" label=\"More Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A fundamental question we pose…is when does less capital in the marketplace lower prices?” said Marc Aprea, a lobbyist representing the American Investment Council and Children’s Choice Dental, during a committee meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those opposed also argue that the new Office of Health Care Affordability will have some regulatory powers over these transactions. The office has the ability to review how major health transactions impact the market and to request data from the companies, but it does not have the authority to stop a transaction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wood contends that the same opponents prevented similar regulatory oversight from being granted to the affordability office and that it consequently does not have any power over transactions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Let’s get the evidence in before we start fashioning any policy solutions,” Wigglesworth with the opposition campaign said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>CaMatters data reporter Jeremia Kimelman contributed to this reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "A California Democrat who made a name for himself by taking on the health care industry is carrying a bill to regulate private equity stakes in the sector.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1724780515,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 32,
"wordCount": 1201
},
"headData": {
"title": "Will California Regulate Hedge Funds in Health Care? Lawmakers Will Decide Soon | KQED",
"description": "A California Democrat who made a name for himself by taking on the health care industry is carrying a bill to regulate private equity stakes in the sector.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Will California Regulate Hedge Funds in Health Care? Lawmakers Will Decide Soon",
"datePublished": "2024-08-20T07:30:57-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-08-27T10:41:55-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Kristen Hwang",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12000706",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12000706/will-california-regulate-hedge-funds-in-health-care-lawmakers-will-decide-soon",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California lawmakers are poised to vote for the first time on regulating private equity investments in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/health-care/\">health care\u003c/a>, but the proposal they will weigh in on carves out exemptions for some of the industry’s biggest players.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heavy lobbying from deep-pocketed health care and investor groups forced Assemblymember Jim Wood to agree to exclude for-profit hospitals — about 20% of hospitals — from oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of the \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab3129?slug=CA_202320240AB3129&_gl=1*bxg5ij*_gcl_au*MTc1NzI0OTU3NC4xNzI0MDg3MzQw*_ga*MTczNTMzMjUzMS4xNzI0MDg3MzQw*_ga_5TKXNLE5NK*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzUzNC42MC4wLjA.*_ga_DX0K9PCWYH*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzM0MC4wLjAuMA..*_ga_GNY4L81DZE*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzM0MC4wLjAuMA..\">hotly contested measure\u003c/a> warn that private equity takeovers are already driving increased consolidation, higher prices and less access. Opponents contend that the measure will stifle much-needed investment in health care, leading to service cuts and hospital closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wood, a Democrat from Healdsburg, said during a previous committee hearing that no one is more disappointed than he is to have to make concessions, but the bill still has merit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’d rather make progress on (private equity) than lose this,” Wood said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure attempts to place guardrails on private equity and hedge funds by requiring the attorney general to approve the majority of their health care transactions. The amendments exclude hospitals, dermatology practices, and government-run facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The attorney general already has the authority to regulate nonprofit hospital mergers and stipulate conditions intended to protect patient access and cost, such as preventing facilities from eliminating certain services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even with the exclusions, many types of health businesses, such as nursing homes, dialysis centers and large physician groups, would be regulated, according to \u003ca href=\"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab3129?slug=CA_202320240AB3129&_gl=1*bxg5ij*_gcl_au*MTc1NzI0OTU3NC4xNzI0MDg3MzQw*_ga*MTczNTMzMjUzMS4xNzI0MDg3MzQw*_ga_5TKXNLE5NK*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzUzNC42MC4wLjA.*_ga_DX0K9PCWYH*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzM0MC4wLjAuMA..*_ga_GNY4L81DZE*MTcyNDA4NzM0MC4xLjAuMTcyNDA4NzM0MC4wLjAuMA..\">CalMatters’ Digital Democracy project\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More amendments are expected as Wood advocates for the bill in the final weeks of the legislative session. Between April and June, a coalition representing hospitals, investors, some dentists and doctors spent $583,000 lobbying against the measure, according to state financial reporting records. The California Hospital Association, one of the state’s largest political trade associations and a coalition member, independently spent more than $2 million since January on issues it cares about, including opposition to this bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its members include the hospitals that are now exempted from the proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California has made significant strides in improving access to affordable health care in recent years, but parts of the health care system remain severely underfunded, harming the ability of many families and communities to access the care they need,” said Ned Wigglesworth, spokesperson for \u003ca href=\"https://protectcommunityhealthcare.org/\">Californians to Protect Community Health Care\u003c/a>, the coalition that opposes the measure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wood, who is not running for reelection, has staked his political legacy on tackling thorny health care issues. In 2021, he brokered the deal that resulted in the creation of the Office of Health Care Affordability, a new oversight agency tasked with controlling inflationary health costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Addressing private equity’s incursion into health care has been Wood’s No. 1 priority in his final few weeks as a legislator, his staff said. For the five-term lawmaker, the growing market share of private equity in health care is something to be alarmed about. Mounting evidence nationally suggests \u003ca href=\"https://nihcm.org/publications/the-growth-of-private-equity-in-us-health-care-impact-and-outlook\">private equity acquisitions lead to higher prices\u003c/a> and spending with mixed effects on quality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is no oversight at all on private equity in the health care space, period,” Wood said in a hearing last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>More private equity deals in California health care\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>His allies say the proposal would not necessarily prevent private equity investments in California health care businesses. For instance, the attorney general’s office generally approved mergers and acquisitions among nonprofit hospitals, said Katie Van Deynze, a lobbyist with Health Access California, which supports the legislation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the history of the attorney general…80-90% of mergers have been approved,” Van Deynze said. “The goal has been to maintain access to care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In health care, private equity firms tend to finance the purchase of hospitals, doctors offices, nursing homes and the like with borrowed money. The acquired entity then becomes responsible for the debt, which private equity firms rationalize can be paid for by increasing efficiency or selling off assets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Investors typically sell the acquired facilities after three to seven years, according to a national advocacy group called the \u003ca href=\"https://pestakeholder.org/issues/healthcare/\">Private Equity Stakeholder Project\u003c/a>. Nationally, private equity has garnered a larger and larger share of health care, investing more than $200 billion in 2021 on acquisitions alone, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2023/nov/private-equity-role-health-care#:~:text=Private%20equity%20investors%20spent%20more,home%2C%20and%20home%20care%20settings.\">the Commonwealth Fund\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California health care companies — battered by inflation, thinning margins and a sometimes rocky pandemic recovery — have also increasingly turned to private equity investors for an influx of cash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between 2005 and 2021, private equity deals grew from $1 billion to $20 billion annually, according to a recent policy paper from \u003ca href=\"https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PrivateEquityPrevalenceImpactPolicy.pdf\">the California Health Care Foundation\u003c/a>. The paper identified 22 hospitals owned by private equity in California. The majority of investments have been in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is not an emerging issue. It is here, and it is creating challenges for the delivery of health care,” Wood said in a recent hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Hospital sold its land to a private equity firm\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In one recent example, a public buyout and an $8 million state loan saved \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/hospital-deal-gone-bust-puts-real-estate-firm-in-spotlight-11648734104\">Watsonville Community Hospital\u003c/a> from bankruptcy after its for-profit owners sold the hospital’s land to a private equity real estate group, The Wall Street Journal reported. That group, Medical Properties Trust, is also entangled in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/finance/the-private-equity-deal-that-flattened-a-hospital-chain-and-its-landlord-3096747d\">collapse of Steward Health Care System\u003c/a>, a 30-hospital chain primarily on the East Coast owned by another private equity firm that filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They take over, and bad things happen. How can you see all of that and not try to keep it from happening to our health care?” Van Deynze said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, investors and some industry groups take issue with the characterization that private equity investors are inherently bad actors. The group opposing the measure points to recent partnerships like those made between UC Davis and UC Irvine and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, which is backed by investment firm Apollo Global Management, to open new rehab hospitals.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"tag": "hospital, medical",
"label": "More Related Stories "
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A fundamental question we pose…is when does less capital in the marketplace lower prices?” said Marc Aprea, a lobbyist representing the American Investment Council and Children’s Choice Dental, during a committee meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those opposed also argue that the new Office of Health Care Affordability will have some regulatory powers over these transactions. The office has the ability to review how major health transactions impact the market and to request data from the companies, but it does not have the authority to stop a transaction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wood contends that the same opponents prevented similar regulatory oversight from being granted to the affordability office and that it consequently does not have any power over transactions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Let’s get the evidence in before we start fashioning any policy solutions,” Wigglesworth with the opposition campaign said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>CaMatters data reporter Jeremia Kimelman contributed to this reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12000706/will-california-regulate-hedge-funds-in-health-care-lawmakers-will-decide-soon",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12000706"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_18538"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12000732",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12000606": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12000606",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12000606",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1724065259000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "scenes-from-san-franciscos-unhoused-encampment-sweeps",
"title": "Scenes From San Francisco's Unhoused Encampment Sweeps",
"publishDate": 1724065259,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Scenes From San Francisco’s Unhoused Encampment Sweeps | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]S[/dropcap]an Francisco officials are ramping up citations and sweeps of unhoused people sleeping on the city’s streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The escalation in enforcement comes as Mayor London Breed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11998871/the-rhetoric-is-amplified-sf-homeless-sweeps-a-focal-point-of-mayors-race\">faces a tight reelection this November\u003c/a> and increasing pressure from opponents saying the city hasn’t done enough to solve the problem. In July, she \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11996234/sf-mayor-says-very-aggressive-encampment-sweeps-will-start-in-august\">vowed to more aggressively clear encampments beginning in August\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mayor’s crackdown follows the recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/homelessness-grants-pass-ruling-19484767.php\">U.S. Supreme Court ruling\u003c/a> making it easier for cities to cite or even arrest unhoused people for sleeping on public property whether or not any alternative shelter is available. She has directed San Francisco city crews made up of police, emergency responders, social outreach workers and street cleaning workers to clear tent encampments throughout the city twice a day. Since the sweeps began, a federal judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11999041/san-francisco-workers-clearing-homeless-encampments-need-better-training-judge-rules\">ruled the city must better train its workers\u003c/a> on how to handle unhoused people’s belongings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city has increased shelter capacity by more than 60% since 2018 and has added more housing units for formerly unhoused people, according to the mayor’s office. But San Francisco still \u003ca href=\"https://hsh.sfgov.org/services/how-to-get-services/accessing-temporary-shelter/adult-temporary-shelter/shelter-reservation-waitlist/\">lacks enough temporary shelter\u003c/a> and permanent homes for people to move into off the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED’s photo team spent a series of days over the past two weeks documenting the sweeps and speaking with the people impacted by them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>August 1, Showplace Square Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>City crews sweep encampments on Division Street, from Vermont Street to 9th Street, and on Alameda Street from San Bruno Ave. to Potrero Ave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 7:45 a.m. Alex Vallardo packs up his camp from under the I-80/Highway101 freeway interchange to avoid losing them to the city’s encampment sweep teams. Vallardo says he plans on staying in the same general part of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11998743\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11998743\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alex Vallardo ties his belongings to a wagon as he prepares to relocate before the sweep team arrives. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The sweep begins and a team from the San Francisco Department of Public works clears out a handful of unoccupied encampments and power washes the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000640\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12000640 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"2547\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-800x815.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-1020x1039.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-160x163.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-1508x1536.jpg 1508w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-2010x2048.jpg 2010w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-1920x1956.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers with the Department of Public Works examine and break down the contents of an unoccupied tent and load it into trucks headed for the dump. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11998575\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11998575\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A worker with the Department of Public Works rakes a sidewalk in Showplace Square. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11998580\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11998580\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">After clearing an encampment, a worker with the Department of Public Works sprays disinfectant and power washes the area. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>By 10:50 a.m. the sweep is over in the area and Alex Vallardo returns to the same location where he’d been that morning. He says he’d like to go home to Mexico but can’t afford to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000326\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alex Vallardo reassembles his encampment following the sweep. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>August 8, Bayview Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>City crews sweep encampments on McKinnon Ave., from Selby Street to Toland Street, and on Toland Street from McKinnon Ave. to Jerrold Ave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnie Haggard pushes an overloaded cart up Selby Street away from McKinnon Street, where the city’s sweep will begin at 8 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haggard and Ariel Young are relocating their camp and their four puppies two blocks from where they had been.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We moved from one spot to another just until they’re finished doing what they’re doing,” says Haggard. “Then we’ll move back to where we was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000328\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000328\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ronnie Haggard pushes a cartload of belongings up Selby Street. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000376\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000376\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Haggard pushes another cartload of belongings up Selby Street. It took multiple trips to relocate his and Ariel Young’s encampment. Right: Haggard and Young’s puppies in their new encampment. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000329\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000329\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ariel Young cleans out a pen for her puppies at the new encampment. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On McKinnon Ave., a man known as MacGyver goes through his belongings deciding what to take with him and what he’ll have to leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like several residents of the area, he’s not in a tent but has built a shelter out of wooden pallets. When he leaves, MacGyver is forced to leave the pallets behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000330\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000330\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">MacGyver breaks down his encampment. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000331\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">MacGyver relocates the belongings he’s able to move in a shopping cart. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the sweep team works its way up at McKinnon Ave., nearby residents Suyen and José Zapatano desperately try to relocate the RV where they live with their 11-year-old son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The battery is dead and they say they’ve been trying to replace it since the night prior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As José calls out of work for the day to address the situation, a mechanic friend tries to install a new battery in the RV. DPW tells the Zapatanos that they have until 9 a.m. to move their vehicle or it will be towed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">José Zapatano (left) calls out of work in order to try to relocate his family’s RV. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000333\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Suyen Zapatano hugs her son not knowing if they will be able to relocate their RV or if it will be towed. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The replacement battery doesn’t work – but by strapping the RV to his car, their friend is able to tow the RV one block over and out of the sweep zone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody would choose to live like this”, says Suyen. She says the family would like to find an apartment to live in but can’t because they don’t have credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">José Zapatano and a friend strap the RV to the back of the friend’s car. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000335\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000335\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Zapatanos’ RV is towed by a friend one block over and out of the sweep area. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The sweep moves up McKinnon Ave. and around the corner on Tolland Ave., alongside the perimeter of a large Amazon facility with crews filling the backs of pickup trucks with trash and discarded belongings to be taken to the dump. A front-end loader is used to demolish larger encampments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000377\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000377\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crews with the Department of Public Works dispose of the contents of encampments along McKinnon Ave. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000337\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Department of Public Works crew uses a front-end loader to scrape an encampment along Tolland Ave. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After leaving her encampment briefly to relocate a shopping cart full of belongings, a resident of McKinnon Ave. is blocked by San Francisco police officers from returning to gather the remainder of her possessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000338\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000338\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Police bar a resident of McKinnon Ave. from returning to her encampment. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gilbert Cayago says he’s been living in an RV along Tolland Ave. for three years. It’s ironic, he says, that after supporting neighbors in repairing their vehicles for years, he’s now unable to start his own and will have to surrender it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cayago says he’s learned to smile through the pain and jokes with the SFPD officers on the scene. He accepts an offer from the city for placement in housing services and leaves Tolland Ave. after selecting a few prize possessions to take with him, including his guitar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gilbert Cayago speaks with police officers after he is unable to relocate his RV from Tolland Ave. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000378\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000378\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Cayago’s RV is towed. Right: Cayago departs Tolland Ave. for city-provided housing. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>August 8, Tenderloin Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Crews sweep encampments on Leavenworth Street, between Turk and Eddy streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the afternoon sweep begins, unhoused people in the area begin packing up their things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alongside the city’s sweep team, Jay Paulino, a youth reporter at POOR Magazine, is on the scene handing out bagels to unhoused people in the area, and live streaming video documenting the sweeps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000343\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED-1020x684.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED-1536x1031.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED-1920x1288.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department of Public Works crews begin their work on Leavenworth Street as unhoused people prepare to relocate from the area. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000342\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000342\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay Paulino offers bagels to unhoused people on Leavenworth Street. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000341\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000341\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Department of Public Works crewmember clears Leavenworth Street. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the DPW teams move up Leavenworth Street between Eddy and Ellis streets, an unhoused resident named Jasmine is asked to pack her belongings and clear the area. The sweep team power washes the sidewalks where the people had been.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000574\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000574\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department of Public Works crew members ask Jasmine to relocate from Leavenworth Street. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000345\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000345\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Department of Public Works crew member power washes the sidewalk. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>August 9, South of Market Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Crews sweep encampments on Merlin Street, near the intersection of Harrison and 5th streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you don’t know your rights, you’re stuck in this wave,” says Tracey Luz, a Bay Area native who was forced to move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label='More Photo Stories' tag='photography']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the morning, Luz packs her clothes and blankets into a cart and walks with her dog around the corner from where she had been sleeping on Merlin Street, where she’s lived on and off for nearly a year. She says city crews used to clear the area once every six months or so, but it’s happened multiple times in the last couple of weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city notified Luz on August 5 that crews would be clearing the street on August 9, she said. When they arrive, she accepts an offer for shelter for the day. But she doesn’t know where she will go after that, saying the shuffle around had been “disconcerting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people lose almost everything. They might fall asleep or they are gone and come back and everything is gone,” Luz says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000348\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000348\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tracey Luz with her 7-month-old puppy Scooby on Merlin Street. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000687\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000687\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"2547\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-800x815.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-1020x1039.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-160x163.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-1508x1536.jpg 1508w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-2010x2048.jpg 2010w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-1920x1956.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department of Public Works crews clear encampments from Merlin Street. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the nearby Embarcadero Neighborhood, James Harris was told he needed to leave an F-train stop where he’d been staying. Harris, an army veteran, has lived in San Francisco for 33 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000351\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000351\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Fire Dept. Incident Commander Leslie Fong speaks with James Harris. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000350\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000350\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED-800x543.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED-1020x693.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED-1536x1043.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED-1920x1304.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Harris packs his things to relocate his encampment. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>August 9, South of Market Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Crews sweep encampments on 6th Street, between Howard and Minna streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seeing the sweep team arrive and begin their work, Gary Lai begins folding and packing his belongings. He says he and his dog Creed are headed “westward,” as far as he can go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lai says his father is from Hawaii and he wishes he could go there. Lai says he’s been on the street in the area for 5 years but has only been staying where the sweep will take place for the past 24 hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000354\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000354\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary Lai carefully folds a blanket while packing up his encampment. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000380\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000380\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lai and his dog Creed relocate their encampment to outside the sweep area. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As others prepare their things to relocate, Incident Commander Leslie Fong with the San Francisco Fire Department approaches several unhoused people within the sweep area to inform them that city officials are on the scene offering services including housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000355\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000355\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Incident Commander Leslie Fong speaks with unhoused people in the sweep area. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000358\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department of Public Works teams clear trash from the corner of 6th and Natoma streets. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You’d be surprised how quickly your shoes get holes in them,” says Erin Henry as she laces up a pair of shoes on Minna and 6th streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Henry and her partner Michael Johnson are packing away their tent and getting ready to relocate as the sweep moves up 6th Street towards their encampment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson says that the last time the area was swept he was away from his things and his good wagon was taken, making it harder to move this time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the sweep approaches, Henry and Johnson relocate their things across 6th Street. to Natoma Street a block that has just been cleared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000356\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000356\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Erin Henry laces up a pair of shoes after wearing her old pair through. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000381\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000381\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Henry and Johnson pack up and relocate their encampment to a block that has just been cleared. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>August 14, Produce Market Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Crews sweep an area underneath the Highway 101 onramp near Cesar Chavez Street, known as The Hairball.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly before 8 a.m., Salomon Bello Molina is approached by a member of the Encampment Resolution Team known as ERT. The ERT is an initiative by the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to provide services for unhoused people, including shelter placement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As he packs his belongings, Molina is advised about temporary housing options available to him, but he ultimately declines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000359\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Encampment Resolution Team member speaks with Molina about temporary housing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000384\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000384\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Molina pets his dog Melvin, who has been his companion for seven years. Right: An Encampment Resolution Team member speaks with Molina about housing options with dogs. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Molina, 52, came to San Francisco 10 years ago with hopes of supporting his children and mother in Mexico. However, two years after his arrival, he became addicted to drugs and has been unhoused ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I came here to work, but I got lost in drugs – I relapsed,” he says. “That addiction is so powerful, you can’t have anything; you sell your things, you lose your principles.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000360\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000360\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Public Works employees clear debris left under Highway 101 near Cesar Chavez Street. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000382\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000382\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Public Works employees carry wood from a housing structure to a nearby trash truck. Right: Molina moves a cart of his belongings, including a lamp he hopes to trade for food. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Molina describes the encampment sweeps as overwhelming, and during this sweep, he abandoned most of his belongings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The city shows up – the police, the cleaning crew – and they all want my attention. I can’t give them all my attention. It’s chaos,” he says, adding that the experience gives him “stage fright.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he leaves, Molina takes only a few small carts filled with food, clothes, a bike he plans to sell and a pair of table lamps he hopes to trade for food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000361\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000361\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Molina and a friend watch as Public Works employees clean a bicycle path where Molina moved his belongings, just a few hundred feet from where he had been living. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000383\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000383\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Molina holds his dog, Melvin. Right: Public Works employees clean around Molina’s belongings and allow him to remain. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When asked about the kind of support he ideally wants, Molina says he would appreciate a decent job and a quiet place to clean up and keep his dog – a small room with a bathroom, kitchen and refrigerator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000362\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The area where Molina lived is cleared of debris and items left behind. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Although he was offered a motel room in the past, he turned it down, citing concerns about neighbors, bedbugs and fleas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With a decent job, I can stop bothering people here. I can leave. But right now, I have nothing,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Vanessa Rancano contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "KQED's photo team has been documenting the city's ongoing, ramped-up sweeps of unhoused encampments and speaking with the people impacted by them over the past two weeks.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1740516461,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 57,
"wordCount": 2625
},
"headData": {
"title": "Scenes From San Francisco's Unhoused Encampment Sweeps | KQED",
"description": "KQED's photo team has been documenting the city's ongoing, ramped-up sweeps of unhoused encampments and speaking with the people impacted by them over the past two weeks.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Scenes From San Francisco's Unhoused Encampment Sweeps",
"datePublished": "2024-08-19T04:00:59-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-25T12:47:41-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12000606",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12000606/scenes-from-san-franciscos-unhoused-encampment-sweeps",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">S\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>an Francisco officials are ramping up citations and sweeps of unhoused people sleeping on the city’s streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The escalation in enforcement comes as Mayor London Breed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11998871/the-rhetoric-is-amplified-sf-homeless-sweeps-a-focal-point-of-mayors-race\">faces a tight reelection this November\u003c/a> and increasing pressure from opponents saying the city hasn’t done enough to solve the problem. In July, she \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11996234/sf-mayor-says-very-aggressive-encampment-sweeps-will-start-in-august\">vowed to more aggressively clear encampments beginning in August\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mayor’s crackdown follows the recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/homelessness-grants-pass-ruling-19484767.php\">U.S. Supreme Court ruling\u003c/a> making it easier for cities to cite or even arrest unhoused people for sleeping on public property whether or not any alternative shelter is available. She has directed San Francisco city crews made up of police, emergency responders, social outreach workers and street cleaning workers to clear tent encampments throughout the city twice a day. Since the sweeps began, a federal judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11999041/san-francisco-workers-clearing-homeless-encampments-need-better-training-judge-rules\">ruled the city must better train its workers\u003c/a> on how to handle unhoused people’s belongings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city has increased shelter capacity by more than 60% since 2018 and has added more housing units for formerly unhoused people, according to the mayor’s office. But San Francisco still \u003ca href=\"https://hsh.sfgov.org/services/how-to-get-services/accessing-temporary-shelter/adult-temporary-shelter/shelter-reservation-waitlist/\">lacks enough temporary shelter\u003c/a> and permanent homes for people to move into off the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED’s photo team spent a series of days over the past two weeks documenting the sweeps and speaking with the people impacted by them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>August 1, Showplace Square Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>City crews sweep encampments on Division Street, from Vermont Street to 9th Street, and on Alameda Street from San Bruno Ave. to Potrero Ave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 7:45 a.m. Alex Vallardo packs up his camp from under the I-80/Highway101 freeway interchange to avoid losing them to the city’s encampment sweep teams. Vallardo says he plans on staying in the same general part of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11998743\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11998743\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alex Vallardo ties his belongings to a wagon as he prepares to relocate before the sweep team arrives. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The sweep begins and a team from the San Francisco Department of Public works clears out a handful of unoccupied encampments and power washes the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000640\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12000640 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"2547\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-800x815.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-1020x1039.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-160x163.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-1508x1536.jpg 1508w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-2010x2048.jpg 2010w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-01-1920x1956.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers with the Department of Public Works examine and break down the contents of an unoccupied tent and load it into trucks headed for the dump. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11998575\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11998575\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A worker with the Department of Public Works rakes a sidewalk in Showplace Square. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11998580\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11998580\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-16-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">After clearing an encampment, a worker with the Department of Public Works sprays disinfectant and power washes the area. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>By 10:50 a.m. the sweep is over in the area and Alex Vallardo returns to the same location where he’d been that morning. He says he’d like to go home to Mexico but can’t afford to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000326\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000326\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240801-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-MD-17-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alex Vallardo reassembles his encampment following the sweep. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>August 8, Bayview Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>City crews sweep encampments on McKinnon Ave., from Selby Street to Toland Street, and on Toland Street from McKinnon Ave. to Jerrold Ave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnie Haggard pushes an overloaded cart up Selby Street away from McKinnon Street, where the city’s sweep will begin at 8 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haggard and Ariel Young are relocating their camp and their four puppies two blocks from where they had been.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We moved from one spot to another just until they’re finished doing what they’re doing,” says Haggard. “Then we’ll move back to where we was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000328\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000328\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ronnie Haggard pushes a cartload of belongings up Selby Street. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000376\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000376\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-02-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Haggard pushes another cartload of belongings up Selby Street. It took multiple trips to relocate his and Ariel Young’s encampment. Right: Haggard and Young’s puppies in their new encampment. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000329\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000329\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ariel Young cleans out a pen for her puppies at the new encampment. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On McKinnon Ave., a man known as MacGyver goes through his belongings deciding what to take with him and what he’ll have to leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like several residents of the area, he’s not in a tent but has built a shelter out of wooden pallets. When he leaves, MacGyver is forced to leave the pallets behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000330\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000330\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-08-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">MacGyver breaks down his encampment. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000331\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">MacGyver relocates the belongings he’s able to move in a shopping cart. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the sweep team works its way up at McKinnon Ave., nearby residents Suyen and José Zapatano desperately try to relocate the RV where they live with their 11-year-old son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The battery is dead and they say they’ve been trying to replace it since the night prior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As José calls out of work for the day to address the situation, a mechanic friend tries to install a new battery in the RV. DPW tells the Zapatanos that they have until 9 a.m. to move their vehicle or it will be towed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-13-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">José Zapatano (left) calls out of work in order to try to relocate his family’s RV. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000333\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-14-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Suyen Zapatano hugs her son not knowing if they will be able to relocate their RV or if it will be towed. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The replacement battery doesn’t work – but by strapping the RV to his car, their friend is able to tow the RV one block over and out of the sweep zone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody would choose to live like this”, says Suyen. She says the family would like to find an apartment to live in but can’t because they don’t have credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-15-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">José Zapatano and a friend strap the RV to the back of the friend’s car. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000335\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000335\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-16-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Zapatanos’ RV is towed by a friend one block over and out of the sweep area. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The sweep moves up McKinnon Ave. and around the corner on Tolland Ave., alongside the perimeter of a large Amazon facility with crews filling the backs of pickup trucks with trash and discarded belongings to be taken to the dump. A front-end loader is used to demolish larger encampments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000377\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000377\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-03-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crews with the Department of Public Works dispose of the contents of encampments along McKinnon Ave. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000337\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-18-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Department of Public Works crew uses a front-end loader to scrape an encampment along Tolland Ave. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After leaving her encampment briefly to relocate a shopping cart full of belongings, a resident of McKinnon Ave. is blocked by San Francisco police officers from returning to gather the remainder of her possessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000338\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000338\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-21-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Police bar a resident of McKinnon Ave. from returning to her encampment. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gilbert Cayago says he’s been living in an RV along Tolland Ave. for three years. It’s ironic, he says, that after supporting neighbors in repairing their vehicles for years, he’s now unable to start his own and will have to surrender it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cayago says he’s learned to smile through the pain and jokes with the SFPD officers on the scene. He accepts an offer from the city for placement in housing services and leaves Tolland Ave. after selecting a few prize possessions to take with him, including his guitar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240808-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-23-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gilbert Cayago speaks with police officers after he is unable to relocate his RV from Tolland Ave. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000378\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000378\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-04-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Cayago’s RV is towed. Right: Cayago departs Tolland Ave. for city-provided housing. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>August 8, Tenderloin Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Crews sweep encampments on Leavenworth Street, between Turk and Eddy streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the afternoon sweep begins, unhoused people in the area begin packing up their things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alongside the city’s sweep team, Jay Paulino, a youth reporter at POOR Magazine, is on the scene handing out bagels to unhoused people in the area, and live streaming video documenting the sweeps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000343\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED-1020x684.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED-1536x1031.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-23-KQED-1920x1288.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department of Public Works crews begin their work on Leavenworth Street as unhoused people prepare to relocate from the area. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000342\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000342\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-21-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay Paulino offers bagels to unhoused people on Leavenworth Street. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000341\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000341\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-6-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Department of Public Works crewmember clears Leavenworth Street. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the DPW teams move up Leavenworth Street between Eddy and Ellis streets, an unhoused resident named Jasmine is asked to pack her belongings and clear the area. The sweep team power washes the sidewalks where the people had been.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000574\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000574\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_EncampmentSweep_GC-29_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department of Public Works crew members ask Jasmine to relocate from Leavenworth Street. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000345\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000345\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240808_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-40-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Department of Public Works crew member power washes the sidewalk. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>August 9, South of Market Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Crews sweep encampments on Merlin Street, near the intersection of Harrison and 5th streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you don’t know your rights, you’re stuck in this wave,” says Tracey Luz, a Bay Area native who was forced to move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "More Photo Stories ",
"tag": "photography"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the morning, Luz packs her clothes and blankets into a cart and walks with her dog around the corner from where she had been sleeping on Merlin Street, where she’s lived on and off for nearly a year. She says city crews used to clear the area once every six months or so, but it’s happened multiple times in the last couple of weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city notified Luz on August 5 that crews would be clearing the street on August 9, she said. When they arrive, she accepts an offer for shelter for the day. But she doesn’t know where she will go after that, saying the shuffle around had been “disconcerting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people lose almost everything. They might fall asleep or they are gone and come back and everything is gone,” Luz says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000348\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000348\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tracey Luz with her 7-month-old puppy Scooby on Merlin Street. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000687\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000687\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"2547\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-800x815.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-1020x1039.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-160x163.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-1508x1536.jpg 1508w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-2010x2048.jpg 2010w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-TRIPTYCH-2-1920x1956.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department of Public Works crews clear encampments from Merlin Street. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the nearby Embarcadero Neighborhood, James Harris was told he needed to leave an F-train stop where he’d been staying. Harris, an army veteran, has lived in San Francisco for 33 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000351\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000351\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-41-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Fire Dept. Incident Commander Leslie Fong speaks with James Harris. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000350\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000350\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED-800x543.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED-1020x693.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED-1536x1043.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240809_ENCAMPMENTSWEEP_GC-38-KQED-1920x1304.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Harris packs his things to relocate his encampment. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>August 9, South of Market Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Crews sweep encampments on 6th Street, between Howard and Minna streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seeing the sweep team arrive and begin their work, Gary Lai begins folding and packing his belongings. He says he and his dog Creed are headed “westward,” as far as he can go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lai says his father is from Hawaii and he wishes he could go there. Lai says he’s been on the street in the area for 5 years but has only been staying where the sweep will take place for the past 24 hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000354\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000354\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary Lai carefully folds a blanket while packing up his encampment. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000380\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000380\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-06-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lai and his dog Creed relocate their encampment to outside the sweep area. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As others prepare their things to relocate, Incident Commander Leslie Fong with the San Francisco Fire Department approaches several unhoused people within the sweep area to inform them that city officials are on the scene offering services including housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000355\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000355\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-04-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Incident Commander Leslie Fong speaks with unhoused people in the sweep area. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000358\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-12-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department of Public Works teams clear trash from the corner of 6th and Natoma streets. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You’d be surprised how quickly your shoes get holes in them,” says Erin Henry as she laces up a pair of shoes on Minna and 6th streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Henry and her partner Michael Johnson are packing away their tent and getting ready to relocate as the sweep moves up 6th Street towards their encampment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson says that the last time the area was swept he was away from his things and his good wagon was taken, making it harder to move this time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the sweep approaches, Henry and Johnson relocate their things across 6th Street. to Natoma Street a block that has just been cleared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000356\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000356\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-07-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Erin Henry laces up a pair of shoes after wearing her old pair through. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000381\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000381\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-07-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Henry and Johnson pack up and relocate their encampment to a block that has just been cleared. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>August 14, Produce Market Neighborhood\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Crews sweep an area underneath the Highway 101 onramp near Cesar Chavez Street, known as The Hairball.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly before 8 a.m., Salomon Bello Molina is approached by a member of the Encampment Resolution Team known as ERT. The ERT is an initiative by the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to provide services for unhoused people, including shelter placement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As he packs his belongings, Molina is advised about temporary housing options available to him, but he ultimately declines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000359\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-06-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Encampment Resolution Team member speaks with Molina about temporary housing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000384\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000384\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-10-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Molina pets his dog Melvin, who has been his companion for seven years. Right: An Encampment Resolution Team member speaks with Molina about housing options with dogs. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Molina, 52, came to San Francisco 10 years ago with hopes of supporting his children and mother in Mexico. However, two years after his arrival, he became addicted to drugs and has been unhoused ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I came here to work, but I got lost in drugs – I relapsed,” he says. “That addiction is so powerful, you can’t have anything; you sell your things, you lose your principles.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000360\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000360\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-45-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Public Works employees clear debris left under Highway 101 near Cesar Chavez Street. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000382\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000382\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-08-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Public Works employees carry wood from a housing structure to a nearby trash truck. Right: Molina moves a cart of his belongings, including a lamp he hopes to trade for food. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Molina describes the encampment sweeps as overwhelming, and during this sweep, he abandoned most of his belongings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The city shows up – the police, the cleaning crew – and they all want my attention. I can’t give them all my attention. It’s chaos,” he says, adding that the experience gives him “stage fright.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he leaves, Molina takes only a few small carts filled with food, clothes, a bike he plans to sell and a pair of table lamps he hopes to trade for food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000361\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000361\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-59-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Molina and a friend watch as Public Works employees clean a bicycle path where Molina moved his belongings, just a few hundred feet from where he had been living. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000383\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000383\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-800x277.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-1020x353.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-1536x532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-2048x709.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/ENCAMPMENT-SWEEPS-DIPTYCH-09-1920x665.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Molina holds his dog, Melvin. Right: Public Works employees clean around Molina’s belongings and allow him to remain. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When asked about the kind of support he ideally wants, Molina says he would appreciate a decent job and a quiet place to clean up and keep his dog – a small room with a bathroom, kitchen and refrigerator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000362\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240814-ENCAMPMENTSWEEP-64-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The area where Molina lived is cleared of debris and items left behind. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Although he was offered a motel room in the past, he turned it down, citing concerns about neighbors, bedbugs and fleas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With a decent job, I can stop bothering people here. I can leave. But right now, I have nothing,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Vanessa Rancano contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12000606/scenes-from-san-franciscos-unhoused-encampment-sweeps",
"authors": [
"11865",
"11667",
"11908",
"11840"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_6266",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_27626",
"news_4020",
"news_1775",
"news_2672",
"news_38",
"news_29607"
],
"featImg": "news_11998571",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12000061": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12000061",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12000061",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1723716055000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "pretty-but-not-nice-californias-invasive-ice-plant",
"title": "Pretty, but Not 'Nice': California's Invasive Ice Plant",
"publishDate": 1723716055,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Pretty, but Not ‘Nice’: California’s Invasive Ice Plant | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 33523,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ice plant has many monikers: \u003cem>Carpobrotus edulis\u003c/em>, highway ice plant or simply, sour fig. If you’ve ever set eyes on a California beach, even from a distance, you’ve seen it. The fleshy green succulent has finger-like, three-sided leaves. It blooms with purple and yellow flowers in the spring. Most agree it’s a pretty plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this ubiquitous coastal plant has a dark side. It’s an invasive species that blankets dune landscapes, squeezing out native plants and critters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/span>Wetland ecologist Lorraine Parsons has a joke about invasive species: “Does that plant species play nicely in the sandbox?” she told me while observing rolling dunes covered with ice plant at Point Reyes National Seashore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The answer for this succulent is a decisive “no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Carpobrotus edulis\u003c/em> competes with other plants for basic resources like\u003ca href=\"https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=1660\"> light, water and space\u003c/a>. And it usually wins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After KQED listener Tom McMahon moved here in 2016, he was surprised to learn that the existence of ice plant in California barely predates the state’s railroads and highways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But over the past century, the succulent has blanketed some of California’s most beautiful seaside places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s part of my expectation of what the Pacific coast is,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McMahon wanted to know how the freeway plant got here in the first place, so he asked Bay Curious to look into its origin story. He also wanted to know about other invasive plants that don’t “play nice” with California natives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The beach invader\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>From Crescent City to San Diego, ice plant can be seen in some of California’s most iconic coastal areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Point Reyes National Seashore, there are miles and miles of it, despite the fact that park staff have been organizing removal events to control it for 25 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At one recent work party in June, around 10 employees and volunteers tore out ice plant just north of the lighthouse. Parsons said they chose the area because it wasn’t completely overrun, and therefore, there’s still hope that the sparse populations of native plants can bounce back after the removal of ice plant and European beach grass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parsons’ coworkers worked their way along the ground on their hands and knees, pulling out long strands of ice plant. They opted for a manual removal method rather than using herbicide, which would have affected other plants and water sources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990217\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990217\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francesca Dezza Parada (left) and Celeste Chavez, bilingual environmental educators with the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, remove ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, from a section of dunes at Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Because it grows in long, crawling strands, fellow weed killers have been known to enjoy friendly competition over who can remove the longest strand of ice plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’ll end up with something as long as your body and proudly hold it up like a big fish,” park ranger Sierra Frisbie said with a laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990225\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990225\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">National Park Service ranger Sierra Frisbie (left) and biological science technician Miriam Golding look at native plans in an area where ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, was removed at Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While the beach backdrop at Point Reyes is gorgeous, and the weed crusaders are having a good time, long-term ice plant eradication here is a permanent management problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It all started, Parsons said, when the plant was intentionally sown here in the early to mid-1900s as a way to keep dunes from moving into nearby pastures. Sandy dune ecosystems naturally shift, and ice plant helps hold them in place by setting down roots along viney, ground-hugging stems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ice plant also grows fast — about three feet laterally a year. So whenever ice plant shows up, it can pretty quickly form a dense carpet, holding the soil together underneath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After decades of growth at Point Reyes, Parsons said, about 60 percent of the coastal area has been taken over by ice plant and another invasive — the equally pernicious European beach grass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this hillside near a beach just north of the lighthouse, Parsons’ team is trying to make space for the native\u003ca href=\"https://www.fws.gov/species/tidestroms-lupine-lupinus-tidestromii\"> Tidestrom’s Lupine\u003c/a>, which is at risk of going extinct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The seeds of the lupine, another low-to-the-ground dune-lover with lavender flowers, are being eaten by mice, which have great cover in the nearby ice plant and beach grass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Native deer mice come, and they literally clip off the seams that have the seed on it, and they tug them off. And that’s like a food source for them,” Parsons said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The decline of native plants has a ripple effect on other wildlife. For example, another plant here, the\u003ca href=\"https://calscape.org/Monardella-undulata-(Curlyleaf-Monardella)\"> Curlyleaf Monardella\u003c/a>, is a primary nectar source for the endangered\u003ca href=\"https://www.fws.gov/species/myrtles-silverspot-butterfly-speyeria-zerene-myrtleae\"> Myrtle’s Silverspot\u003c/a> butterfly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990859\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990859\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Native plants grow in a section of dunes at Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4, 2024, that has been cleared of an invasive ice plant. The top row from left to right: curly-leaved Monardella (Monardella sinuata ssp. nigrescens), coast Indian paintbrush (Castilleja affinis) and beach layia (Layia carnosa). The bottom row from left to right are: mock heather (Ericameria ericoides), Tidestrom’s lupine (Lupinus tidestromii) and California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). This California poppy is the state flower. It’s very common around California, but usually, the flower is solid orange. The ones on the dunes tend to be much more yellow. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And birds such as the Western Snowy Plover, which are already\u003ca href=\"https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/8035\"> threatened\u003c/a>, are also made vulnerable by the nearby ice plant and beach grass. The short, white-bellied shorebird nests right in the sand on the beach. Their predators, ravens and coyotes, hide out in the thick cover of the invasives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It makes it easier for them to kind of sneak up on the nest,” Parsons said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Carpobrotus edulis\u003c/em> can also change the microbiota of the soil, making it less favorable for native plants even after ice plant is removed. So Parsons says removing an area infested by ice plants can just make space for “secondary invaders, instead of luring native flora back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For all those reasons, the staff at Point Reyes National Seashore choose their battles wisely when deciding which dune habitat to restore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not going to get rid of all this ice plant,” Parsons said, so they choose areas that aren’t completely overrun. “Because, in a sense, you get more bang for your buck … It’s a lot easier to reestablish a native community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Ice plant’s origins\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Today, ice plant blankets the California coastline and can also be seen in residential home gardens (where it is more welcome as an ornamental or lawn substitute).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Carpobrotus edulis\u003c/em> is not just a problem in California, though. It’s everywhere: coastal Italy, Spain, Argentina and Australia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ever since people have been buying plants and gardening, plants have been traded across international borders, UC Santa Barbara ecology professor\u003ca href=\"https://www.eemb.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/dantonio\"> Carla D’Antonio said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People take plants with them when they go places. When the Spaniards came here, they had a whole array of species,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ice plant first came from South Africa, probably in the 1930s, according to D’Antonio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990222\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990222\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wetland biologist Lorraine Parsons removes ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, from a section of Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Caltrans and other transportation engineers are\u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Plants/Dont-Plant-Me/Iceplant\"> widely reported\u003c/a> to have planted it around highways, railroads and other landscapes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was planted along railroads to stabilize blowing sand,” D’Antonio said. “It’s probably pretty good at stopping cars that are out of control, you know, and stopping erosion of cliff sides or bank sides onto those highways.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was a turning point with ice plant in the 1980s and ’90s, D’Antonio said, when natural area managers started not wanting the plant around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People were noticing that they were losing some of their beautiful…endemic coastal poppies and other things because \u003cem>Carpobrotus\u003c/em> was growing everywhere,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Other invasives\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Certainly, ice plant isn’t the only invasive plant crowding out California natives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profile/arundo-donax-profile/\">\u003cem>Arundo Donax\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a giant reed used for roofing material and musical instruments,\u003ca href=\"https://cisr.ucr.edu/invasive-species/giant-reed\"> was brought to California in the early 1800s\u003c/a>. \u003cem>Arundo Donax\u003c/em> is particularly troublesome. It turns river areas into fuel for fires and grows back even stronger after a blaze. Tens of millions of public dollars have been used to fight its spread.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While thousands of non-native plants have been introduced into California — some of them brought intentionally, others accidentally — most of them don’t alter their environments as much as Arundo and ice plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It isn’t that many of them that are really causing these big changes,” D’Antonio said. “But the ones that do definitely are changing the resources and the values that we want to have in our ecosystems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990216\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990216\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, grows at Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Preventing ‘invasions’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The good news is that in the past few decades, ecologists have been trying to establish some boundaries on international plant exchange, D’Antonio said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And more locally, park rangers are using a ‘boots on the ground’ approach to preventing the spread of invasives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rachel Kesel, a senior environmental scientist with California State Parks, is an evangelist for catching plant invaders before they take over entire coastlines. She’s trained park staff all over the Bay Area in early detection work, teaching them how to identify, map, and get rid of invasive plants before they become unmanageable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990219\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990219\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">National Park Service ranger Sierra Frisbie removes ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, from a section of Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One morning in June, Kesel trained a handful of park managers and volunteers at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in the Russian River area of Sonoma County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She warned them about a wispy green weed called panic veldt grass or\u003ca href=\"https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profile/ehrharta-erecta-profile/\"> \u003cem>Ehrharta erect\u003c/em>a\u003c/a>, which she saw crop up all over Mt. Tam when she worked there for the better part of a decade. She doesn’t want the grass to invade these redwoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It really is probably the highest priority for what to look for,” she said to the group. “It often comes in on our vehicles, mud in our tires and that sort of thing, out of our neighborhoods.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although this little blade of grass looks harmless, Kesel takes it very seriously. It has the potential to take over the forest floor; it can grow in just 2% light as well as on a sunny, soil-deprived beach. The veldt grass grows between other plants, which makes it look messy and hard to pull out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000167\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000167\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass-800x590.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass-1020x752.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass-160x118.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass-1536x1133.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass-1920x1416.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Kesel, senior environmental scientist for California State Parks, holds up a piece of invasive panic veldtgrass or Ehrharta erecta, in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve during a training with local park workers. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It would really change that iconic look of the understory floor and kind of what people are coming into an old-growth redwood forest to see,” Kesel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hunting down and rooting out invasives may seem like a lot of effort. But to anyone who stands among the redwoods on a hot day and soaks in the beauty of the clover-shaped sorrel on the forest floor, it probably doesn’t seem like too much to ask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, we all manage weeds in our own yards, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you want to get nerdy about the invasive plants in your area, go to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cal-ipc.org/\">Cal-IPC.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re inspired to plant California natives in your neighborhood, \u003ca href=\"https://calscape.org/\">Calscape offers design ideas and resources\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> When you think of quintessential California experiences, driving down Highway 1 is pretty tough to beat. It was one of the first things Tom McMahon did when he first visited the Bay Area in 2016.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tom McMahon: \u003c/strong>I rented a car, and I drove from San Francisco down to Seacliff. And on the way, I actually stopped along a few spots. And one of them was like, Poplar Beach. And, you know, one of the things that kind of jumped out was all these green plants with the purple and yellow flowers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> What he was seeing was ice plant — a fleshy green succulent with finger-like, three-sided leaves. It grows low to the ground and spreads out over large areas, like a carpet. In spring its pink, purple, or yellow flowers burst open — its petals spreading like little fireworks. Quite frankly, it’s gorgeous! But it’s got a dark side. McMahon started studying plants with his 5-year-old daughter recently and learned this charming-looking plant is invasive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tom McMahon:\u003c/strong> And this has been something that I’ve seen everywhere, and it’s part of my expectation of what the Pacific coast is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> McMahon lives in California now, and he and his daughter go on walks and see ice plant all over — it’s often used in landscaping in place of grass. She’s been asking: “If it’s invasive, why did someone put it there?” and McMahon doesn’t have a great answer. So, he asked Bay Curious for an assist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tom McMahon:\u003c/strong> Yeah, I’d like to know, why are the ice plants here, who brought them here? What was their purpose? And what other things do we see every day that are actually invasive and potentially harming our local plant life and wildlife?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This week on Bay Curious, we’re delving into the world of invasive plants. We’ll answer McMahon’s questions about ice plant and explore a few other troublesome flora. That’s all just head, stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>[SPONSOR MESSAGE]\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> To answer Tom McMahon’s questions about ice plant and other notorious invasives. KQED producer Pauline Bartolone got really in the weeds, hardy har har. Enjoy the ride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Ice plant has many monikers … Carpobrotus edulis, highway ice plant, or simply sour fig. If you’ve ever set eyes on a California beach, even from a distance, you’ve seen it. From as far north as Crescent City all the way down to San Diego. When it comes to invasive species in California, ice plant is iconic. And so are the areas it invades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[Wind sounds and crashing waves]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Like the Point Reyes seashore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons: \u003c/strong>So that’s all ice plant! \u003cem>[laughs]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Oh wow, okay, that whole ridge …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons: \u003c/strong>That whole ridge is ice plant over there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>I went to the rolling dunes of Point Reyes to meet Lorraine Parsons. She’s a wetland ecologist with the National Seashore. There are miles and miles of ice plant here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons:\u003c/strong> If you drive Sir Francis Drake all the way out to the lighthouse and you look out toward the ocean, many areas are just this dense carpet of ice plant and literally no other plant species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Parsons is here today with around 10 employees and volunteers to tear out ice plant uphill from a beach near the lighthouse. Here, they still have a chance to protect some vulnerable wildlife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons:\u003c/strong> And we still have some native plant species, but they’re being pushed out by the ice plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> National seashore staff have been organizing work parties like this for 25 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[sound of plants rustling, breaking]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Danna Ojeda:\u003c/strong> Oh, it’s a pretty easy plant to pull.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Biotechnician Danna Ojeda is on her hands and knees ripping out ice plant, drawing her hand back like she’s pulling a plug out of a wall. Technically, you could kill ice plant with herbicide, but that can affect other plants and water sources. Ojeda says the trickiest part about tearing it out is just making sure you don’t remove other plants too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Danna Ojeda:\u003c/strong> So you just pull it, and since it’s sand, it comes right off. Just make sure the roots don’t go in between any of the plants so you don’t accidentally bring them up to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Park ranger Sierra Frisbie adds her ice plant debris to a big pile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sierra Frisbie: \u003c/strong>During a volunteer event, we try to have a competition of who can get the longest piece of ice plant and you’ll end up with something, you know, as long as your body and proudly hold it up like a big fish or something. It’s kinda your catch of the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>While it’s a gorgeous sunny day out here, this is a beast of a project and a permanent management problem. Parsons says ice plant was actually planted here in the early to mid-1900s as a way to keep dunes, which naturally shift, from moving into nearby pastures. Ice plant is a good soil stabilizer. But it grows laterally about three feet a year. So after decades of growth, Parsons says, about 60 percent of the coastal area in Point Reyes has been taken over by ice plant and another invasive — the equally pernicious European beach grass. They’re struggling to get rid of it in areas where endangered native plants like Tidestrom’s lupine are at risk of going extinct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons: \u003c/strong>So this is the Tidestrom’s lupine here … Again, this is a short-lived perennial plant species in the pea family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Tidestrom’s lupine is another low-to-the-ground beach-loving plant with little lavender flowers. But here, its seeds are being eaten by mice, which hide out in the nearby ice plant and European beach grass. In many areas, it hasn’t been growing back\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons: \u003c/strong>It has historically stretched from Sonoma County near Goat Rock all the way down to Monterey. And, you know, over that time, populations have been lost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>The decline of native plants has a ripple effect on other wildlife in an ecosystem. For example, another plant here, the Curlyleaf Monardella, is a primary nectar source for an endangered butterfly. And birds such as the snowy plover, a tiny white-bellied thing, are also threatened. They nest right in the sand on the beach. And the nearby ice plant and beach grass provide cover for their predators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons:\u003c/strong> So, like, ravens can be in there obviously like coyotes, other animals like that, it makes it easier for them to kind of sneak up on the nest there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>And the bad news about ice plant gets worse. The invasive can also change the soil conditions, so it is less favorable for native plants even after ice plant is removed. For all those reasons, when it comes to these eradication parties, Parsons says they have to choose their battles wisely. They don’t even bother with the completely overrun areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons:\u003c/strong> We realize we’re not going to get rid of all this beach grass, and we’re not going to get rid of all this ice plant. So I think we’re just focusing on these like moderately to sparsely invaded areas because, in a sense, you get more bang for your buck. You’ve already got the native plants here. It’s a lot easier to get, to reestablish a native community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Today, ice plant blankets the California coastline. It’s not just a problem in California, though, it’s everywhere: coastal Italy, Spain, Argentina, Australia. UC Santa Barbara ecology professor Carla D’Antonio says that’s not surprising.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carla D’Antonio: \u003c/strong>People take plants with them when they go places. When the Spaniards came here, they had a whole array of species that they brought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>D’Antonio says there isn’t a lot of documentation about the beginnings of Carpobrotus edulis in the U.S. but there’s a consensus about its origin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carla D’Antonio: \u003c/strong>It came from South Africa. It appears to have come probably, in the 1930s. It was planted along railroads to stabilize blowing sand. It was planted along highways. It’s probably pretty good at stopping cars that are out of control, you know, and stopping erosion of cliff sides or bank sides onto those highways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Ice plant’s long and viny stems stay close to the ground as they grow, and set down many different roots along the way. The tangley mat keeps soil together underneath. That’s why Caltrans and other engineers planted it around highways, railroads and other landscapes. But when managers of natural areas like Asilomar in Monterey started getting concerned about ice plant, D’Antonio decided to do her doctoral research on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carla D’Antonio: \u003c/strong>Awareness really started to grow that this thing was showing up everywhere. People were noticing that they were losing some of their beautiful kind of endemic coastal poppies and other things because carpobrotus was growing everywhere.\u003cem>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nPauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Certainly, ice plant isn’t the only non-native plant bent on world domination. Our question asker, Tom McMahon wanted to know about others on the most-wanted list. I’d say Arundo donax would definitely be in that category. The giant reed was brought to California in the early 1800s and used for roofing material and musical instruments. Arundo donax is particularly gnarly, turning river areas into fuel for fire and growing back even stronger after a blaze. Tens of millions of public dollars have been used to fight it. All in all, D’Antonio says, thousands of non-native plants have been introduced into California. Some of them intentionally, others accidentally. Most of them play nice with native plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carla D’Antonio:\u003c/strong> So it isn’t that many of them that are really causing these big changes. But the ones that do definitely are changing the resources and the values that we want to have in our ecosystems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> So how do we stop those world-dominating plants? D’Antonio says for the past few decades, ecologists have been trying to establish some boundaries on international plant exchange. And more locally, park rangers are using boots on the ground approaches to preventing the spread of invasives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel: \u003c/strong>So I brought a couple of things with me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>People like Rachel Kesel in Sonoma County. The park ranger is an evangelist for catching plant invaders early before they take over entire coastlines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel: \u003c/strong>So I think everybody probably knows that all folks engaged in land management spend a lot of time and money on invasive plants. And what the early detection of invasive plants approach does is try to shift some of that, hopefully, new investment of time and money that you are already spending to plants that are newer on the landscape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Kesel has trained park staff all over the Bay Area to find invasive plants early. Today, she’s in Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve in the Russian River warning a handful of park staff and volunteers about a wispy green weed called panic veldt grass, or Ehrharta erecta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel: \u003c/strong>It often comes in on our vehicles, mud in our tires and that sort of thing out of our neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Kesel takes this little blade of grass very seriously. She saw Ehrharta crop up all over Mt. Tam, where she worked for the better part of a decade. This thing sounds like it could withstand an apocalypse. It can grow on a forest floor in just 2 percent light, or a sunny, soil deprived beach. It grows between other plants, which makes it hard to pull out. And Kesel says it just looks messy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel: \u003c/strong>It would really change that iconic look of the understory floor and kind of what people are coming into an old-growth redwood forest to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>[footsteps]\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Kesel takes a couple of park personnel out on a detection walk, to show them how they can identify the plant, and map it, so scientists can track its footprint over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> Go, team! Now, when I come upon something like this, I’m always gonna take a twirl around it…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Is that it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> No, that is a melaka.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Okay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> It’s a native grass, thankfully. But. Good eye, you’re noticing grasses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Apparently, I can’t tell the difference between blades of grass, but Kesel seems to have developed a hawk eye for this work. When we did come across the pesky blades of grass, she broke out a plastic bag to transport the undesirables.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> I know I look paranoid, but it is dropping its seed, which is why I have it in the bag.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[rustling of plastic bag]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> So now you go in the bag, my friend …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Then, she holds up the blade of grass like it’s a contaminated Q-tip so the park workers can get a closer look. She takes out her mini magnifying glass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> So, all right. If we look at the base. Of course, this one isn’t very red because, like I said, color is a fickle character.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Finally, she shows the park workers how to map other invasives using a program on her phone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel: \u003c/strong>Go to my location. Why are you being so dumb? I talk back to my device a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> During this trip, part of me felt like, wow, what a lot of effort to remove just a little blade of grass. But on the way out of Armstrong that day, I took a moment to stand under the shade of the redwoods and soak in the beauty. The forest floor was covered in this really pretty, delicate-looking sorrel. It’s a clover-like plant a few inches off the ground. That’s when it struck me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> I can really see why people want to preserve this place. The air is so still and soft, and I imagine much cooler than outside this redwood forest. I could spend all day here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>When it comes to preserving that feeling of the redwoods, managing invasives doesn’t seem like too much to ask. After all, we all manage weeds in our own yards, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> That story was produced by Pauline Bartolone. Big thanks to Tom McMahon and his five-year-old daughter for the question. And to the California invasive plant council for their expertise on this story. If you want to learn more about invasive plants or get involved in one of those removal work parties – we’ve got a lot of resources for you online at BayCurious.org. We’ll drop a link in our show notes too. Bay Curious is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. You can support our show by becoming a member! Give today at donate.kqed.org.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made by Amanda Font, Olivia Allen-Price, Christopher Beale, Ana De Almeida Amaral. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family. I’m Olivia Allen-Price, thank you for listening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "California's ubiquitous coastal plant has a dark side: It's an invasive species that blankets dune landscapes, squeezing out native plants and critters.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1723748354,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": true,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 124,
"wordCount": 4768
},
"headData": {
"title": "Pretty, but Not 'Nice': California's Invasive Ice Plant | KQED",
"description": "California's ubiquitous coastal plant has a dark side: It's an invasive species that blankets dune landscapes, squeezing out native plants and critters.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Pretty, but Not 'Nice': California's Invasive Ice Plant",
"datePublished": "2024-08-15T03:00:55-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-08-15T11:59:14-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/chrt.fm/track/G6C7C3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC2157052942.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12000061",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12000061/pretty-but-not-nice-californias-invasive-ice-plant",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ice plant has many monikers: \u003cem>Carpobrotus edulis\u003c/em>, highway ice plant or simply, sour fig. If you’ve ever set eyes on a California beach, even from a distance, you’ve seen it. The fleshy green succulent has finger-like, three-sided leaves. It blooms with purple and yellow flowers in the spring. Most agree it’s a pretty plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this ubiquitous coastal plant has a dark side. It’s an invasive species that blankets dune landscapes, squeezing out native plants and critters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/span>Wetland ecologist Lorraine Parsons has a joke about invasive species: “Does that plant species play nicely in the sandbox?” she told me while observing rolling dunes covered with ice plant at Point Reyes National Seashore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The answer for this succulent is a decisive “no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Carpobrotus edulis\u003c/em> competes with other plants for basic resources like\u003ca href=\"https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=1660\"> light, water and space\u003c/a>. And it usually wins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After KQED listener Tom McMahon moved here in 2016, he was surprised to learn that the existence of ice plant in California barely predates the state’s railroads and highways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But over the past century, the succulent has blanketed some of California’s most beautiful seaside places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s part of my expectation of what the Pacific coast is,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McMahon wanted to know how the freeway plant got here in the first place, so he asked Bay Curious to look into its origin story. He also wanted to know about other invasive plants that don’t “play nice” with California natives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The beach invader\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>From Crescent City to San Diego, ice plant can be seen in some of California’s most iconic coastal areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Point Reyes National Seashore, there are miles and miles of it, despite the fact that park staff have been organizing removal events to control it for 25 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At one recent work party in June, around 10 employees and volunteers tore out ice plant just north of the lighthouse. Parsons said they chose the area because it wasn’t completely overrun, and therefore, there’s still hope that the sparse populations of native plants can bounce back after the removal of ice plant and European beach grass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parsons’ coworkers worked their way along the ground on their hands and knees, pulling out long strands of ice plant. They opted for a manual removal method rather than using herbicide, which would have affected other plants and water sources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990217\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990217\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-13-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francesca Dezza Parada (left) and Celeste Chavez, bilingual environmental educators with the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, remove ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, from a section of dunes at Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Because it grows in long, crawling strands, fellow weed killers have been known to enjoy friendly competition over who can remove the longest strand of ice plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’ll end up with something as long as your body and proudly hold it up like a big fish,” park ranger Sierra Frisbie said with a laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990225\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990225\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-67-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">National Park Service ranger Sierra Frisbie (left) and biological science technician Miriam Golding look at native plans in an area where ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, was removed at Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While the beach backdrop at Point Reyes is gorgeous, and the weed crusaders are having a good time, long-term ice plant eradication here is a permanent management problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It all started, Parsons said, when the plant was intentionally sown here in the early to mid-1900s as a way to keep dunes from moving into nearby pastures. Sandy dune ecosystems naturally shift, and ice plant helps hold them in place by setting down roots along viney, ground-hugging stems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ice plant also grows fast — about three feet laterally a year. So whenever ice plant shows up, it can pretty quickly form a dense carpet, holding the soil together underneath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After decades of growth at Point Reyes, Parsons said, about 60 percent of the coastal area has been taken over by ice plant and another invasive — the equally pernicious European beach grass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this hillside near a beach just north of the lighthouse, Parsons’ team is trying to make space for the native\u003ca href=\"https://www.fws.gov/species/tidestroms-lupine-lupinus-tidestromii\"> Tidestrom’s Lupine\u003c/a>, which is at risk of going extinct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The seeds of the lupine, another low-to-the-ground dune-lover with lavender flowers, are being eaten by mice, which have great cover in the nearby ice plant and beach grass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Native deer mice come, and they literally clip off the seams that have the seed on it, and they tug them off. And that’s like a food source for them,” Parsons said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The decline of native plants has a ripple effect on other wildlife. For example, another plant here, the\u003ca href=\"https://calscape.org/Monardella-undulata-(Curlyleaf-Monardella)\"> Curlyleaf Monardella\u003c/a>, is a primary nectar source for the endangered\u003ca href=\"https://www.fws.gov/species/myrtles-silverspot-butterfly-speyeria-zerene-myrtleae\"> Myrtle’s Silverspot\u003c/a> butterfly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990859\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990859\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-105-BL-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Native plants grow in a section of dunes at Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4, 2024, that has been cleared of an invasive ice plant. The top row from left to right: curly-leaved Monardella (Monardella sinuata ssp. nigrescens), coast Indian paintbrush (Castilleja affinis) and beach layia (Layia carnosa). The bottom row from left to right are: mock heather (Ericameria ericoides), Tidestrom’s lupine (Lupinus tidestromii) and California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). This California poppy is the state flower. It’s very common around California, but usually, the flower is solid orange. The ones on the dunes tend to be much more yellow. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And birds such as the Western Snowy Plover, which are already\u003ca href=\"https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/8035\"> threatened\u003c/a>, are also made vulnerable by the nearby ice plant and beach grass. The short, white-bellied shorebird nests right in the sand on the beach. Their predators, ravens and coyotes, hide out in the thick cover of the invasives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It makes it easier for them to kind of sneak up on the nest,” Parsons said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Carpobrotus edulis\u003c/em> can also change the microbiota of the soil, making it less favorable for native plants even after ice plant is removed. So Parsons says removing an area infested by ice plants can just make space for “secondary invaders, instead of luring native flora back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For all those reasons, the staff at Point Reyes National Seashore choose their battles wisely when deciding which dune habitat to restore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not going to get rid of all this ice plant,” Parsons said, so they choose areas that aren’t completely overrun. “Because, in a sense, you get more bang for your buck … It’s a lot easier to reestablish a native community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Ice plant’s origins\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Today, ice plant blankets the California coastline and can also be seen in residential home gardens (where it is more welcome as an ornamental or lawn substitute).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Carpobrotus edulis\u003c/em> is not just a problem in California, though. It’s everywhere: coastal Italy, Spain, Argentina and Australia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ever since people have been buying plants and gardening, plants have been traded across international borders, UC Santa Barbara ecology professor\u003ca href=\"https://www.eemb.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/dantonio\"> Carla D’Antonio said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People take plants with them when they go places. When the Spaniards came here, they had a whole array of species,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ice plant first came from South Africa, probably in the 1930s, according to D’Antonio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990222\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990222\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-45-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wetland biologist Lorraine Parsons removes ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, from a section of Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Caltrans and other transportation engineers are\u003ca href=\"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Plants/Dont-Plant-Me/Iceplant\"> widely reported\u003c/a> to have planted it around highways, railroads and other landscapes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was planted along railroads to stabilize blowing sand,” D’Antonio said. “It’s probably pretty good at stopping cars that are out of control, you know, and stopping erosion of cliff sides or bank sides onto those highways.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was a turning point with ice plant in the 1980s and ’90s, D’Antonio said, when natural area managers started not wanting the plant around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People were noticing that they were losing some of their beautiful…endemic coastal poppies and other things because \u003cem>Carpobrotus\u003c/em> was growing everywhere,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Other invasives\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Certainly, ice plant isn’t the only invasive plant crowding out California natives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profile/arundo-donax-profile/\">\u003cem>Arundo Donax\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a giant reed used for roofing material and musical instruments,\u003ca href=\"https://cisr.ucr.edu/invasive-species/giant-reed\"> was brought to California in the early 1800s\u003c/a>. \u003cem>Arundo Donax\u003c/em> is particularly troublesome. It turns river areas into fuel for fires and grows back even stronger after a blaze. Tens of millions of public dollars have been used to fight its spread.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While thousands of non-native plants have been introduced into California — some of them brought intentionally, others accidentally — most of them don’t alter their environments as much as Arundo and ice plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It isn’t that many of them that are really causing these big changes,” D’Antonio said. “But the ones that do definitely are changing the resources and the values that we want to have in our ecosystems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990216\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990216\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-01-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, grows at Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Preventing ‘invasions’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The good news is that in the past few decades, ecologists have been trying to establish some boundaries on international plant exchange, D’Antonio said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And more locally, park rangers are using a ‘boots on the ground’ approach to preventing the spread of invasives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rachel Kesel, a senior environmental scientist with California State Parks, is an evangelist for catching plant invaders before they take over entire coastlines. She’s trained park staff all over the Bay Area in early detection work, teaching them how to identify, map, and get rid of invasive plants before they become unmanageable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11990219\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990219\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240604-InvasiveIcePlant-11-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">National Park Service ranger Sierra Frisbie removes ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), an invasive species from South Africa, from a section of Point Reyes National Seashore on June 4. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One morning in June, Kesel trained a handful of park managers and volunteers at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in the Russian River area of Sonoma County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She warned them about a wispy green weed called panic veldt grass or\u003ca href=\"https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profile/ehrharta-erecta-profile/\"> \u003cem>Ehrharta erect\u003c/em>a\u003c/a>, which she saw crop up all over Mt. Tam when she worked there for the better part of a decade. She doesn’t want the grass to invade these redwoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It really is probably the highest priority for what to look for,” she said to the group. “It often comes in on our vehicles, mud in our tires and that sort of thing, out of our neighborhoods.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although this little blade of grass looks harmless, Kesel takes it very seriously. It has the potential to take over the forest floor; it can grow in just 2% light as well as on a sunny, soil-deprived beach. The veldt grass grows between other plants, which makes it look messy and hard to pull out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12000167\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12000167\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass-800x590.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass-1020x752.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass-160x118.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass-1536x1133.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Kesel_grass-1920x1416.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Kesel, senior environmental scientist for California State Parks, holds up a piece of invasive panic veldtgrass or Ehrharta erecta, in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve during a training with local park workers. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It would really change that iconic look of the understory floor and kind of what people are coming into an old-growth redwood forest to see,” Kesel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hunting down and rooting out invasives may seem like a lot of effort. But to anyone who stands among the redwoods on a hot day and soaks in the beauty of the clover-shaped sorrel on the forest floor, it probably doesn’t seem like too much to ask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, we all manage weeds in our own yards, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you want to get nerdy about the invasive plants in your area, go to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cal-ipc.org/\">Cal-IPC.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re inspired to plant California natives in your neighborhood, \u003ca href=\"https://calscape.org/\">Calscape offers design ideas and resources\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "baycuriousquestion",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> When you think of quintessential California experiences, driving down Highway 1 is pretty tough to beat. It was one of the first things Tom McMahon did when he first visited the Bay Area in 2016.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tom McMahon: \u003c/strong>I rented a car, and I drove from San Francisco down to Seacliff. And on the way, I actually stopped along a few spots. And one of them was like, Poplar Beach. And, you know, one of the things that kind of jumped out was all these green plants with the purple and yellow flowers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> What he was seeing was ice plant — a fleshy green succulent with finger-like, three-sided leaves. It grows low to the ground and spreads out over large areas, like a carpet. In spring its pink, purple, or yellow flowers burst open — its petals spreading like little fireworks. Quite frankly, it’s gorgeous! But it’s got a dark side. McMahon started studying plants with his 5-year-old daughter recently and learned this charming-looking plant is invasive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tom McMahon:\u003c/strong> And this has been something that I’ve seen everywhere, and it’s part of my expectation of what the Pacific coast is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> McMahon lives in California now, and he and his daughter go on walks and see ice plant all over — it’s often used in landscaping in place of grass. She’s been asking: “If it’s invasive, why did someone put it there?” and McMahon doesn’t have a great answer. So, he asked Bay Curious for an assist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tom McMahon:\u003c/strong> Yeah, I’d like to know, why are the ice plants here, who brought them here? What was their purpose? And what other things do we see every day that are actually invasive and potentially harming our local plant life and wildlife?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This week on Bay Curious, we’re delving into the world of invasive plants. We’ll answer McMahon’s questions about ice plant and explore a few other troublesome flora. That’s all just head, stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>[SPONSOR MESSAGE]\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> To answer Tom McMahon’s questions about ice plant and other notorious invasives. KQED producer Pauline Bartolone got really in the weeds, hardy har har. Enjoy the ride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Ice plant has many monikers … Carpobrotus edulis, highway ice plant, or simply sour fig. If you’ve ever set eyes on a California beach, even from a distance, you’ve seen it. From as far north as Crescent City all the way down to San Diego. When it comes to invasive species in California, ice plant is iconic. And so are the areas it invades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[Wind sounds and crashing waves]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Like the Point Reyes seashore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons: \u003c/strong>So that’s all ice plant! \u003cem>[laughs]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Oh wow, okay, that whole ridge …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons: \u003c/strong>That whole ridge is ice plant over there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>I went to the rolling dunes of Point Reyes to meet Lorraine Parsons. She’s a wetland ecologist with the National Seashore. There are miles and miles of ice plant here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons:\u003c/strong> If you drive Sir Francis Drake all the way out to the lighthouse and you look out toward the ocean, many areas are just this dense carpet of ice plant and literally no other plant species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Parsons is here today with around 10 employees and volunteers to tear out ice plant uphill from a beach near the lighthouse. Here, they still have a chance to protect some vulnerable wildlife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons:\u003c/strong> And we still have some native plant species, but they’re being pushed out by the ice plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> National seashore staff have been organizing work parties like this for 25 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[sound of plants rustling, breaking]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Danna Ojeda:\u003c/strong> Oh, it’s a pretty easy plant to pull.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Biotechnician Danna Ojeda is on her hands and knees ripping out ice plant, drawing her hand back like she’s pulling a plug out of a wall. Technically, you could kill ice plant with herbicide, but that can affect other plants and water sources. Ojeda says the trickiest part about tearing it out is just making sure you don’t remove other plants too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Danna Ojeda:\u003c/strong> So you just pull it, and since it’s sand, it comes right off. Just make sure the roots don’t go in between any of the plants so you don’t accidentally bring them up to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Park ranger Sierra Frisbie adds her ice plant debris to a big pile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sierra Frisbie: \u003c/strong>During a volunteer event, we try to have a competition of who can get the longest piece of ice plant and you’ll end up with something, you know, as long as your body and proudly hold it up like a big fish or something. It’s kinda your catch of the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>While it’s a gorgeous sunny day out here, this is a beast of a project and a permanent management problem. Parsons says ice plant was actually planted here in the early to mid-1900s as a way to keep dunes, which naturally shift, from moving into nearby pastures. Ice plant is a good soil stabilizer. But it grows laterally about three feet a year. So after decades of growth, Parsons says, about 60 percent of the coastal area in Point Reyes has been taken over by ice plant and another invasive — the equally pernicious European beach grass. They’re struggling to get rid of it in areas where endangered native plants like Tidestrom’s lupine are at risk of going extinct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons: \u003c/strong>So this is the Tidestrom’s lupine here … Again, this is a short-lived perennial plant species in the pea family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Tidestrom’s lupine is another low-to-the-ground beach-loving plant with little lavender flowers. But here, its seeds are being eaten by mice, which hide out in the nearby ice plant and European beach grass. In many areas, it hasn’t been growing back\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons: \u003c/strong>It has historically stretched from Sonoma County near Goat Rock all the way down to Monterey. And, you know, over that time, populations have been lost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>The decline of native plants has a ripple effect on other wildlife in an ecosystem. For example, another plant here, the Curlyleaf Monardella, is a primary nectar source for an endangered butterfly. And birds such as the snowy plover, a tiny white-bellied thing, are also threatened. They nest right in the sand on the beach. And the nearby ice plant and beach grass provide cover for their predators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons:\u003c/strong> So, like, ravens can be in there obviously like coyotes, other animals like that, it makes it easier for them to kind of sneak up on the nest there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>And the bad news about ice plant gets worse. The invasive can also change the soil conditions, so it is less favorable for native plants even after ice plant is removed. For all those reasons, when it comes to these eradication parties, Parsons says they have to choose their battles wisely. They don’t even bother with the completely overrun areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lorraine Parsons:\u003c/strong> We realize we’re not going to get rid of all this beach grass, and we’re not going to get rid of all this ice plant. So I think we’re just focusing on these like moderately to sparsely invaded areas because, in a sense, you get more bang for your buck. You’ve already got the native plants here. It’s a lot easier to get, to reestablish a native community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Today, ice plant blankets the California coastline. It’s not just a problem in California, though, it’s everywhere: coastal Italy, Spain, Argentina, Australia. UC Santa Barbara ecology professor Carla D’Antonio says that’s not surprising.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carla D’Antonio: \u003c/strong>People take plants with them when they go places. When the Spaniards came here, they had a whole array of species that they brought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>D’Antonio says there isn’t a lot of documentation about the beginnings of Carpobrotus edulis in the U.S. but there’s a consensus about its origin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carla D’Antonio: \u003c/strong>It came from South Africa. It appears to have come probably, in the 1930s. It was planted along railroads to stabilize blowing sand. It was planted along highways. It’s probably pretty good at stopping cars that are out of control, you know, and stopping erosion of cliff sides or bank sides onto those highways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Ice plant’s long and viny stems stay close to the ground as they grow, and set down many different roots along the way. The tangley mat keeps soil together underneath. That’s why Caltrans and other engineers planted it around highways, railroads and other landscapes. But when managers of natural areas like Asilomar in Monterey started getting concerned about ice plant, D’Antonio decided to do her doctoral research on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carla D’Antonio: \u003c/strong>Awareness really started to grow that this thing was showing up everywhere. People were noticing that they were losing some of their beautiful kind of endemic coastal poppies and other things because carpobrotus was growing everywhere.\u003cem>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\nPauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Certainly, ice plant isn’t the only non-native plant bent on world domination. Our question asker, Tom McMahon wanted to know about others on the most-wanted list. I’d say Arundo donax would definitely be in that category. The giant reed was brought to California in the early 1800s and used for roofing material and musical instruments. Arundo donax is particularly gnarly, turning river areas into fuel for fire and growing back even stronger after a blaze. Tens of millions of public dollars have been used to fight it. All in all, D’Antonio says, thousands of non-native plants have been introduced into California. Some of them intentionally, others accidentally. Most of them play nice with native plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carla D’Antonio:\u003c/strong> So it isn’t that many of them that are really causing these big changes. But the ones that do definitely are changing the resources and the values that we want to have in our ecosystems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> So how do we stop those world-dominating plants? D’Antonio says for the past few decades, ecologists have been trying to establish some boundaries on international plant exchange. And more locally, park rangers are using boots on the ground approaches to preventing the spread of invasives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel: \u003c/strong>So I brought a couple of things with me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>People like Rachel Kesel in Sonoma County. The park ranger is an evangelist for catching plant invaders early before they take over entire coastlines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel: \u003c/strong>So I think everybody probably knows that all folks engaged in land management spend a lot of time and money on invasive plants. And what the early detection of invasive plants approach does is try to shift some of that, hopefully, new investment of time and money that you are already spending to plants that are newer on the landscape.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Kesel has trained park staff all over the Bay Area to find invasive plants early. Today, she’s in Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve in the Russian River warning a handful of park staff and volunteers about a wispy green weed called panic veldt grass, or Ehrharta erecta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel: \u003c/strong>It often comes in on our vehicles, mud in our tires and that sort of thing out of our neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Kesel takes this little blade of grass very seriously. She saw Ehrharta crop up all over Mt. Tam, where she worked for the better part of a decade. This thing sounds like it could withstand an apocalypse. It can grow on a forest floor in just 2 percent light, or a sunny, soil deprived beach. It grows between other plants, which makes it hard to pull out. And Kesel says it just looks messy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel: \u003c/strong>It would really change that iconic look of the understory floor and kind of what people are coming into an old-growth redwood forest to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>[footsteps]\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Kesel takes a couple of park personnel out on a detection walk, to show them how they can identify the plant, and map it, so scientists can track its footprint over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> Go, team! Now, when I come upon something like this, I’m always gonna take a twirl around it…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Is that it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> No, that is a melaka.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Okay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> It’s a native grass, thankfully. But. Good eye, you’re noticing grasses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Apparently, I can’t tell the difference between blades of grass, but Kesel seems to have developed a hawk eye for this work. When we did come across the pesky blades of grass, she broke out a plastic bag to transport the undesirables.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> I know I look paranoid, but it is dropping its seed, which is why I have it in the bag.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[rustling of plastic bag]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> So now you go in the bag, my friend …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>Then, she holds up the blade of grass like it’s a contaminated Q-tip so the park workers can get a closer look. She takes out her mini magnifying glass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel:\u003c/strong> So, all right. If we look at the base. Of course, this one isn’t very red because, like I said, color is a fickle character.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> Finally, she shows the park workers how to map other invasives using a program on her phone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel Kesel: \u003c/strong>Go to my location. Why are you being so dumb? I talk back to my device a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> During this trip, part of me felt like, wow, what a lot of effort to remove just a little blade of grass. But on the way out of Armstrong that day, I took a moment to stand under the shade of the redwoods and soak in the beauty. The forest floor was covered in this really pretty, delicate-looking sorrel. It’s a clover-like plant a few inches off the ground. That’s when it struck me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone:\u003c/strong> I can really see why people want to preserve this place. The air is so still and soft, and I imagine much cooler than outside this redwood forest. I could spend all day here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pauline Bartolone: \u003c/strong>When it comes to preserving that feeling of the redwoods, managing invasives doesn’t seem like too much to ask. After all, we all manage weeds in our own yards, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> That story was produced by Pauline Bartolone. Big thanks to Tom McMahon and his five-year-old daughter for the question. And to the California invasive plant council for their expertise on this story. If you want to learn more about invasive plants or get involved in one of those removal work parties – we’ve got a lot of resources for you online at BayCurious.org. We’ll drop a link in our show notes too. Bay Curious is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. You can support our show by becoming a member! Give today at donate.kqed.org.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made by Amanda Font, Olivia Allen-Price, Christopher Beale, Ana De Almeida Amaral. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family. I’m Olivia Allen-Price, thank you for listening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
}
],
"link": "/news/12000061/pretty-but-not-nice-californias-invasive-ice-plant",
"authors": [
"11879"
],
"programs": [
"news_33523"
],
"series": [
"news_17986"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_19906",
"news_8",
"news_356"
],
"tags": [
"news_18426",
"news_20023",
"news_27626",
"news_23518",
"news_1421"
],
"featImg": "news_11990228",
"label": "news_33523"
},
"news_11999996": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11999996",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999996",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1723645832000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-bill-would-require-state-review-of-private-equity-deals-in-health-care",
"title": "California Bill Would Require State Review of Private Equity Deals in Health Care",
"publishDate": 1723645832,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California Bill Would Require State Review of Private Equity Deals in Health Care | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>A bill pending in California’s Legislature to ratchet up oversight of private equity investments in health care is receiving enthusiastic backing from consumer advocates, labor unions, and the California Medical Association but drawing heavy fire from hospitals concerned about losing a potential funding source.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation, sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billAnalysisClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB3129\">would require\u003c/a> private equity groups and hedge funds to notify his office of planned purchases of many types of health care businesses and obtain its consent. It also reinforces state laws that bar nonphysicians from directly employing doctors or directing their activities, which is a primary reason for the doctor association’s support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Private equity firms raise money from institutional investors such as pension funds and typically acquire companies they believe can be run more profitably. Then, they look to boost earnings and sell the assets for multiples of what they paid for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That can be good for future retirees and sometimes for mismanaged companies that need a capital infusion and a new direction. But critics say the profit-first approach isn’t good for health care. Private equity deals in the sector are coming under increased scrutiny around the country amid mounting evidence that they often lead to higher prices, lower-quality care, and reduced access to core health services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents of the bill, led by the state’s hospital association, the California Chamber of Commerce, and a national private equity advocacy group, say it would discourage much-needed investment. The hospital industry has already persuaded lawmakers to exempt sales of for-profit hospitals from the proposed law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We preferred not to make that amendment,” Bonta said in an interview. “But we still have a strong bill that provides very important protections.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation would still apply to a broad swath of medical businesses, including clinics, physician groups, nursing homes, testing labs, and outpatient facilities, among others. Nonprofit hospital deals are already subject to the attorney general’s review.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A final vote on the bill could come this month if a state Senate committee moves it forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally, private equity investors \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2023/nov/private-equity-role-health-care\">have spent $1 trillion\u003c/a> on health care acquisitions in the past decade, according to a report by The Commonwealth Fund. Physician practices have been especially attractive to them, with transactions \u003ca href=\"https://www.antitrustinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/AAI-UCB-EG_Private-Equity-I-Physician-Practice-Report_FINAL.pdf\">growing sixfold (PDF)\u003c/a> in a decade and often leading to significant price increases. Other types of outpatient services, as well as clinics, have also been targets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, the value of private equity health care deals \u003ca href=\"https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PrivateEquityPrevalenceImpactPolicy.pdf#page=9\">grew more than twentyfold (PDF)\u003c/a> from 2005 to 2021, from less than $1 billion to $20 billion, according to the California Health Care Foundation. Private equity firms are tracking the pending legislation closely but so far haven’t slowed investment in California, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://files.pitchbook.com/website/files/pdf/Q2_2024_Healthcare_Services_Report.pdf\">new report (PDF)\u003c/a> from the research firm PitchBook.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Multiple studies, as well as a \u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/private-equity/\">series of reports by KFF Health News\u003c/a>, have documented some of the difficulties created by private equity in health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2813379\">Research published last December\u003c/a> in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a larger likelihood of adverse events such as patient infections and falls at private equity hospitals compared with others. Analysts say more research is needed on how patient care is being affected but that the impact on cost is clear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can be almost certain that after a private equity acquisition, we’re going to be paying more for the same thing or for something that’s gotten worse,” said Kristof Stremikis, the director of Market Analysis and Insight at the California Health Care Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most private equity deals in health care are below the $119.5 million threshold that triggers a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/competition-matters/2024/02/new-hsr-thresholds-filing-fees-2024\">requirement to notify\u003c/a> federal regulators, so they often slide under the government radar. The Federal Trade Commission is stepping up scrutiny, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/09/ftc-challenges-private-equity-firms-scheme-suppress-competition-anesthesiology-practices-across\">last year, it sued\u003c/a> a private equity-backed anesthesia group for anti-competitive practices in Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lawmakers in several other states, including Connecticut, Minnesota, and Massachusetts, have proposed legislation that would subject private equity deals to greater transparency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not all private equity firms are bad operators, said Assemblymember Jim Wood, a Democrat from Healdsburg, but the review is essential: “If you are a good entity, you shouldn’t fear this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill would require the attorney general to examine proposed transactions to determine their impact on the quality and accessibility of care, as well as on regional competition and prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics note that private equity deals are often financed with debt that is then owed by the acquired company. In many cases, private equity groups \u003ca href=\"https://prospect.org/health/2023-05-23-quackonomics-medical-properties-trust/\">sell off real estate\u003c/a> to generate immediate returns for investors, and the new owners of the property then charge the acquired company rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"more health care stories\" postID=\"news_11990215,news_11986998,news_11986075\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was a factor in the financial collapse of Steward Health Care, a multistate hospital system that was owned by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management from 2010 to 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://pestakeholder.org/reports/the-pillaging-of-steward-health-care/\">according to a report\u003c/a> by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a nonprofit that supports the California bill. Steward filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May. “Almost all of the most distressed US healthcare companies are owned by private equity firms,” \u003ca href=\"https://pestakeholder.org/private-equity-healthcare-bankruptcies-are-on-the-rise/\">according to another study\u003c/a> by the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents of the legislation argue it would dampen much-needed investment in an industry with soaring operating costs. “Our concern is that it will cut off funding that can improve health care,” said Ned Wigglesworth, a spokesperson for \u003ca href=\"https://protectcommunityhealthcare.org/\">Californians to Protect Community Health Care\u003c/a>, a coalition of groups fighting the legislation. The prospect of having to submit to a lengthy review by the attorney general, he said, would create “a chilling effect on private funders.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Proponents of private equity investment point to what they say are notable successes in California health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Children’s Choice Dental Care, for example, said \u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Childrens-Choice-Oppose-6.10.24.pdf\">in a letter (PDF)\u003c/a> to state senators that it logs over 227,000 dental visits annually, mostly with children on Medi-Cal, the health insurance program for low-income Californians. “We have been able to expand to 25 locations because we have been able to access capital from a private equity firm,” the group wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ivy Fertility, with clinics in California and eight other states, said \u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Ivy-Fertility-Oppose.pdf\">in a letter (PDF)\u003c/a> to state senators that private investment has expanded its ability to provide fertility treatments at a time when demand for them is increasing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers note that private equity investors are hardly alone when it comes to health care profiteering, which extends even to nonprofits. \u003ca href=\"https://californiahealthline.org/news/surprise-settlement-in-sutter-health-antitrust-case/\">Sutter Health\u003c/a>, a major nonprofit hospital chain, for example, \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-final-approval-575-million-settlement-sutter\">settled for $575 million\u003c/a> in a \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-sues-sutter-health-anti-competitive-practices-increase\">lawsuit brought\u003c/a> by then-Attorney General Xavier Becerra for unfair contracting and pricing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s helpful to look at ownership classes like private equity, but at the end of the day, we should look at behavior, and anyone can do the things that private equity firms do,” said Christopher Cai, a physician and health policy researcher at Harvard Medical School. He added, though, that private equity investors are “more likely to engage in financially risky or purely profit-driven behavior.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was produced by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cem>KFF Health News\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, which publishes \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cem>California Healthline\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, an editorially independent service of the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.chcf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cem>California Health Care Foundation\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The legislation, sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta, is being backed by labor unions, but hospitals are concerned about losing potential funding.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738186143,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 29,
"wordCount": 1261
},
"headData": {
"title": "California Bill Would Require State Review of Private Equity Deals in Health Care | KQED",
"description": "The legislation, sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta, is being backed by labor unions, but hospitals are concerned about losing potential funding.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California Bill Would Require State Review of Private Equity Deals in Health Care",
"datePublished": "2024-08-14T07:30:32-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-01-29T13:29:03-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/news/author/bernard-j-wolfson/\">Bernard J. Wolfson\u003c/a>, KFF Health News",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-11999996",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11999996/california-bill-would-require-state-review-of-private-equity-deals-in-health-care",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A bill pending in California’s Legislature to ratchet up oversight of private equity investments in health care is receiving enthusiastic backing from consumer advocates, labor unions, and the California Medical Association but drawing heavy fire from hospitals concerned about losing a potential funding source.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation, sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billAnalysisClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB3129\">would require\u003c/a> private equity groups and hedge funds to notify his office of planned purchases of many types of health care businesses and obtain its consent. It also reinforces state laws that bar nonphysicians from directly employing doctors or directing their activities, which is a primary reason for the doctor association’s support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Private equity firms raise money from institutional investors such as pension funds and typically acquire companies they believe can be run more profitably. Then, they look to boost earnings and sell the assets for multiples of what they paid for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That can be good for future retirees and sometimes for mismanaged companies that need a capital infusion and a new direction. But critics say the profit-first approach isn’t good for health care. Private equity deals in the sector are coming under increased scrutiny around the country amid mounting evidence that they often lead to higher prices, lower-quality care, and reduced access to core health services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents of the bill, led by the state’s hospital association, the California Chamber of Commerce, and a national private equity advocacy group, say it would discourage much-needed investment. The hospital industry has already persuaded lawmakers to exempt sales of for-profit hospitals from the proposed law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We preferred not to make that amendment,” Bonta said in an interview. “But we still have a strong bill that provides very important protections.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation would still apply to a broad swath of medical businesses, including clinics, physician groups, nursing homes, testing labs, and outpatient facilities, among others. Nonprofit hospital deals are already subject to the attorney general’s review.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A final vote on the bill could come this month if a state Senate committee moves it forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally, private equity investors \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2023/nov/private-equity-role-health-care\">have spent $1 trillion\u003c/a> on health care acquisitions in the past decade, according to a report by The Commonwealth Fund. Physician practices have been especially attractive to them, with transactions \u003ca href=\"https://www.antitrustinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/AAI-UCB-EG_Private-Equity-I-Physician-Practice-Report_FINAL.pdf\">growing sixfold (PDF)\u003c/a> in a decade and often leading to significant price increases. Other types of outpatient services, as well as clinics, have also been targets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, the value of private equity health care deals \u003ca href=\"https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PrivateEquityPrevalenceImpactPolicy.pdf#page=9\">grew more than twentyfold (PDF)\u003c/a> from 2005 to 2021, from less than $1 billion to $20 billion, according to the California Health Care Foundation. Private equity firms are tracking the pending legislation closely but so far haven’t slowed investment in California, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://files.pitchbook.com/website/files/pdf/Q2_2024_Healthcare_Services_Report.pdf\">new report (PDF)\u003c/a> from the research firm PitchBook.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Multiple studies, as well as a \u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/private-equity/\">series of reports by KFF Health News\u003c/a>, have documented some of the difficulties created by private equity in health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2813379\">Research published last December\u003c/a> in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a larger likelihood of adverse events such as patient infections and falls at private equity hospitals compared with others. Analysts say more research is needed on how patient care is being affected but that the impact on cost is clear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can be almost certain that after a private equity acquisition, we’re going to be paying more for the same thing or for something that’s gotten worse,” said Kristof Stremikis, the director of Market Analysis and Insight at the California Health Care Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most private equity deals in health care are below the $119.5 million threshold that triggers a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/competition-matters/2024/02/new-hsr-thresholds-filing-fees-2024\">requirement to notify\u003c/a> federal regulators, so they often slide under the government radar. The Federal Trade Commission is stepping up scrutiny, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/09/ftc-challenges-private-equity-firms-scheme-suppress-competition-anesthesiology-practices-across\">last year, it sued\u003c/a> a private equity-backed anesthesia group for anti-competitive practices in Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lawmakers in several other states, including Connecticut, Minnesota, and Massachusetts, have proposed legislation that would subject private equity deals to greater transparency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not all private equity firms are bad operators, said Assemblymember Jim Wood, a Democrat from Healdsburg, but the review is essential: “If you are a good entity, you shouldn’t fear this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill would require the attorney general to examine proposed transactions to determine their impact on the quality and accessibility of care, as well as on regional competition and prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics note that private equity deals are often financed with debt that is then owed by the acquired company. In many cases, private equity groups \u003ca href=\"https://prospect.org/health/2023-05-23-quackonomics-medical-properties-trust/\">sell off real estate\u003c/a> to generate immediate returns for investors, and the new owners of the property then charge the acquired company rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "more health care stories ",
"postid": "news_11990215,news_11986998,news_11986075"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was a factor in the financial collapse of Steward Health Care, a multistate hospital system that was owned by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management from 2010 to 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://pestakeholder.org/reports/the-pillaging-of-steward-health-care/\">according to a report\u003c/a> by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a nonprofit that supports the California bill. Steward filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May. “Almost all of the most distressed US healthcare companies are owned by private equity firms,” \u003ca href=\"https://pestakeholder.org/private-equity-healthcare-bankruptcies-are-on-the-rise/\">according to another study\u003c/a> by the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents of the legislation argue it would dampen much-needed investment in an industry with soaring operating costs. “Our concern is that it will cut off funding that can improve health care,” said Ned Wigglesworth, a spokesperson for \u003ca href=\"https://protectcommunityhealthcare.org/\">Californians to Protect Community Health Care\u003c/a>, a coalition of groups fighting the legislation. The prospect of having to submit to a lengthy review by the attorney general, he said, would create “a chilling effect on private funders.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Proponents of private equity investment point to what they say are notable successes in California health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Children’s Choice Dental Care, for example, said \u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Childrens-Choice-Oppose-6.10.24.pdf\">in a letter (PDF)\u003c/a> to state senators that it logs over 227,000 dental visits annually, mostly with children on Medi-Cal, the health insurance program for low-income Californians. “We have been able to expand to 25 locations because we have been able to access capital from a private equity firm,” the group wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ivy Fertility, with clinics in California and eight other states, said \u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Ivy-Fertility-Oppose.pdf\">in a letter (PDF)\u003c/a> to state senators that private investment has expanded its ability to provide fertility treatments at a time when demand for them is increasing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers note that private equity investors are hardly alone when it comes to health care profiteering, which extends even to nonprofits. \u003ca href=\"https://californiahealthline.org/news/surprise-settlement-in-sutter-health-antitrust-case/\">Sutter Health\u003c/a>, a major nonprofit hospital chain, for example, \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-final-approval-575-million-settlement-sutter\">settled for $575 million\u003c/a> in a \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-sues-sutter-health-anti-competitive-practices-increase\">lawsuit brought\u003c/a> by then-Attorney General Xavier Becerra for unfair contracting and pricing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s helpful to look at ownership classes like private equity, but at the end of the day, we should look at behavior, and anyone can do the things that private equity firms do,” said Christopher Cai, a physician and health policy researcher at Harvard Medical School. He added, though, that private equity investors are “more likely to engage in financially risky or purely profit-driven behavior.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was produced by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cem>KFF Health News\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, which publishes \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cem>California Healthline\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, an editorially independent service of the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.chcf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cem>California Health Care Foundation\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11999996/california-bill-would-require-state-review-of-private-equity-deals-in-health-care",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11999996"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_457",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_21405",
"news_18543",
"news_3674"
],
"featImg": "news_11999997",
"label": "news"
},
"news_11999966": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11999966",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999966",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1723576509000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "your-rent-may-go-up-because-of-rising-insurance-rates",
"title": "Your Rent May Go Up Because of Rising Insurance Rates",
"publishDate": 1723576509,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Your Rent May Go Up Because of Rising Insurance Rates | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>Like single-family homeowners in California, landlords also face higher insurance premiums. And they’re passing along some of those costs to their tenants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many insurance companies have stopped writing policies in the state because of increased wildfire risks, but that’s not the only reason. They say that in the case of any catastrophe, the potential costs of replacing any residential or commercial property, from labor to material costs, are just plain more expensive now. So, even owners of properties in areas that are not at high risk for wildfires have had their policies canceled because their buildings may need repairs or improvements. Landlords are having to find other insurers or having to turn to the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/01/california-fire-insurance-2/\">ever-growing and more expensive FAIR Plan\u003c/a>, the insurance industry-run plan that is mandated under California law to be the insurer of last resort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is where the insurance crisis could worsen the housing crisis, according to some experts. Increased insurance costs for properties other than single-family homes are starting to affect the rental market — in a state where almost half of residents are renters — and could compound the state’s housing problems, they say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Josh Hoover, an insurance broker in the Los Angeles area, handles mostly commercial accounts and said “it’s almost impossible” to find coverage for any large structure. In late 2022, Allstate said it would stop writing new property insurance in the state, including commercial policies. Then State Farm, the biggest insurer in the state, recently \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article286963825.html\">canceled policies\u003c/a> for tens of thousands of homes, residential community associations, business owners and commercial apartment properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even buildings made in the ’80s are now considered old, which is ridiculous,” Hoover said. “Most carriers want everything updated in the last 30 years. They want a new roof, electrical redone, plumbing redone — they want you to have copper pipes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>For landlords, ‘death by a thousand cuts’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, Farmers canceled the policy on a 33-unit apartment building in San Bernardino that was built in the 1960s, said its co-owner, Uwe Karbenk. Karbenk found an out-of-state insurer instead of going with the more expensive FAIR Plan, but his premium has still increased by $28,000 to more than $41,000 a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combined with state laws that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2023/06/california-rent-control-settlement/\">limit how much he is allowed to raise the rent\u003c/a> each year — 5% plus inflation, or up to 10% in some cases, with \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/newsletter/california-rent-control-propositions/\">possibly other rent-control measures on the way\u003c/a> — Karbenk said being a landlord in California is “a little bit like death by a thousand cuts.” He added that if his profit margin continues to shrink, he would rather invest in something else besides real estate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One of these measures, it’s not a big deal,” Karbenk said. “But over the years, it’s really difficult for mom-and-pops.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999968\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999968\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081224_Mike-Placido_JH_CM_02-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081224_Mike-Placido_JH_CM_02-copy.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081224_Mike-Placido_JH_CM_02-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081224_Mike-Placido_JH_CM_02-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081224_Mike-Placido_JH_CM_02-copy-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Placido in front of a four-unit rental property that he and his wife own and manage in San Gabriel on Aug. 12, 2024. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mike Placido and his wife are definitely a mom-and-pop. They own two rental properties, a four-unit building in San Gabriel and a duplex in Alhambra. He said they bought the properties as a way to supplement their retirement income when the time comes in a few years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When State Farm canceled the policy on their San Gabriel property, Placido got a quote from the FAIR Plan for $8,600, much higher than their old $2,600 premium. Instead, he was able to cobble together three different policies from a Florida-based insurer to get the coverage the old policy provided for $6,500, a 150% increase. So he said he plans to raise rents in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like I’m some land baron,” Placido said. “I’ll pass along as much as I possibly can, as much as the market can bear, and I’ll shoulder the rest. I have no choice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Yet another worry for renters\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>About 44% of Californians are renters, according to the U.S. Census. The median monthly rent in the state is $2,850, a third higher than the national figure, according to online real estate marketer Zillow. About 30% of the state’s renters are considered severely cost-burdened, meaning they spend at least half of their income on housing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/blog/californias-renters/#:~:text=Renters%20make%20up%20a%20much,over%20the%20last%20six%20decades.\">according to an analysis\u003c/a> by the Public Policy Institute of California. Now, their rents could rise to even more burdensome levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11995878,forum_2010101895350,news_11997351\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shanti Singh, legislative director for statewide renters’ rights organization Tenants Together, said, “It’s still kind of an unknown how common it is” that tenants’ rents are rising along with insurance costs, partly because not all landlords say why they’re raising rents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It depends on the landlords,” Singh said. “Some are transparent; a lot of them aren’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Any significant rent increases have not yet shown up in Zillow’s data, which shows California’s median rent is actually down about $100 compared with last year, though it has climbed higher since the beginning of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, two renters who didn’t want to be named out of fear of retaliation from their landlord said the rents at their live-work complex jumped earlier this year, and the reason was spelled out to them in an email with “insurance costs” in the subject line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singh said she fears things will only get worse for renters as the effects of climate change, such as wildfires, continue to weigh on the affordability of insurance and, in turn, housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Tenants are going to have the least recourse,” Singh said. They “always end up bearing a disproportionate brunt of what they can afford.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Housing and climate change\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Singh and others who deal with California’s lack of affordable housing expressed concern about whether certain parts of the state will eventually be uninhabitable and uninsurable — whichever comes first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sarah Karlinsky, director of research at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, said the lack of enough housing within already developed cities means more building “at the fringe of regions, in places that are more dangerous,” also known as the wildland-urban interface, or the WUI, in wildfire speak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we don’t want to continue down this road, we have to fundamentally rethink our development patterns,” Karlinsky added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999969\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999969\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/072723-Fresno-Rent-LV_CM_04-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/072723-Fresno-Rent-LV_CM_04-copy.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/072723-Fresno-Rent-LV_CM_04-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/072723-Fresno-Rent-LV_CM_04-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/072723-Fresno-Rent-LV_CM_04-copy-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A rental sign in front of an apartment complex in Tower District in Fresno on July 27, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/Catchlight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Laurie Johnson, an urban planner and former chief catastrophe response and resiliency officer for the California Earthquake Authority, pointed out that some property owners in the state who own their buildings and have no mortgages might choose not to insure their properties because of the rising costs. That’s worrisome, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels like we want to keep our multifamily stock insured and don’t want to take the risk of losing it,” Johnson said. Hoover, the insurance broker, agreed and said he has had some clients tell him they plan to forgo insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson added that just as jurisdictions have been requiring seismic retrofitting in case of earthquakes, protection against fires and other catastrophes — and the ability to replace whatever might be lost — is vital: “You would be displacing so many people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The growing risks of climate change make it more important than ever for renters to have their own insurance, said Emily Rogan, senior program officer for United Policyholders, a consumer advocacy group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Renters insurance would cover the costs for tenants to stay “somewhere else as you figure out where to live in case of a severe weather event,” Rogan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Effects on commercial properties and businesses\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Small businesses that rent their space will be affected by their landlords’ rising premiums, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>John Reed owns a mixed-use commercial property in Oakhurst, outside Yosemite — an area that has seen its share of fires in the past several years. Last year, his fire insurance cost about $2,800, but Berkshire Hathaway canceled his policy. He got three different quotes from the FAIR Plan, with the highest being $24,000. Then, he found a plan from Lloyd’s of London for about $14,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999972\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999972\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_14-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_14-copy.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_14-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_14-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_14-copy-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The MVP Commercial building. \u003ccite>(Tracy Barbutes for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999971\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999971\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_08-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_08-copy.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_08-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_08-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_08-copy-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Reed outside of the MVP Commercial building. Oakhurst on Aug. 11, 2024. \u003ccite>(Tracy Barbutes for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reed said he will have to pass on his increased costs to his six tenants. “As a landlord, I can’t hit them with the whole burden all at once,” he said. “If I’m able to afford it, I will try to spread that out over a two- or three-year period.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, has unveiled a multi-part plan to address the state’s insurance woes, mainly focused on wildfires. For example, insurers will be allowed to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/03/california-home-insurance-market/\">use catastrophe models\u003c/a> if they \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/06/california-pushes-insurers-to-cover-more-homes-in-these-areas-is-your-zip-included/\">agree to write policies in certain areas of the state\u003c/a>. However, the insurance department spokesperson Michael Soller pointed out that Lara also recently announced a deal with the FAIR Plan, which creates a high-value commercial coverage option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reforms will have broad benefits for the availability of insurance,” Soller said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "California landlords see rising insurance costs, so they say they will have to raise rents. But they complain about laws that limit their ability to do so.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1723576394,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 34,
"wordCount": 1631
},
"headData": {
"title": "Your Rent May Go Up Because of Rising Insurance Rates | KQED",
"description": "California landlords see rising insurance costs, so they say they will have to raise rents. But they complain about laws that limit their ability to do so.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Your Rent May Go Up Because of Rising Insurance Rates",
"datePublished": "2024-08-13T12:15:09-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-08-13T12:13:14-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/levi-sumagaysay/\">Levi Sumagaysay\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11999966/your-rent-may-go-up-because-of-rising-insurance-rates",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Like single-family homeowners in California, landlords also face higher insurance premiums. And they’re passing along some of those costs to their tenants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many insurance companies have stopped writing policies in the state because of increased wildfire risks, but that’s not the only reason. They say that in the case of any catastrophe, the potential costs of replacing any residential or commercial property, from labor to material costs, are just plain more expensive now. So, even owners of properties in areas that are not at high risk for wildfires have had their policies canceled because their buildings may need repairs or improvements. Landlords are having to find other insurers or having to turn to the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/01/california-fire-insurance-2/\">ever-growing and more expensive FAIR Plan\u003c/a>, the insurance industry-run plan that is mandated under California law to be the insurer of last resort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is where the insurance crisis could worsen the housing crisis, according to some experts. Increased insurance costs for properties other than single-family homes are starting to affect the rental market — in a state where almost half of residents are renters — and could compound the state’s housing problems, they say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Josh Hoover, an insurance broker in the Los Angeles area, handles mostly commercial accounts and said “it’s almost impossible” to find coverage for any large structure. In late 2022, Allstate said it would stop writing new property insurance in the state, including commercial policies. Then State Farm, the biggest insurer in the state, recently \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article286963825.html\">canceled policies\u003c/a> for tens of thousands of homes, residential community associations, business owners and commercial apartment properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even buildings made in the ’80s are now considered old, which is ridiculous,” Hoover said. “Most carriers want everything updated in the last 30 years. They want a new roof, electrical redone, plumbing redone — they want you to have copper pipes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>For landlords, ‘death by a thousand cuts’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, Farmers canceled the policy on a 33-unit apartment building in San Bernardino that was built in the 1960s, said its co-owner, Uwe Karbenk. Karbenk found an out-of-state insurer instead of going with the more expensive FAIR Plan, but his premium has still increased by $28,000 to more than $41,000 a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combined with state laws that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2023/06/california-rent-control-settlement/\">limit how much he is allowed to raise the rent\u003c/a> each year — 5% plus inflation, or up to 10% in some cases, with \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/newsletter/california-rent-control-propositions/\">possibly other rent-control measures on the way\u003c/a> — Karbenk said being a landlord in California is “a little bit like death by a thousand cuts.” He added that if his profit margin continues to shrink, he would rather invest in something else besides real estate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One of these measures, it’s not a big deal,” Karbenk said. “But over the years, it’s really difficult for mom-and-pops.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999968\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999968\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081224_Mike-Placido_JH_CM_02-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081224_Mike-Placido_JH_CM_02-copy.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081224_Mike-Placido_JH_CM_02-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081224_Mike-Placido_JH_CM_02-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081224_Mike-Placido_JH_CM_02-copy-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Placido in front of a four-unit rental property that he and his wife own and manage in San Gabriel on Aug. 12, 2024. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mike Placido and his wife are definitely a mom-and-pop. They own two rental properties, a four-unit building in San Gabriel and a duplex in Alhambra. He said they bought the properties as a way to supplement their retirement income when the time comes in a few years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When State Farm canceled the policy on their San Gabriel property, Placido got a quote from the FAIR Plan for $8,600, much higher than their old $2,600 premium. Instead, he was able to cobble together three different policies from a Florida-based insurer to get the coverage the old policy provided for $6,500, a 150% increase. So he said he plans to raise rents in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like I’m some land baron,” Placido said. “I’ll pass along as much as I possibly can, as much as the market can bear, and I’ll shoulder the rest. I have no choice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Yet another worry for renters\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>About 44% of Californians are renters, according to the U.S. Census. The median monthly rent in the state is $2,850, a third higher than the national figure, according to online real estate marketer Zillow. About 30% of the state’s renters are considered severely cost-burdened, meaning they spend at least half of their income on housing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/blog/californias-renters/#:~:text=Renters%20make%20up%20a%20much,over%20the%20last%20six%20decades.\">according to an analysis\u003c/a> by the Public Policy Institute of California. Now, their rents could rise to even more burdensome levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "Related Stories ",
"postid": "news_11995878,forum_2010101895350,news_11997351"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shanti Singh, legislative director for statewide renters’ rights organization Tenants Together, said, “It’s still kind of an unknown how common it is” that tenants’ rents are rising along with insurance costs, partly because not all landlords say why they’re raising rents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It depends on the landlords,” Singh said. “Some are transparent; a lot of them aren’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Any significant rent increases have not yet shown up in Zillow’s data, which shows California’s median rent is actually down about $100 compared with last year, though it has climbed higher since the beginning of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, two renters who didn’t want to be named out of fear of retaliation from their landlord said the rents at their live-work complex jumped earlier this year, and the reason was spelled out to them in an email with “insurance costs” in the subject line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Singh said she fears things will only get worse for renters as the effects of climate change, such as wildfires, continue to weigh on the affordability of insurance and, in turn, housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Tenants are going to have the least recourse,” Singh said. They “always end up bearing a disproportionate brunt of what they can afford.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Housing and climate change\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Singh and others who deal with California’s lack of affordable housing expressed concern about whether certain parts of the state will eventually be uninhabitable and uninsurable — whichever comes first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sarah Karlinsky, director of research at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, said the lack of enough housing within already developed cities means more building “at the fringe of regions, in places that are more dangerous,” also known as the wildland-urban interface, or the WUI, in wildfire speak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we don’t want to continue down this road, we have to fundamentally rethink our development patterns,” Karlinsky added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999969\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999969\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/072723-Fresno-Rent-LV_CM_04-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/072723-Fresno-Rent-LV_CM_04-copy.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/072723-Fresno-Rent-LV_CM_04-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/072723-Fresno-Rent-LV_CM_04-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/072723-Fresno-Rent-LV_CM_04-copy-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A rental sign in front of an apartment complex in Tower District in Fresno on July 27, 2023. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/Catchlight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Laurie Johnson, an urban planner and former chief catastrophe response and resiliency officer for the California Earthquake Authority, pointed out that some property owners in the state who own their buildings and have no mortgages might choose not to insure their properties because of the rising costs. That’s worrisome, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels like we want to keep our multifamily stock insured and don’t want to take the risk of losing it,” Johnson said. Hoover, the insurance broker, agreed and said he has had some clients tell him they plan to forgo insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson added that just as jurisdictions have been requiring seismic retrofitting in case of earthquakes, protection against fires and other catastrophes — and the ability to replace whatever might be lost — is vital: “You would be displacing so many people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The growing risks of climate change make it more important than ever for renters to have their own insurance, said Emily Rogan, senior program officer for United Policyholders, a consumer advocacy group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Renters insurance would cover the costs for tenants to stay “somewhere else as you figure out where to live in case of a severe weather event,” Rogan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Effects on commercial properties and businesses\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Small businesses that rent their space will be affected by their landlords’ rising premiums, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>John Reed owns a mixed-use commercial property in Oakhurst, outside Yosemite — an area that has seen its share of fires in the past several years. Last year, his fire insurance cost about $2,800, but Berkshire Hathaway canceled his policy. He got three different quotes from the FAIR Plan, with the highest being $24,000. Then, he found a plan from Lloyd’s of London for about $14,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999972\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999972\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_14-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_14-copy.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_14-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_14-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_14-copy-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The MVP Commercial building. \u003ccite>(Tracy Barbutes for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999971\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1536px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999971\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_08-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_08-copy.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_08-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_08-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/081124_Oakhurst-Landlord-TB_CM_08-copy-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Reed outside of the MVP Commercial building. Oakhurst on Aug. 11, 2024. \u003ccite>(Tracy Barbutes for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Reed said he will have to pass on his increased costs to his six tenants. “As a landlord, I can’t hit them with the whole burden all at once,” he said. “If I’m able to afford it, I will try to spread that out over a two- or three-year period.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, has unveiled a multi-part plan to address the state’s insurance woes, mainly focused on wildfires. For example, insurers will be allowed to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/03/california-home-insurance-market/\">use catastrophe models\u003c/a> if they \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/06/california-pushes-insurers-to-cover-more-homes-in-these-areas-is-your-zip-included/\">agree to write policies in certain areas of the state\u003c/a>. However, the insurance department spokesperson Michael Soller pointed out that Lara also recently announced a deal with the FAIR Plan, which creates a high-value commercial coverage option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reforms will have broad benefits for the availability of insurance,” Soller said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11999966/your-rent-may-go-up-because-of-rising-insurance-rates",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11999966"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_6266",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_34178",
"news_1775",
"news_18159"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_11999967",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_11999751": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11999751",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999751",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1723325412000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "golden-steph-currys-late-barrage-seals-gold-for-team-usa-in-paris-as-us-beats-france",
"title": "Golden Steph: Curry's Late Barrage Seals Gold for Team USA in Paris as US beats France",
"publishDate": 1723325412,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Golden Steph: Curry’s Late Barrage Seals Gold for Team USA in Paris as US beats France | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>Stephen Curry was thinking about this two years ago, after winning his fourth NBA title. The only thing left for him to win was Olympic gold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in the ultimate moment, he made sure that medal would be his.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. is atop the international men’s basketball world once again, after Curry scored 24 points and led the way to a 98–87 win over France in the final at the Paris Games on Saturday night. It was the fifth consecutive gold medal for the U.S. — and the 17th in 20 all-time appearances for the Americans at the games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curry made four 3-pointers in the final 2:43, including the one that just sealed the win with 1:19 remaining. It put the U.S. up 93–84 and he skipped down the court letting out a yell, shaking his jersey so everyone could see the “USA” across the front.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If that wasn’t enough, one more followed with about 30 seconds left — with the “go to sleep” move where he puts his hands on the side of his face.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Good night. Game over. Gold won. Again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999768\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999768\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166236939.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166236939.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166236939-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166236939-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166236939-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Curry shoots over Nicolas Batum of Team France during the men’s gold medal game at Bercy Arena on Aug. 10, 2024 in Paris, France. \u003ccite>(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kevin Durant — the first four-time men’s gold medalist in Olympic basketball history — scored 15 for the Americans, as did Devin Booker. And LeBron James, wearing metallic gold shoes that needed no explanation, scored 14 for the U.S. as he won his fourth Olympic medal and third gold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the second consecutive Olympics, the French had to watch the Americans hold out U.S. flags in celebration after the title game. The French lost to the U.S. 87–82 in Tokyo three years ago, and this one was down to the final minutes. That is, until Curry took over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Victor Wembanyama, in his first Olympic final, was brilliant for France, scoring 26 points, covering his face in a towel afterward as the Americans celebrated. Guerschon Yabusele scored 20 for the hosts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999767\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999767\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166235905.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166235905.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166235905-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166235905-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166235905-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lebron James of Team USA celebrates with teammates after winning the gold medal game against France. \u003ccite>(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The U.S. lead was 14 early in the third, looking poised to pull away. But the offense quickly went cold and when Evan Fournier connected on a 3-pointer with 3:05 left in the quarter the lead was down to 65–59 — a 12-4 run by the hosts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with a chance to go up double-digits headed to the fourth, a big U.S. blunder gave France another jolt of momentum. Anthony Edwards and Durant got their signals crossed on a pass that led to a turnover, Nando De Colo scored to beat the buzzer and the U.S. lead was only 72–66 going into the final 10 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It got as close as three. No closer, thanks to Curry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "A series of three-pointers from Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry held off a spirited French side as Team USA lived up to expectations winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1723512284,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 14,
"wordCount": 520
},
"headData": {
"title": "Golden Steph: Curry's Late Barrage Seals Gold for Team USA in Paris as US beats France | KQED",
"description": "A series of three-pointers from Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry held off a spirited French side as Team USA lived up to expectations winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Golden Steph: Curry's Late Barrage Seals Gold for Team USA in Paris as US beats France",
"datePublished": "2024-08-10T14:30:12-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-08-12T18:24:44-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Tim Reynolds, Associated Press",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-11999751",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11999751/golden-steph-currys-late-barrage-seals-gold-for-team-usa-in-paris-as-us-beats-france",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Stephen Curry was thinking about this two years ago, after winning his fourth NBA title. The only thing left for him to win was Olympic gold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in the ultimate moment, he made sure that medal would be his.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. is atop the international men’s basketball world once again, after Curry scored 24 points and led the way to a 98–87 win over France in the final at the Paris Games on Saturday night. It was the fifth consecutive gold medal for the U.S. — and the 17th in 20 all-time appearances for the Americans at the games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curry made four 3-pointers in the final 2:43, including the one that just sealed the win with 1:19 remaining. It put the U.S. up 93–84 and he skipped down the court letting out a yell, shaking his jersey so everyone could see the “USA” across the front.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If that wasn’t enough, one more followed with about 30 seconds left — with the “go to sleep” move where he puts his hands on the side of his face.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Good night. Game over. Gold won. Again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999768\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999768\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166236939.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166236939.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166236939-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166236939-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166236939-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Curry shoots over Nicolas Batum of Team France during the men’s gold medal game at Bercy Arena on Aug. 10, 2024 in Paris, France. \u003ccite>(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kevin Durant — the first four-time men’s gold medalist in Olympic basketball history — scored 15 for the Americans, as did Devin Booker. And LeBron James, wearing metallic gold shoes that needed no explanation, scored 14 for the U.S. as he won his fourth Olympic medal and third gold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the second consecutive Olympics, the French had to watch the Americans hold out U.S. flags in celebration after the title game. The French lost to the U.S. 87–82 in Tokyo three years ago, and this one was down to the final minutes. That is, until Curry took over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Victor Wembanyama, in his first Olympic final, was brilliant for France, scoring 26 points, covering his face in a towel afterward as the Americans celebrated. Guerschon Yabusele scored 20 for the hosts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999767\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999767\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166235905.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166235905.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166235905-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166235905-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/GettyImages-2166235905-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lebron James of Team USA celebrates with teammates after winning the gold medal game against France. \u003ccite>(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The U.S. lead was 14 early in the third, looking poised to pull away. But the offense quickly went cold and when Evan Fournier connected on a 3-pointer with 3:05 left in the quarter the lead was down to 65–59 — a 12-4 run by the hosts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with a chance to go up double-digits headed to the fourth, a big U.S. blunder gave France another jolt of momentum. Anthony Edwards and Durant got their signals crossed on a pass that led to a turnover, Nando De Colo scored to beat the buzzer and the U.S. lead was only 72–66 going into the final 10 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It got as close as three. No closer, thanks to Curry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11999751/golden-steph-currys-late-barrage-seals-gold-for-team-usa-in-paris-as-us-beats-france",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11999751"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_8",
"news_10"
],
"tags": [
"news_6454",
"news_18058",
"news_34078",
"news_18016"
],
"featImg": "news_11999761",
"label": "news"
},
"news_11999549": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11999549",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999549",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1723309239000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "managing-a-wildfire-is-an-intricate-game-of-chess-and-mutual-aid-is-crucial",
"title": "Managing a Wildfire Is an Intricate Game of Chess — and Mutual Aid Is Crucial",
"publishDate": 1723309239,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Managing a Wildfire Is an Intricate Game of Chess — and Mutual Aid Is Crucial | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>On the surface, fighting wildfires doesn’t appear to require delicacy or nuance. Fire bosses speak in the language of war: weapons, attack, suppression, control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But to effectively \u003cem>manage \u003c/em>a wildfire is to engage in an intricate game of multidimensional chess: moving firefighters and equipment where they are most needed or where they are predicted to be required, then coaxing and caring for these resources so that they can continue to be used and moved around a fiery board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/24/park-fire\">Park Fire\u003c/a>, which is blazing through Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties, already consuming about 415,000 acres. Now burning for two weeks, it’s the fourth largest fire in California history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a difficult fire to manage because of the steep, remote terrain, its early start in the season, and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/statistics\">nearly 30,000\u003c/a> other wildfires around the country this year that have been gobbling up firefighters and equipment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people might ask, ‘Are there enough resources in California?’” Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler said during a news conference last week from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/24/borel-fire\">Borel Fire\u003c/a> in Kern County. “A fire chief’s standard response is ‘Yes, but we could use more.’ Thanks to mutual aid, help is here and more is coming from around the state, nation and world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Cal Fire wrestles with long shifts, stressful conditions, sizzling heatwaves and budget restraints, California’s statewide mutual aid pact and reciprocal assistance from crews across the U.S. and other nations are critical to ensuring there are enough firefighters to battle its \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-wildfires-explained/\">intensifying wildfires\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California “is very successful at handling its incidents” with its own platoons of firefighters and specially-equipped fleets of aircraft, said Sean Peterson, manager of the federal government’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.nifc.gov/\">National Interagency Coordination Center\u003c/a>, which triages the nation’s large fires by deciding where to send reinforcements. “They have more resources, with state and federal cooperators, than the rest of the U.S. combined.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Park Fire, a dusty parking lot at the Silver Dollar Fairground near Chico is crammed with red, yellow and green fire engines and crew trucks emblazoned with the logo of the agency that sent them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeff Whitehouse, an engineer with the Ventura County Fire Department, sat in his fire engine on a recent day with the air conditioning blasting against the 100-degree-plus temperatures at the Park Fire command post.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had been on the fire for a week and, after working shifts of 24 hours on and 24 hours off, he said his priorities are sharply focused: “Hydrate, eat and sleep,” Whitehouse said. “On days off, after I get myself squared away, I don’t have trouble sleeping. Then it’s back at it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999555\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999555\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeff Whitehouse, a Ventura County Fire Department engineer, in his engine at the Park Fire command post in Chico on Aug. 2, 2024. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Emiliano Lopez, a firefighter from the Riverside County Fire Department, said he hasn’t had a bad day yet, that he’s managing the heat, taking time to rest and taking breaks when he can.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials say implementing a shortened 66-hour workweek — down from 72 hours — and \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/07/10/governor-newsom-and-fire-officials-highlight-californias-wildfire-readiness-and-response/\">planning to phase in more firefighters\u003c/a> over five years will take some of the stress off overworked Cal Fire firefighters. For wildfires, state crews stay as needed, generally working 14 to 21 days before they are rotated out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our focus is on getting the health welfare and rest time,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuna said. “It used to be that the large incidents were so infrequent that you’d get to go home for a week. We have made a more concerted effort to make those 21-day cycles a reality and allow people more time at home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire would not allow its firefighters at the Park Fire to be interviewed by CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire is so vast that the fairground is one of two incident command posts established to better stage the nearly 6,600 personnel on the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Chris Hardy, Cal Fire’s deputy chief of command and control, federal fire crews from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service are deployed on California fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hand crews from the California Conservation Corps and the National Guard are working fire lines. The state Office of Emergency Services assigned hundreds of engines from local jurisdictions to join the fight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999557\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999557\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A firefighter gestures as the Park Fire burns near Chico on July 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Fred Greaves/Reuters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Outside of California, help is coming from all points of the compass. Texas dispatched 25 engines, Utah sent engines and water tenders and Nevada deployed an engine. A fire engine from North Dakota is making its way to the state. A cadre of fire supervisors from Florida, Arkansas and Oregon are working California fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And a group from the New York City Fire Department is assisting with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/13/2024-sqf-lightning-complex/updates/2d64827f-aaa7-47b8-81df-a17df50bb7e7\">complex of fires\u003c/a> in the Sequoia National Forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two waves of Australian firefighters — whose extensive experience and familiarity with California fires is highly prized — are expected to arrive this week. Canada, a reliable partner, is enduring its own fire assault and regrets it cannot help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I got calls from governors on the East Coast who were willing to send help,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said. “That’s a hell of a thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a two-way assistance channel: Despite its already severe fire year — with \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/our-impact/statistics\">almost four times more acreage burned\u003c/a> so far than the average for this time of year — California already has sent crews to Oregon and Texas, state officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"h-a-nationwide-level-5-alert-the-highest\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A nationwide Level 5 alert — the highest\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Tyler praised California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/Fire-Rescue/Documents/CalOES_-_Fire_and_Rescue_-_Mutual_Aid_Plan-3.pdf\">mutual aid system (PDF)\u003c/a> for its ability to marshal resources from cooperating agencies quickly. The agreements are pledges that when calls for help come in from another agency within California, fire departments will answer if they can.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/category/environment/wildfires/\">overall fire response\u003c/a> is bifurcated, with north and south operations centers set up to more nimbly respond to fires in each region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents\">nearly 4,900 fires in California \u003c/a>so far this year and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-wildfire-map-tracker/\">more sparking every day\u003c/a>, the system’s limits are being tested.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We recognize the need to order additional resources,” Tyler said. “We continue to reach out and ask for resources across the U.S.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of those requests are sent to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, where Peterson oversees the daily national fire situation report, making decisions on where to send crews, engines and planes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the U.S. now on Preparedness Level 5, the highest, it’s a sobering outlook. It’s only the fourth time in 20 years that the alert level has been reached so early in the summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For those requesting assistance and for those sending it, it’s starting to be everything, everywhere, all at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of our western geographic areas are ordering resources,” Peterson said. “When I came in at 7 o’clock today, we already had 800 orders sitting here. No large fire is going to get every resource they ask for right now. We are almost fully committed with our resources.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11999566\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999698\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999698\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"836\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-800x268.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-1020x341.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-1536x514.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-2048x685.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-1920x642.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Top: Cal Fire crews are rewinding hoses at the Park Fire command post in Chico on Aug. 2, 2024. Bottom left: A Cal Fire firefighter unpacks a fire engine shortly after fighting the Park Fire. Bottom right: Dean, a Cal Fire firefighter who preferred to not give his last name, works in temperatures that exceeded 100 degrees in Chico, on Aug. 2, 2024. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Peterson, who was born in Redding and grew up in Paradise, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2018/11/8/camp-fire/\">scene of California’s most deadly fire\u003c/a>, is a third-generation firefighter who used to work for Cal Fire before joining the U.S. Forest Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the chessmaster responsible for moving much of the nation’s firefighting pieces, Peterson said the current challenge is “we don’t have people to send. It’s a balancing act, it can be a chess game. It’s a game we have been playing for several decades.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom said last week that “a lot of mutual aid is being stretched to West-wide fires,” acknowledging that California is not always the top national priority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t skimped on staffing, we have a record number of personnel. When I got here as governor, we had 6,700 personnel at Cal Fire. Today, more than 9,700 men and women work at Cal Fire,” Newsom said at a news conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"h-rest-is-paramount-for-hotshots-state-crews\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rest ‘is paramount’ for Hotshots, state crews\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Forest Service has adjusted, too. The standard staffing on its Hotshot crews in recent years has expanded to 25. These highly-trained crews are often positioned at the most dangerous parts of fires. With at least 18 members required to deploy, a firefighter who needs to stand down can do so without affecting the functionality of the crew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/wildfires/2024/07/park-fire-size-mapped/\">Park Fire\u003c/a>, stubborn and dangerous, has grown into a “campaign fire,” an informal designation that acknowledges it’s a blaze likely to be around for some time. The million-acre \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/16/august-complex-includes-doe-fire\">August Complex\u003c/a> fire in 2020 burned in seven Northern California counties for nearly three months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999700\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999700\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"836\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-800x268.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-1020x341.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-1536x514.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-2048x685.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-1920x642.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Firefighters at the Park Fire command post in Chico on Aug. 2, 2024, after a 24-hour shift. Right: The Park Fire command post in Chico serves as headquarters for crews, offering food, accommodations, showers and mental health support, among other services. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On a fire line, that translates into days and nights that blur. Sixteen-hour shifts or longer are not uncommon. Already tired crews settle into a rhythm of hours on the fire followed by a handful of hours to shower, eat and, critically, sleep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Getting the crew sufficient rest is paramount for me once we are off the fire line,” said Dan Mallia, superintendent for the Redding Hot Shots, an elite Forest Service team that worked the Park Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the fire service has a better understanding of the link between sleep and maintaining physical and mental health. To that end, some crews sleep in specially retrofitted trailers at the incident command post, while others, such as Cal Fire, stay in local hotels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But fire camps, which can be loud, bustling places with round-the-clock lights and noise, are not ideal places to rest. Mallia said, after decades of fighting fires in remote places in California, “I know all the hidey-holes. It needs to be quiet and it needs to be dark. We find a campsite, put a sleeping pad down and get in our bags. I’ve slept in hundreds of high school gyms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Veteran firefighters joke about being able to sleep standing up. Talking this week while waiting for his team to be assigned, Mallia said the crew was in trucks, ready to go. “I guarantee you they are catnapping,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3 id=\"h-can-i-pet-your-dog\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Can I pet your dog?’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Fire bosses now understand that rest and time away from the fire line are critical to maintaining crews’ ability to stay at work and mentally stay on the job. With firefighters facing months of racing from fire to fire, officials employ anything that can reduce the strain of an already stressful job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ember, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q18tLsRzd1U\">a cheerful yellow labrador\u003c/a>, is one such tool. Richard Alamo is her handler, and as he strides through the sprawling camp he is greeted with “Can I pet your dog?,” exactly the reaction he’s looking for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alamo, a captain with the Sacramento Fire Department, employs Ember and her ever-swishing tail as a therapy dog to allow firefighters to decompress by petting and playing with the dog, a small moment of normalcy in a frenetic place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re working long hours. They’re waiting to see some of the devastation,” he said. “And so when you come up, they’re all smiles. We’re making a huge impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999568\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999568\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A firefighter embraces Ember, a therapy dog, at the Park Fire command post in Chico on Aug. 2, 2024, after returning from a long shift fighting the Park Fire. Ember and other therapy dogs are available to crew members at the command post to alleviate stress. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“She has a calming nature, and she just loves people,” Alamo said, stroking the dog’s head. “It’s amazing to see her seek out certain people who might be stressed or have some type of emotion, and she’ll provide a little nudge, then position herself right in front of them so they can pet her. Sometimes, there’s no conversation that needs to be had. Just her simply going up to that person and saying, ‘Hey, I’m here.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those moments of decompression are now part of the state’s overall fire strategy. Tyler has said that attending to the mental health of his employees is a top priority amid what some state officials have described as a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2022/06/cal-fire-firefighter-ptsd/\">crisis of PTSD and suicide\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department has a team of peer support counselors who travel to fire stations and set up in trailers on large fires, with an open-door policy for anyone working the fire to talk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The frequency and intensity of fires now leave little downtime, on a fire or after, because they might be quickly redeployed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a never-ending chess game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has the potential to be a very long fire season,” Peterson said. “It does give us pause; yes, it does.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "So many intense wildfires all at once require intricate maneuvering of firefighters and equipment across California and the West.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1723512388,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 54,
"wordCount": 2379
},
"headData": {
"title": "Managing a Wildfire Is an Intricate Game of Chess — and Mutual Aid Is Crucial | KQED",
"description": "So many intense wildfires all at once require intricate maneuvering of firefighters and equipment across California and the West.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Managing a Wildfire Is an Intricate Game of Chess — and Mutual Aid Is Crucial",
"datePublished": "2024-08-10T10:00:39-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-08-12T18:26:28-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/julie-cart/\">Julie Cart\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-11999549",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11999549/managing-a-wildfire-is-an-intricate-game-of-chess-and-mutual-aid-is-crucial",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On the surface, fighting wildfires doesn’t appear to require delicacy or nuance. Fire bosses speak in the language of war: weapons, attack, suppression, control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But to effectively \u003cem>manage \u003c/em>a wildfire is to engage in an intricate game of multidimensional chess: moving firefighters and equipment where they are most needed or where they are predicted to be required, then coaxing and caring for these resources so that they can continue to be used and moved around a fiery board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/24/park-fire\">Park Fire\u003c/a>, which is blazing through Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties, already consuming about 415,000 acres. Now burning for two weeks, it’s the fourth largest fire in California history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a difficult fire to manage because of the steep, remote terrain, its early start in the season, and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/statistics\">nearly 30,000\u003c/a> other wildfires around the country this year that have been gobbling up firefighters and equipment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people might ask, ‘Are there enough resources in California?’” Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler said during a news conference last week from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/24/borel-fire\">Borel Fire\u003c/a> in Kern County. “A fire chief’s standard response is ‘Yes, but we could use more.’ Thanks to mutual aid, help is here and more is coming from around the state, nation and world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Cal Fire wrestles with long shifts, stressful conditions, sizzling heatwaves and budget restraints, California’s statewide mutual aid pact and reciprocal assistance from crews across the U.S. and other nations are critical to ensuring there are enough firefighters to battle its \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-wildfires-explained/\">intensifying wildfires\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California “is very successful at handling its incidents” with its own platoons of firefighters and specially-equipped fleets of aircraft, said Sean Peterson, manager of the federal government’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.nifc.gov/\">National Interagency Coordination Center\u003c/a>, which triages the nation’s large fires by deciding where to send reinforcements. “They have more resources, with state and federal cooperators, than the rest of the U.S. combined.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Park Fire, a dusty parking lot at the Silver Dollar Fairground near Chico is crammed with red, yellow and green fire engines and crew trucks emblazoned with the logo of the agency that sent them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeff Whitehouse, an engineer with the Ventura County Fire Department, sat in his fire engine on a recent day with the air conditioning blasting against the 100-degree-plus temperatures at the Park Fire command post.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had been on the fire for a week and, after working shifts of 24 hours on and 24 hours off, he said his priorities are sharply focused: “Hydrate, eat and sleep,” Whitehouse said. “On days off, after I get myself squared away, I don’t have trouble sleeping. Then it’s back at it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999555\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999555\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_21-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeff Whitehouse, a Ventura County Fire Department engineer, in his engine at the Park Fire command post in Chico on Aug. 2, 2024. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Emiliano Lopez, a firefighter from the Riverside County Fire Department, said he hasn’t had a bad day yet, that he’s managing the heat, taking time to rest and taking breaks when he can.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials say implementing a shortened 66-hour workweek — down from 72 hours — and \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/07/10/governor-newsom-and-fire-officials-highlight-californias-wildfire-readiness-and-response/\">planning to phase in more firefighters\u003c/a> over five years will take some of the stress off overworked Cal Fire firefighters. For wildfires, state crews stay as needed, generally working 14 to 21 days before they are rotated out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our focus is on getting the health welfare and rest time,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuna said. “It used to be that the large incidents were so infrequent that you’d get to go home for a week. We have made a more concerted effort to make those 21-day cycles a reality and allow people more time at home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cal Fire would not allow its firefighters at the Park Fire to be interviewed by CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire is so vast that the fairground is one of two incident command posts established to better stage the nearly 6,600 personnel on the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Chris Hardy, Cal Fire’s deputy chief of command and control, federal fire crews from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service are deployed on California fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hand crews from the California Conservation Corps and the National Guard are working fire lines. The state Office of Emergency Services assigned hundreds of engines from local jurisdictions to join the fight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999557\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999557\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/073024-Park-Fire-FG-REUTERS-01-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A firefighter gestures as the Park Fire burns near Chico on July 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Fred Greaves/Reuters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Outside of California, help is coming from all points of the compass. Texas dispatched 25 engines, Utah sent engines and water tenders and Nevada deployed an engine. A fire engine from North Dakota is making its way to the state. A cadre of fire supervisors from Florida, Arkansas and Oregon are working California fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And a group from the New York City Fire Department is assisting with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/13/2024-sqf-lightning-complex/updates/2d64827f-aaa7-47b8-81df-a17df50bb7e7\">complex of fires\u003c/a> in the Sequoia National Forest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two waves of Australian firefighters — whose extensive experience and familiarity with California fires is highly prized — are expected to arrive this week. Canada, a reliable partner, is enduring its own fire assault and regrets it cannot help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I got calls from governors on the East Coast who were willing to send help,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said. “That’s a hell of a thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a two-way assistance channel: Despite its already severe fire year — with \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/our-impact/statistics\">almost four times more acreage burned\u003c/a> so far than the average for this time of year — California already has sent crews to Oregon and Texas, state officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"h-a-nationwide-level-5-alert-the-highest\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A nationwide Level 5 alert — the highest\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Tyler praised California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/Fire-Rescue/Documents/CalOES_-_Fire_and_Rescue_-_Mutual_Aid_Plan-3.pdf\">mutual aid system (PDF)\u003c/a> for its ability to marshal resources from cooperating agencies quickly. The agreements are pledges that when calls for help come in from another agency within California, fire departments will answer if they can.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/category/environment/wildfires/\">overall fire response\u003c/a> is bifurcated, with north and south operations centers set up to more nimbly respond to fires in each region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents\">nearly 4,900 fires in California \u003c/a>so far this year and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-wildfire-map-tracker/\">more sparking every day\u003c/a>, the system’s limits are being tested.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We recognize the need to order additional resources,” Tyler said. “We continue to reach out and ask for resources across the U.S.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of those requests are sent to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, where Peterson oversees the daily national fire situation report, making decisions on where to send crews, engines and planes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the U.S. now on Preparedness Level 5, the highest, it’s a sobering outlook. It’s only the fourth time in 20 years that the alert level has been reached so early in the summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For those requesting assistance and for those sending it, it’s starting to be everything, everywhere, all at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of our western geographic areas are ordering resources,” Peterson said. “When I came in at 7 o’clock today, we already had 800 orders sitting here. No large fire is going to get every resource they ask for right now. We are almost fully committed with our resources.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11999566\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_33-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999698\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999698\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"836\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-800x268.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-1020x341.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-1536x514.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-2048x685.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-2-1920x642.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Top: Cal Fire crews are rewinding hoses at the Park Fire command post in Chico on Aug. 2, 2024. Bottom left: A Cal Fire firefighter unpacks a fire engine shortly after fighting the Park Fire. Bottom right: Dean, a Cal Fire firefighter who preferred to not give his last name, works in temperatures that exceeded 100 degrees in Chico, on Aug. 2, 2024. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Peterson, who was born in Redding and grew up in Paradise, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2018/11/8/camp-fire/\">scene of California’s most deadly fire\u003c/a>, is a third-generation firefighter who used to work for Cal Fire before joining the U.S. Forest Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the chessmaster responsible for moving much of the nation’s firefighting pieces, Peterson said the current challenge is “we don’t have people to send. It’s a balancing act, it can be a chess game. It’s a game we have been playing for several decades.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom said last week that “a lot of mutual aid is being stretched to West-wide fires,” acknowledging that California is not always the top national priority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t skimped on staffing, we have a record number of personnel. When I got here as governor, we had 6,700 personnel at Cal Fire. Today, more than 9,700 men and women work at Cal Fire,” Newsom said at a news conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"h-rest-is-paramount-for-hotshots-state-crews\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rest ‘is paramount’ for Hotshots, state crews\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Forest Service has adjusted, too. The standard staffing on its Hotshot crews in recent years has expanded to 25. These highly-trained crews are often positioned at the most dangerous parts of fires. With at least 18 members required to deploy, a firefighter who needs to stand down can do so without affecting the functionality of the crew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/wildfires/2024/07/park-fire-size-mapped/\">Park Fire\u003c/a>, stubborn and dangerous, has grown into a “campaign fire,” an informal designation that acknowledges it’s a blaze likely to be around for some time. The million-acre \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/16/august-complex-includes-doe-fire\">August Complex\u003c/a> fire in 2020 burned in seven Northern California counties for nearly three months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999700\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999700\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"836\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-800x268.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-1020x341.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-160x54.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-1536x514.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-2048x685.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_25-KQED-1-1920x642.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Firefighters at the Park Fire command post in Chico on Aug. 2, 2024, after a 24-hour shift. Right: The Park Fire command post in Chico serves as headquarters for crews, offering food, accommodations, showers and mental health support, among other services. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On a fire line, that translates into days and nights that blur. Sixteen-hour shifts or longer are not uncommon. Already tired crews settle into a rhythm of hours on the fire followed by a handful of hours to shower, eat and, critically, sleep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Getting the crew sufficient rest is paramount for me once we are off the fire line,” said Dan Mallia, superintendent for the Redding Hot Shots, an elite Forest Service team that worked the Park Fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the fire service has a better understanding of the link between sleep and maintaining physical and mental health. To that end, some crews sleep in specially retrofitted trailers at the incident command post, while others, such as Cal Fire, stay in local hotels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But fire camps, which can be loud, bustling places with round-the-clock lights and noise, are not ideal places to rest. Mallia said, after decades of fighting fires in remote places in California, “I know all the hidey-holes. It needs to be quiet and it needs to be dark. We find a campsite, put a sleeping pad down and get in our bags. I’ve slept in hundreds of high school gyms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Veteran firefighters joke about being able to sleep standing up. Talking this week while waiting for his team to be assigned, Mallia said the crew was in trucks, ready to go. “I guarantee you they are catnapping,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3 id=\"h-can-i-pet-your-dog\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Can I pet your dog?’\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Fire bosses now understand that rest and time away from the fire line are critical to maintaining crews’ ability to stay at work and mentally stay on the job. With firefighters facing months of racing from fire to fire, officials employ anything that can reduce the strain of an already stressful job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ember, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q18tLsRzd1U\">a cheerful yellow labrador\u003c/a>, is one such tool. Richard Alamo is her handler, and as he strides through the sprawling camp he is greeted with “Can I pet your dog?,” exactly the reaction he’s looking for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alamo, a captain with the Sacramento Fire Department, employs Ember and her ever-swishing tail as a therapy dog to allow firefighters to decompress by petting and playing with the dog, a small moment of normalcy in a frenetic place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re working long hours. They’re waiting to see some of the devastation,” he said. “And so when you come up, they’re all smiles. We’re making a huge impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999568\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999568\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080224_ParkFireCommandPost_FM_CM_05-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A firefighter embraces Ember, a therapy dog, at the Park Fire command post in Chico on Aug. 2, 2024, after returning from a long shift fighting the Park Fire. Ember and other therapy dogs are available to crew members at the command post to alleviate stress. \u003ccite>(Florence Middleton/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“She has a calming nature, and she just loves people,” Alamo said, stroking the dog’s head. “It’s amazing to see her seek out certain people who might be stressed or have some type of emotion, and she’ll provide a little nudge, then position herself right in front of them so they can pet her. Sometimes, there’s no conversation that needs to be had. Just her simply going up to that person and saying, ‘Hey, I’m here.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those moments of decompression are now part of the state’s overall fire strategy. Tyler has said that attending to the mental health of his employees is a top priority amid what some state officials have described as a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2022/06/cal-fire-firefighter-ptsd/\">crisis of PTSD and suicide\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department has a team of peer support counselors who travel to fire stations and set up in trailers on large fires, with an open-door policy for anyone working the fire to talk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The frequency and intensity of fires now leave little downtime, on a fire or after, because they might be quickly redeployed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a never-ending chess game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has the potential to be a very long fire season,” Peterson said. “It does give us pause; yes, it does.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11999549/managing-a-wildfire-is-an-intricate-game-of-chess-and-mutual-aid-is-crucial",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11999549"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_34165",
"news_19906",
"news_8",
"news_356"
],
"tags": [
"news_18512",
"news_4463"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_11999553",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_11999721": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11999721",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999721",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1723298704000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "as-republicans-attack-harris-on-immigration-heres-what-her-california-record-reveals",
"title": "As Republicans Attack Harris on Immigration, Here’s What Her California Record Reveals",
"publishDate": 1723298704,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "As Republicans Attack Harris on Immigration, Here’s What Her California Record Reveals | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>With the Biden administration facing \u003ca href=\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/610322/immigration-leads-reasons-biden-detractors-disapprove.aspx\">low approval ratings on immigration\u003c/a>, and Republicans blaming Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris for what they call a “border \u003ca href=\"https://www.donaldjtrump.com/news/ca8d0dd5-2f4b-417b-8ed2-9d42b89f5946\">invasion\u003c/a>,” Harris is pushing back, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hamD7RueuvA\">spotlighting\u003c/a> in campaign ads and speeches what she says is her history of tough border enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a look at Harris’ record as a public official in California — the state with the largest number and share of immigrants — finds a more nuanced picture. Longtime political observers say her experience as the daughter of immigrants has intertwined with her career as a prosecutor to form a pattern: pro-immigration but tough in enforcing the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan Morain, a California political reporter who wrote a 2021 \u003ca href=\"https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Kamalas-Way/Dan-Morain/9781982175771\">biography of Harris\u003c/a>, says her parents took her to their respective home countries of India and Jamaica, where she learned about her roots. And, as high-achieving scholars committed to civil rights, her parents embodied a belief that, with persistence, in America great things are possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With immigration at the core of her own life experience, Harris has a history of supporting immigrant communities and legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. But her work in California, including as the state’s attorney general, provides her with opportunities to also tout law enforcement measures she’s taken on the issue. [ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Harris as DA and AG\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>As San Francisco district attorney from 2004 to 2010, Harris \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-Unlicensed-contractor-charged-in-2570411.php\">went after abusive employers\u003c/a> shortchanging immigrant workers. And she encouraged immigrant communities to feel safe dealing with law enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But she also \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/ILLEGALS-CALLED-COURT-S-PROBLEM-3206302.php\">favored turning over juvenile immigrants\u003c/a> arrested for crimes to immigration agents, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/11/politics/kfile-kamala-harris-undocumented-juveniles/index.html\">bucking the San Francisco Board of Supervisors\u003c/a> on how to apply the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/information/sanctuary-city-ordinance\">sanctuary ordinance\u003c/a>, which restricted cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That she would take a dim view of people who break the law is in keeping with who she was,” Morain said. “I mean, she’s a prosecutor. That’s what her job was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2016, Harris brought that forceful approach to \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-issues-comprehensive-report-transnational\">tackling cross-border crime\u003c/a>. At a presidential campaign rally in Atlanta last month, Harris spotlighted that work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I went after transnational gangs, drug cartels and human traffickers that came into our country illegally,” she said. “I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonja Diaz worked as policy counsel on the attorney general’s executive staff in those days. She says she saw Harris make that a particular focus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She did a lot of work to address the proliferation of transnational criminal organizations, not just with respect to drugs, but also the issue of human trafficking\u003cem>,\u003c/em>” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harris built ties with her law enforcement counterparts in Mexico and El Salvador, added Diaz, who now runs a UCLA research lab focused on Latinas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To do this type of work necessitated partnerships and bilateral relationships that could really move the needle,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2193x1234+0+45/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa1%2Fe0%2Fefd82a064a9096fe25770a28b155%2Fap24216054883839.jpg\" alt=\"Then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris gives a news conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 30, 2010.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris gives a news conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 30, 2010. (Damian Dovarganes/AP)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But when thousands of unaccompanied children began arriving at the border in 2014, she led with humanity, says Diaz. Harris \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-convenes-immigration-advocates-law-firms\">convened\u003c/a> government, philanthropy, nonprofits and corporate law firms, securing tens of millions of dollars so children going into immigration court alone had lawyers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The way that she acted was … to identify how we as Californians under her leadership could start to fill the holes in access to justice and representation for these kids,” Diaz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>“She has stood with us in our worst moments”\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On Capitol Hill last month, advocates rallied for \u003ca href=\"https://lofgren.house.gov/media/press-releases/leading-immigrant-rights-representatives-reintroduce-registry-bill-provide-path\">a bill that would offer a path to citizenship\u003c/a> to long-term undocumented immigrants. At the rally, Angelica Salas, who runs the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, known as CHIRLA, said she and other advocates are energized to have Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know her,” she said. “She comes from California, so she knows the immigrant community. She has stood with us in our worst moments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Donald Trump became president in 2017 and Harris was a new U.S. senator, Salas said Harris met with CHIRLA members, reassuring undocumented immigrants fearful of Trump’s threats of mass deportation that she would fight for them. She also \u003ca href=\"https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/448196-harris-unveils-plan-to-provide-dreamers-a-pathway-to-citizenship/\">stood with Dreamers\u003c/a>, young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, when Trump tried to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Salas says Harris \u003ca href=\"https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/393742-kamala-harris-trump-treatment-of-migrants-is-a-crime-against-humanity/\">did more than speak out\u003c/a> when the Trump administration separated children from migrant parents at the border.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She went to detention centers to talk to the mothers whose children had been taken away from them,” she said. “So we have incredible faith that she will be an incredible champion for our families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>The Biden-Harris administration struggles with migration\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Now in the White House, Harris has had to wrestle with immigration from another standpoint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s part of a Biden administration that has been confronted with record numbers of international migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border and attempting to enter the country illegally, often to request asylum. Border enforcement and asylum adjudication agencies have been swamped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2021, President Biden tasked Harris with addressing the “root causes” of migration from three Central American countries that were then the source of most unauthorized migration — a role that Republicans have falsely dubbed “border czar.” Analysts say Harris made some headway on business investment to create jobs, and on promoting the rule of law, but the results of such efforts could be many years in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To bring down the number of unauthorized border crossings more immediately, the Biden administration has \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/04/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-secure-the-border/\">restricted access to asylum\u003c/a>, among other measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harris joined Biden in calling on Congress to pass a \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/02/29/fact-sheet-impact-of-bipartisan-border-agreement-funding-on-border-operations/\">bipartisan bill\u003c/a>, hammered out early this year, that would pour more resources into the Border Patrol and immigration courts, and allow the government to summarily expel people without hearing asylum claims if border encounters reach a certain level. Harris has slammed Trump for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/07/politics/senate-border-ukraine-israel-aid-vote/index.html\">undercutting Republican support\u003c/a> and tanking the bill’s chances of passage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response to these policies, many immigrant rights groups have \u003ca href=\"https://www.nilc.org/2024/06/04/nilc-statement-on-bidens-executive-action-on-the-border/\">sharply criticized Biden\u003c/a> for what they say are moves that override the legal right to ask for protection from persecution. But so far, they’re not attacking Harris in the same way.[aside tag=\"kamala-harris, election\" label=\"More Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Political observers say that may be because — with the November election approaching — advocates recognize the alternative to a Harris presidency is a return to Trump’s hard-line policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>“We’ll see if that works as a political message”\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Though three-quarters of Americans say they believe the border is either a crisis or a major problem, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/647123/sharply-americans-curb-immigration.aspx#:~:text=Americans'%20Preferences%20for%20Immigration%20to%20the%20U.S.&text=Trend%20from%201965%20to%202024,highest%20since%2058%25%20in%202001.\">recent Gallup poll\u003c/a>, two-thirds say immigration is good for the country and vast majorities back an earned path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, especially Dreamers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Andrew Selee, president of the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., says that is the backdrop to a presidential election that offers starkly diverging approaches to immigration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen the Trump campaign lean into the idea that immigration is bad for the country,” he said. “But actually, most Americans don’t believe that. They’re worried about the border, which is a specific part of the immigration debate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Selee predicts Harris will try to look for the middle ground, bringing together the two sides of her own life experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going to see Vice President Harris talk about immigration as a good thing for the country, because she’s the child of two immigrants, and she understands how important it is for America’s future. And at the same time [she’ll] talk like a prosecutor when she’s talking about the border, specifically,” he said. “We’ll see if that works as a political message.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Political observers say Kamala Harris' experience as the daughter of immigrants has intertwined with her career as a prosecutor to form a pattern: pro-immigration but tough in enforcing the law.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1724269635,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 33,
"wordCount": 1379
},
"headData": {
"title": "As Republicans Attack Harris on Immigration, Here’s What Her California Record Reveals | KQED",
"description": "Political observers say Kamala Harris' experience as the daughter of immigrants has intertwined with her career as a prosecutor to form a pattern: pro-immigration but tough in enforcing the law.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "As Republicans Attack Harris on Immigration, Here’s What Her California Record Reveals",
"datePublished": "2024-08-10T07:05:04-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-08-21T12:47:15-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"source": "NPR",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.npr.org/2024/08/10/nx-s1-5061760/kamala-harris-immigration-record-california",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "nx-s1-5061760",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2024/08/10/nx-s1-5061760/kamala-harris-immigration-record-california",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "2024-08-10T05:00:00-04:00",
"nprStoryDate": "2024-08-10T05:00:00-04:00",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "2024-08-10T08:49:59.319-04:00",
"nprAudio": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/wesat/2024/08/20240810_wesat_harris_immigration_record.mp3?size=4280365&d=267475&e=nx-s1-5061760",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11999721/as-republicans-attack-harris-on-immigration-heres-what-her-california-record-reveals",
"audioUrl": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/wesat/2024/08/20240810_wesat_harris_immigration_record.mp3?size=4280365&d=267475&e=nx-s1-5061760",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>With the Biden administration facing \u003ca href=\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/610322/immigration-leads-reasons-biden-detractors-disapprove.aspx\">low approval ratings on immigration\u003c/a>, and Republicans blaming Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris for what they call a “border \u003ca href=\"https://www.donaldjtrump.com/news/ca8d0dd5-2f4b-417b-8ed2-9d42b89f5946\">invasion\u003c/a>,” Harris is pushing back, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hamD7RueuvA\">spotlighting\u003c/a> in campaign ads and speeches what she says is her history of tough border enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a look at Harris’ record as a public official in California — the state with the largest number and share of immigrants — finds a more nuanced picture. Longtime political observers say her experience as the daughter of immigrants has intertwined with her career as a prosecutor to form a pattern: pro-immigration but tough in enforcing the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan Morain, a California political reporter who wrote a 2021 \u003ca href=\"https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Kamalas-Way/Dan-Morain/9781982175771\">biography of Harris\u003c/a>, says her parents took her to their respective home countries of India and Jamaica, where she learned about her roots. And, as high-achieving scholars committed to civil rights, her parents embodied a belief that, with persistence, in America great things are possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With immigration at the core of her own life experience, Harris has a history of supporting immigrant communities and legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. But her work in California, including as the state’s attorney general, provides her with opportunities to also tout law enforcement measures she’s taken on the issue. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Harris as DA and AG\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>As San Francisco district attorney from 2004 to 2010, Harris \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-Unlicensed-contractor-charged-in-2570411.php\">went after abusive employers\u003c/a> shortchanging immigrant workers. And she encouraged immigrant communities to feel safe dealing with law enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But she also \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/ILLEGALS-CALLED-COURT-S-PROBLEM-3206302.php\">favored turning over juvenile immigrants\u003c/a> arrested for crimes to immigration agents, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/11/politics/kfile-kamala-harris-undocumented-juveniles/index.html\">bucking the San Francisco Board of Supervisors\u003c/a> on how to apply the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/information/sanctuary-city-ordinance\">sanctuary ordinance\u003c/a>, which restricted cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That she would take a dim view of people who break the law is in keeping with who she was,” Morain said. “I mean, she’s a prosecutor. That’s what her job was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2016, Harris brought that forceful approach to \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-issues-comprehensive-report-transnational\">tackling cross-border crime\u003c/a>. At a presidential campaign rally in Atlanta last month, Harris spotlighted that work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I went after transnational gangs, drug cartels and human traffickers that came into our country illegally,” she said. “I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonja Diaz worked as policy counsel on the attorney general’s executive staff in those days. She says she saw Harris make that a particular focus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She did a lot of work to address the proliferation of transnational criminal organizations, not just with respect to drugs, but also the issue of human trafficking\u003cem>,\u003c/em>” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harris built ties with her law enforcement counterparts in Mexico and El Salvador, added Diaz, who now runs a UCLA research lab focused on Latinas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To do this type of work necessitated partnerships and bilateral relationships that could really move the needle,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2193x1234+0+45/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa1%2Fe0%2Fefd82a064a9096fe25770a28b155%2Fap24216054883839.jpg\" alt=\"Then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris gives a news conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 30, 2010.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris gives a news conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 30, 2010. (Damian Dovarganes/AP)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But when thousands of unaccompanied children began arriving at the border in 2014, she led with humanity, says Diaz. Harris \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-convenes-immigration-advocates-law-firms\">convened\u003c/a> government, philanthropy, nonprofits and corporate law firms, securing tens of millions of dollars so children going into immigration court alone had lawyers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The way that she acted was … to identify how we as Californians under her leadership could start to fill the holes in access to justice and representation for these kids,” Diaz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>“She has stood with us in our worst moments”\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On Capitol Hill last month, advocates rallied for \u003ca href=\"https://lofgren.house.gov/media/press-releases/leading-immigrant-rights-representatives-reintroduce-registry-bill-provide-path\">a bill that would offer a path to citizenship\u003c/a> to long-term undocumented immigrants. At the rally, Angelica Salas, who runs the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, known as CHIRLA, said she and other advocates are energized to have Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know her,” she said. “She comes from California, so she knows the immigrant community. She has stood with us in our worst moments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Donald Trump became president in 2017 and Harris was a new U.S. senator, Salas said Harris met with CHIRLA members, reassuring undocumented immigrants fearful of Trump’s threats of mass deportation that she would fight for them. She also \u003ca href=\"https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/448196-harris-unveils-plan-to-provide-dreamers-a-pathway-to-citizenship/\">stood with Dreamers\u003c/a>, young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, when Trump tried to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Salas says Harris \u003ca href=\"https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/393742-kamala-harris-trump-treatment-of-migrants-is-a-crime-against-humanity/\">did more than speak out\u003c/a> when the Trump administration separated children from migrant parents at the border.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She went to detention centers to talk to the mothers whose children had been taken away from them,” she said. “So we have incredible faith that she will be an incredible champion for our families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>The Biden-Harris administration struggles with migration\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Now in the White House, Harris has had to wrestle with immigration from another standpoint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s part of a Biden administration that has been confronted with record numbers of international migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border and attempting to enter the country illegally, often to request asylum. Border enforcement and asylum adjudication agencies have been swamped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2021, President Biden tasked Harris with addressing the “root causes” of migration from three Central American countries that were then the source of most unauthorized migration — a role that Republicans have falsely dubbed “border czar.” Analysts say Harris made some headway on business investment to create jobs, and on promoting the rule of law, but the results of such efforts could be many years in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To bring down the number of unauthorized border crossings more immediately, the Biden administration has \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/04/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-secure-the-border/\">restricted access to asylum\u003c/a>, among other measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harris joined Biden in calling on Congress to pass a \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/02/29/fact-sheet-impact-of-bipartisan-border-agreement-funding-on-border-operations/\">bipartisan bill\u003c/a>, hammered out early this year, that would pour more resources into the Border Patrol and immigration courts, and allow the government to summarily expel people without hearing asylum claims if border encounters reach a certain level. Harris has slammed Trump for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/07/politics/senate-border-ukraine-israel-aid-vote/index.html\">undercutting Republican support\u003c/a> and tanking the bill’s chances of passage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response to these policies, many immigrant rights groups have \u003ca href=\"https://www.nilc.org/2024/06/04/nilc-statement-on-bidens-executive-action-on-the-border/\">sharply criticized Biden\u003c/a> for what they say are moves that override the legal right to ask for protection from persecution. But so far, they’re not attacking Harris in the same way.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"tag": "kamala-harris, election",
"label": "More Related Stories "
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Political observers say that may be because — with the November election approaching — advocates recognize the alternative to a Harris presidency is a return to Trump’s hard-line policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>“We’ll see if that works as a political message”\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Though three-quarters of Americans say they believe the border is either a crisis or a major problem, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/647123/sharply-americans-curb-immigration.aspx#:~:text=Americans'%20Preferences%20for%20Immigration%20to%20the%20U.S.&text=Trend%20from%201965%20to%202024,highest%20since%2058%25%20in%202001.\">recent Gallup poll\u003c/a>, two-thirds say immigration is good for the country and vast majorities back an earned path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, especially Dreamers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Andrew Selee, president of the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., says that is the backdrop to a presidential election that offers starkly diverging approaches to immigration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen the Trump campaign lean into the idea that immigration is bad for the country,” he said. “But actually, most Americans don’t believe that. They’re worried about the border, which is a specific part of the immigration debate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Selee predicts Harris will try to look for the middle ground, bringing together the two sides of her own life experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going to see Vice President Harris talk about immigration as a good thing for the country, because she’s the child of two immigrants, and she understands how important it is for America’s future. And at the same time [she’ll] talk like a prosecutor when she’s talking about the border, specifically,” he said. “We’ll see if that works as a political message.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11999721/as-republicans-attack-harris-on-immigration-heres-what-her-california-record-reveals",
"authors": [
"259"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_1169",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_32839",
"news_20202",
"news_61"
],
"featImg": "news_11999722",
"label": "source_news_11999721"
},
"news_11999607": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11999607",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999607",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1723230045000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "newsom-vows-to-take-away-funding-from-cities-and-counties-for-not-clearing-encampments",
"title": "Newsom Vows to Take Away Funding From Cities and Counties for Not Clearing Encampments",
"publishDate": 1723230045,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Newsom Vows to Take Away Funding From Cities and Counties for Not Clearing Encampments | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday had a message for local governments: Clean up homeless encampments now or lose out on state funding next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing in front of a cleared homeless encampment in Los Angeles, Newsom vowed to start taking state funding away from cities and counties that are not doing enough to move people out of encampments and into shelters. The governor joined the California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans, on Thursday to clear several encampment sites in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to see results,” Newsom told reporters at a news conference. “I don’t want to read about them. I don’t want to see the data. I want to see it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday’s announcement was part of Newsom’s escalating campaign to push local governments into doing more homeless encampment sweeps. Newsom last month \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-homeless-encampment-newsom-7d4478801de6e9f8a708c7c7c6ef3e5f\">ordered state agencies\u003c/a> to start clearing encampments on state land. He also pressured local government to do the same, though he cannot legally force them to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The executive order came after the U.S. Supreme Court \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-homeless-camping-bans-506ac68dc069e3bf456c10fcedfa6bee\">overturned\u003c/a> a lower court ruling that said governments could not force people to leave encampments if there weren’t any shelter beds available. Newsom’s administration \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-175/302201/20240304155924650_Newsome%20Amicus%20Brief%203-4-2024.pdf\">wrote in support (PDF)\u003c/a> of cities’ arguments that previous rulings, including one that \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-oakland-9685f0a4350f8eb45602417ad334006f\">barred San Francisco from clearing encampments\u003c/a>, have \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-newsom-homeless-encampments-san-francisco-court-1d4a4a2b9532881d50b7a445d618ca7d\">prevented the state from solving a critical problem\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is home to roughly \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/homeless-california-study-poverty-high-rent-a2a4bfc9b386cb70fdd14d593f31b68c\">one-third of the nation’s population of homeless people\u003c/a>, a problem that has dogged Newsom since he took office. There are thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state that line freeways and fill parking lots and public parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state has spent roughly $24 billion under Newsom’s leadership to clean up streets and house people. That includes at least $3.2 billion in grants given to local government to build shelters, clear encampments and connect homeless people to services as they see fit, Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11997352,news_11991340,news_11999041\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those have been unprecedented investments from the state, he added, but his administration will start redirecting that money in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is not about criminalization,” Newsom said. “What’s criminal is neglecting people that are struggling and suffering and dying on our watch.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not the first time Newsom has vowed to cut funding over what he sees as the lackluster efforts from local governments to address homelessness. In 2022, he threatened to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-gavin-newsom-homelessness-government-and-politics-974ba8eb253f8437e009affca7645540\">withhold $1 billion\u003c/a> in homelessness spending from cities and counties over the lack of progress. Last month, his office \u003ca href=\"https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/state-rescinds-10m-grant-to-build-tiny-homes-in-san-diego-county-still-moves-forward-with-controversial-plan/\">clawed back a $10 million grant\u003c/a> sent to San Diego to build tiny homes because the county didn’t act fast enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s mayor has taken more aggressive action in \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-mayor-california-homeless-encampments-3f8b79c8446bb60b5168711f8b06695c\">clearing encampments\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, others, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County officials, have pushed back, saying the governor’s approach won’t work. Newsom on Thursday praised Bass’ work at successfully reducing the number of people sleeping outside in Los Angeles, adding that his frustration is mostly directed toward counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California State Association of Counties, which represents 58 counties in California, said it won’t weigh in on the governor’s announcement on Thursday. A spokesperson instead pointed to a statement in response to Newsom’s order last month that the counties “will continue to work together with the Governor and share his sense of urgency.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "'I want to see results,' Newsom told reporters at a news conference, saying he would take state funding away from cities and counties that are not doing enough to move people out of encampments and into shelter.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1740527456,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 16,
"wordCount": 609
},
"headData": {
"title": "Newsom Vows to Take Away Funding From Cities and Counties for Not Clearing Encampments | KQED",
"description": "'I want to see results,' Newsom told reporters at a news conference, saying he would take state funding away from cities and counties that are not doing enough to move people out of encampments and into shelter.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Newsom Vows to Take Away Funding From Cities and Counties for Not Clearing Encampments",
"datePublished": "2024-08-09T12:00:45-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-25T15:50:56-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Trân Nguyễn, Associated Press",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-11999607",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11999607/newsom-vows-to-take-away-funding-from-cities-and-counties-for-not-clearing-encampments",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday had a message for local governments: Clean up homeless encampments now or lose out on state funding next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing in front of a cleared homeless encampment in Los Angeles, Newsom vowed to start taking state funding away from cities and counties that are not doing enough to move people out of encampments and into shelters. The governor joined the California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans, on Thursday to clear several encampment sites in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to see results,” Newsom told reporters at a news conference. “I don’t want to read about them. I don’t want to see the data. I want to see it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday’s announcement was part of Newsom’s escalating campaign to push local governments into doing more homeless encampment sweeps. Newsom last month \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-homeless-encampment-newsom-7d4478801de6e9f8a708c7c7c6ef3e5f\">ordered state agencies\u003c/a> to start clearing encampments on state land. He also pressured local government to do the same, though he cannot legally force them to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The executive order came after the U.S. Supreme Court \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-homeless-camping-bans-506ac68dc069e3bf456c10fcedfa6bee\">overturned\u003c/a> a lower court ruling that said governments could not force people to leave encampments if there weren’t any shelter beds available. Newsom’s administration \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-175/302201/20240304155924650_Newsome%20Amicus%20Brief%203-4-2024.pdf\">wrote in support (PDF)\u003c/a> of cities’ arguments that previous rulings, including one that \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-oakland-9685f0a4350f8eb45602417ad334006f\">barred San Francisco from clearing encampments\u003c/a>, have \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-newsom-homeless-encampments-san-francisco-court-1d4a4a2b9532881d50b7a445d618ca7d\">prevented the state from solving a critical problem\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is home to roughly \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/homeless-california-study-poverty-high-rent-a2a4bfc9b386cb70fdd14d593f31b68c\">one-third of the nation’s population of homeless people\u003c/a>, a problem that has dogged Newsom since he took office. There are thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state that line freeways and fill parking lots and public parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state has spent roughly $24 billion under Newsom’s leadership to clean up streets and house people. That includes at least $3.2 billion in grants given to local government to build shelters, clear encampments and connect homeless people to services as they see fit, Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "Related Stories ",
"postid": "news_11997352,news_11991340,news_11999041"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those have been unprecedented investments from the state, he added, but his administration will start redirecting that money in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is not about criminalization,” Newsom said. “What’s criminal is neglecting people that are struggling and suffering and dying on our watch.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not the first time Newsom has vowed to cut funding over what he sees as the lackluster efforts from local governments to address homelessness. In 2022, he threatened to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-gavin-newsom-homelessness-government-and-politics-974ba8eb253f8437e009affca7645540\">withhold $1 billion\u003c/a> in homelessness spending from cities and counties over the lack of progress. Last month, his office \u003ca href=\"https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/state-rescinds-10m-grant-to-build-tiny-homes-in-san-diego-county-still-moves-forward-with-controversial-plan/\">clawed back a $10 million grant\u003c/a> sent to San Diego to build tiny homes because the county didn’t act fast enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s mayor has taken more aggressive action in \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-mayor-california-homeless-encampments-3f8b79c8446bb60b5168711f8b06695c\">clearing encampments\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, others, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County officials, have pushed back, saying the governor’s approach won’t work. Newsom on Thursday praised Bass’ work at successfully reducing the number of people sleeping outside in Los Angeles, adding that his frustration is mostly directed toward counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California State Association of Counties, which represents 58 counties in California, said it won’t weigh in on the governor’s announcement on Thursday. A spokesperson instead pointed to a statement in response to Newsom’s order last month that the counties “will continue to work together with the Governor and share his sense of urgency.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11999607/newsom-vows-to-take-away-funding-from-cities-and-counties-for-not-clearing-encampments",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11999607"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_6266",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_16",
"news_21214",
"news_1775",
"news_29607"
],
"featImg": "news_11999625",
"label": "news"
},
"news_11999500": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11999500",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999500",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1723201232000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "historic-japanese-american-family-farm-is-about-to-fade-into-much-needed-housing-in-san-jose",
"title": "Historic Japanese American Family Farm Is About to Fade Into Much-Needed Housing in San José",
"publishDate": 1723201232,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Historic Japanese American Family Farm Is About to Fade Into Much-Needed Housing in San José | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hile James Tsukuda doesn’t say too much about his farm work, his attention to detail makes his care for the craft apparent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For harvesting raspberries — some so deeply red in color they appear purple in the right light — he keeps a small metal coffee can tied around his midsection where he collects them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For growing heirloom tomatoes, he ties the branches to stakes to help support the weight of the fruit. It’s extra work, but the twine is more effective than tomato cages, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the tomatoes sit on the ground, the slugs will put a lot of holes in them,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The farm and the Tsukuda’s stand — located on a plot of land bordered by the busy Montague Expressway near the corner of Seely Avenue — are an unusual sight in San José. Surrounded by tech company office buildings, Tsukuda harvests fruits and vegetables for the day starting at dawn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996299\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11996299\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda harvests zucchini in front of the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in San José on July 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Tsukudas started leasing the farmland after James’ father, Eiji Tsukuda, and his family lost some of their own farmland off Oakland Road four decades ago through the eminent domain process. The forced sale allowed the Orchard School District to purchase the land and build its facilities there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James Tsukuda took over the lion’s share of the planting and harvesting work nearly 20 years ago after his father was diagnosed with cancer and died. His mother, Miyo, might be an octogenarian but said her age is “a secret.” She helps at the stand — which is not much more than a set of bright yellow tables under wooden arbors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As active Japanese American farmers, the Tsukudas are a rarity in the South Bay. But after the fall season’s popular persimmon harvest, they will close up shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family that owns the land under the stand, the Sakauyes, is preparing to sell it to a developer. And with the sale, a significant piece of Japanese American history is at risk of disappearing. A decision on the fate of the land is expected to be made Tuesday by the San José City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel sad. I’m going to miss this work,” Miyo Tsukuda said while working the stand, tossing extra raspberries into a basket for a customer. “What am I going to do now? I’m going to miss all these people coming here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996241\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11996241\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miyo Tsukuda (center) chats with a customer at the Tsukuda family fruit stand in San José on July 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Japanese American family history \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The 22.8-acre plot of land is steeped in history and has been owned by the Sakauyes — a Japanese American family with a long farming legacy — for roughly 120 continuous years. While many Japanese American families \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10459596/hard-row-to-hoe-japanese-farming-in-the-santa-clara-valley\">lost their property during World War II\u003c/a>, the Sakauyes were able to retain their land due to the stewardship of a white neighbor. (A fire broke out Thursday, burning 3–5 acres and a barn not considered historically significant before San José Fire Department crews stopped it.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The land was first brought into the family after Japanese immigrant Yuwakichi Sakauye bought the initial plots in 1907, only several years before the Alien Land Act would have prevented an Asian immigrant from owning such property. It was later managed by his eldest son, Eiichi Edward Sakauye.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eiichi Sakauye became a prominent farmer and civic figure serving on local boards and commissions. He was also a steadfast booster and advocate for the preservation of Japanese American history in the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The farm is one of only a handful of remaining active farming and orchard sites in the city’s boundaries and represents the last patch of agricultural land owned in the immediate area by the Sakauyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999082\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11999082 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-03-KQED-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-03-KQED-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-03-KQED-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-03-KQED.jpg 944w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eiichi Sakauye is photographed with a pear tree following his return to his farm in San José from the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming on July 9, 1945. \u003ccite>(Hikaru Iwasaki courtesy of Calisphere)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The family once grew the plots under their control into a veritable farming empire of around 200 acres in the region, despite facing severe hurdles, including entrenched racism against Asian immigrants; government-sanctioned discrimination such as the Alien Land Act and Asian Exclusion Act; two World Wars, including four years during WWII when the family was sent to a concentration camp at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10459596/hard-row-to-hoe-japanese-farming-in-the-santa-clara-valley\">Heart Mountain, Wyoming\u003c/a>; and a technological revolution that collapsed the agriculture and canning industry here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sakauyes, led by Eiichi Sakauye’s son Ron, planned to develop or sell off much of the acreage they once owned beginning in the 1980s, and indeed, a pair of large commercial offices sit today on nearby land owned by some of the family members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Eiichi Sakauye painted a more complicated picture of what happened to the rest of their farmland in a \u003ca href=\"https://ddr.densho.org/interviews/ddr-jamsj-2-7-1/?tableft=segments\">February 2005 interview\u003c/a> with the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, alluding to disagreements with in-laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a sad story. We had family disputes, so gradually, we got in debt and lost it,” he said. He died later that year at the age of 93.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But over the decades, the family has held onto this cleaver-shaped parcel the longest, part of the original farmland worked by the patriarch, Yuwakichi Sakauye in the early 1900s, and now farmed largely by James and Miyo Tsukuda.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Historical Sites into housing\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>About half of the site is eligible to be listed as an entire historic district in the state’s Register of Historic Resources, according to a consultant report commissioned by the developer. On the site are several buildings — such as barns and pump houses — in addition to the rows of crops, dirt roads and fruit trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of those buildings is an adobe home with a red clay tile roof built around 1920. This home is where Eiichi Sakauye lived his entire life, save for the years he was interned during World War II. It is eligible on its own for listing in the register.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996245\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11996245 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda picks cucumbers in front of an old building on the Sakauye family farm in San José on July 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, a contract is in place for the Sakauyes to sell the land to the Hanover Company, a Houston-based developer that has mapped out plans to level the entire site to build nearly 1,500 apartments and townhomes, as well as a 2.5-acre public park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San José City Council will consider the proposal at its Aug. 13 meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Not worth preservation, according to family\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While no one disagrees that housing is sorely needed in the region, some in the city are concerned about the apparent ease with which city officials, the Sakauye family and the developer are willing to allow the historic structures to be leveled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In letters to the city, family members said they are proud of their father’s accomplishments and contributions in the community but don’t care about saving his former home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999081\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11999081 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-02-KQED-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-02-KQED-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-02-KQED-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-02-KQED.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sakauye family outside their home in San José following their return from the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming on July 9, 1945. \u003ccite>(Hikaru Iwasaki courtesy of Calisphere)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“While Carolyn Sakauye and Jane May, the children of Eiichi Edward Sakauye, have very fond memories of growing up and spending their childhoods in that family farmhouse, they do not think it is worth trying to preserve it,” their attorney, Sam Farb, wrote to the city in June. The sisters declined to be interviewed for this story, citing advice from their attorney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scott Youdall, a development partner at Hanover, told city officials the public park will include a prominently featured historic interpretation area with embedded storyboards that would tell the story of Eiichi Sakauye’s life in San José, his internment, and his contributions to agriculture. Youdall did not respond to requests for comment for this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to see this last patch of the farm and orchard land be converted into apartment buildings. It’s very difficult to see,” said Vanessa Hatakeyama, the acting director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.jamsj.org/\">Japanese American Museum of San José\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are very few Japanese American farms. And so I think to see one of the last ones in this area go, it is a little bit painful,” she said, citing the once large cultural influence on farming by Japanese Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatakeyama said the museum is in a tough spot. The organization is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the stories of Japanese Americans in the South Bay but also wants to respect the wishes of the family members who have decided to sell the land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eiichi Sakauye seemed resigned to the fate of farms like his even decades ago. In a 1982 feature story in the San José \u003cem>Mercury News\u003c/em> about the changing of the guard in his family, he described his farming in the area at the time as a hobby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hate to see it going like this, but there’s no way you can save the valley. It’s too far gone already. All the canners and packers have moved out, all the equipment people have moved out, all the cold storage people have moved out,” he said at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996249\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11996249 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A modern office park for Cadence Design Systems is located across the street from the Tsukuda Fruit Stand and the farm owned by the Sakauye family in San José on July 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then, in the 2005 videotaped interview with the local museum, Eiichi was asked what he thought of the future for Japanese Americans in agriculture in Santa Clara Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I believe there’s none,” he said. “Because there’s very few of us in agriculture, and those very few are not producing as much.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Eiichi Sakauye’s legacy \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hatakeyama noted that Eiichi Sakauye purchased a home on Fifth Street in San José and generously donated it to the Japanese American Resource Center in 1998, an organization he helped found, which later became the first iteration of the museum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11979430,news_11857895,news_11969746\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family also donated many other farm tools, equipment and artifacts that support the museum’s exhibit on Japanese American agriculture in the valley, including a pear sorting machine that Eiichi and his brothers engineered. Carolyn Sakauye and Jane May are also members of the museum’s advisory board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their contributions were really huge already as a family. So even though it’s difficult, and even though we always like to preserve things … sometimes you have to remember that these are people’s personal stories and their personal lives,” Hatakeyama said. “It is their story to tell, and it is their property to control.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The museum has advocated for the public park to be named after Eiichi Sakauye, not just the family name, Hatakeyama said, so people will remember his unique story and contributions, including his force of spirit while incarcerated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eiichi, while with his family at Heart Mountain, took on a variety of roles, such as block manager and activities coordinator, and he was assigned to be the assistant superintendent of agriculture because of his depth of farming knowledge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He recruited other farmers interned there and together they helped produce bounties for thousands of people forcibly living at the camp, according to city and museum records. He led the construction of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.powelltribune.com/stories/heart-mountain-miracle,134795\">root cellar\u003c/a>, which was preserved and \u003ca href=\"https://www.powelltribune.com/stories/annual-heart-mountain-pilgrimage-highlights-lessons-from-the-past,3125\">dedicated\u003c/a> there in 2015.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999518\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2249px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11999518 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2249\" height=\"997\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2.jpg 2249w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-800x355.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-1020x452.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-160x71.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-1536x681.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-2048x908.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-1920x851.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2249px) 100vw, 2249px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Eiichi Sakauye operates a bean thrasher on the farm at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming on Nov. 22, 1943. Right: Eiichi Sakauye checks the moisture of the soil on the farm at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming on March 10, 1944. \u003ccite>(Hikaru Iwasaki courtesy of Calisphere)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With a camera he managed to bring into the camp, Eiichi documented life at Heart Mountain in photographs and \u003ca href=\"https://ddr.densho.org/interviews/ddr-densho-1005-1-1/\">video footage\u003c/a>, which were used in a national television documentary in the 1960s. In 2000, he published a \u003ca href=\"https://asianamericanbooks.com/books/2892.htm\">photo book\u003c/a> called \u003cem>Heart Mountain: A Reflection of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatakeyama said the property in North San José is visible evidence of not only Japanese American lineage and the journey of an entire community but also of allyship and of \u003cem>gaman\u003c/em>, a Japanese term meaning to persevere and endure through difficult times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eiichi and his father were able to preserve the land in part because of a close friendship with their neighbors, the Seely family, from whom Yuwakichi first bought the land. During World War I, which lasted from 1914–18, the Sakauyes helped take care of the Seely farm and Edward Seely’s ill mother while Edward Seely served in the military, according to city reports and museum accounts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During WWII, when the Sakauye family was incarcerated, the Seelys took ownership of the Sakauye family’s land and protected it for them until they returned, then handed it back, while many other Japanese Americans lost their land, homes and possessions during that time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They persevered, and they endured, and they managed to hold on to that farm and make it thrive even after resettling in the area,” Hatakeyama said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Losing history for good?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Members of Preservation Action Council San Jose are hoping city officials will push for a rejiggering of the plans to allow at least the home that Eiichi Sakauye grew up in to be preserved on the site and incorporated into the development, and possibly some of the remaining orchard trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have a lot of sites that really tell such a compelling story,” Ben Leech, the president of the action council, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here’s a major preservationist [Eiichi Sakauye] telling a major San José story, and his own house is now threatened,” Leech said. “That just seemed like we needed to speak up and say, there’s got to be a better way to treat this as a development site.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Leech said his organization has had conversations with the developer and the city, but overall, his organization’s requests are being met with apathy, with no one yet willing to take responsibility for the home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like plaques as much as the next person, but this still exists. And it is being proposed as if this was a blank slate, and it’s not a blank slate. It’s actually an incredible site,” Leech said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996244\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11996244 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda harvests produce for the Tsukuda Fruit Stand beside the Montague Expressway in San José on July 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While Carolyn Sakauye and Jane May’s attorney said they don’t believe the developer nor the city should have to bear the costs of preserving their father’s home, Leech thinks it can be done without affecting the bottom line of the deal for the family and developer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes the site and the story transcend the personal interests of the people involved in a positive way,” Leech said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As much as it is significant that two of the daughters aren’t championing preservation, it doesn’t mean that preservation isn’t important to the larger community. In the future, 50 years from now, 100 years from now, people will forget who was for and who was against saving this thing. They’ll just be glad that it’s still around.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatakeyama also worries about what else is lost when something is gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the loss that might come with this transformation of the property, it might be one that we don’t realize immediately off the bat,” she said. “There is something that can be very, very magical about being able to actually stand in a space that is still full of generations of history.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>The future of San José family farming\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some customers of the Tsukuda fruit stand share a similar sentiment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Before my time here, I heard there were orchards everywhere,” said Rich Buttrey, a customer for the last two years, as he loaded his haul from the fruit stand into his car. “And this is one of the last remaining ones, and we’re very fortunate to have it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re wonderful people, really make you feel at home, and they have really good food,” Buttrey said of James Tsukuda and his mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999524\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11999524 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"855\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-800x274.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-1020x349.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-1536x525.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-2048x700.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-1920x657.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Inez Lismonde (left) and Rich Buttrey (right) chat at the Tsukuda fruit stand. Right: Produce for sale at the Tsukuda fruit stand. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another grower in the region, Phil Cosentino, along with his daughters, still maintains the 2-acre \u003ca href=\"https://cosentinofamilyfarm.com/\">J&P Cosentino Family Farm\u003c/a> near Highway 85 in South San José that was started in the 1940s by his father, Dominic Cosentino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Phil Cosentino said he’s saddened but not surprised to see the paving over of another patch of what he calls the “most fertile fruit-producing region” in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But what are you going to do? Money talks. Nothing else seems to matter anymore,” he said. “History and all that, what there was here in the valley, is meaningless. Money is the only thing that means anything, and nothing else matters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James Tsukuda said he doesn’t know what he’s going to do next after his time working the farmland here comes to an end. The Tsukudas say they likely won’t continue their business elsewhere after they close, especially given the exorbitant prices for land in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996250\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11996250\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda on the Sakauye family farm in San José on July 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We’ve gone through this before. So for me, this is roughly the same experience or a similar experience,” he said. “Once we’re done, I think I’ll miss it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One thing he’s sure of: he won’t be visiting the area to gaze at the multi-story apartment buildings about to replace the rows of crops he’s worked in for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not for me. I might come and take a look at the development once after they finish,” James Tsukuda said. “And I’ll probably never come back here again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "After surviving through wars, racist laws and a tech boom, a piece of San José farmland held by one Japanese American family is set to be sold and developed with nearly 1,500 apartments and homes.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1725111682,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 69,
"wordCount": 3173
},
"headData": {
"title": "Historic Japanese American Family Farm Is About to Fade Into Much-Needed Housing in San José | KQED",
"description": "After surviving through wars, racist laws and a tech boom, a piece of San José farmland held by one Japanese American family is set to be sold and developed with nearly 1,500 apartments and homes.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Historic Japanese American Family Farm Is About to Fade Into Much-Needed Housing in San José",
"datePublished": "2024-08-09T04:00:32-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-08-31T06:41:22-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/9e6b7cb0-e619-4c03-879f-b1cb0105947d/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-11999500",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11999500/historic-japanese-american-family-farm-is-about-to-fade-into-much-needed-housing-in-san-jose",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hile James Tsukuda doesn’t say too much about his farm work, his attention to detail makes his care for the craft apparent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For harvesting raspberries — some so deeply red in color they appear purple in the right light — he keeps a small metal coffee can tied around his midsection where he collects them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For growing heirloom tomatoes, he ties the branches to stakes to help support the weight of the fruit. It’s extra work, but the twine is more effective than tomato cages, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the tomatoes sit on the ground, the slugs will put a lot of holes in them,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The farm and the Tsukuda’s stand — located on a plot of land bordered by the busy Montague Expressway near the corner of Seely Avenue — are an unusual sight in San José. Surrounded by tech company office buildings, Tsukuda harvests fruits and vegetables for the day starting at dawn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996299\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11996299\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-26_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda harvests zucchini in front of the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in San José on July 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Tsukudas started leasing the farmland after James’ father, Eiji Tsukuda, and his family lost some of their own farmland off Oakland Road four decades ago through the eminent domain process. The forced sale allowed the Orchard School District to purchase the land and build its facilities there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James Tsukuda took over the lion’s share of the planting and harvesting work nearly 20 years ago after his father was diagnosed with cancer and died. His mother, Miyo, might be an octogenarian but said her age is “a secret.” She helps at the stand — which is not much more than a set of bright yellow tables under wooden arbors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As active Japanese American farmers, the Tsukudas are a rarity in the South Bay. But after the fall season’s popular persimmon harvest, they will close up shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family that owns the land under the stand, the Sakauyes, is preparing to sell it to a developer. And with the sale, a significant piece of Japanese American history is at risk of disappearing. A decision on the fate of the land is expected to be made Tuesday by the San José City Council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel sad. I’m going to miss this work,” Miyo Tsukuda said while working the stand, tossing extra raspberries into a basket for a customer. “What am I going to do now? I’m going to miss all these people coming here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996241\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11996241\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-14-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miyo Tsukuda (center) chats with a customer at the Tsukuda family fruit stand in San José on July 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Japanese American family history \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The 22.8-acre plot of land is steeped in history and has been owned by the Sakauyes — a Japanese American family with a long farming legacy — for roughly 120 continuous years. While many Japanese American families \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10459596/hard-row-to-hoe-japanese-farming-in-the-santa-clara-valley\">lost their property during World War II\u003c/a>, the Sakauyes were able to retain their land due to the stewardship of a white neighbor. (A fire broke out Thursday, burning 3–5 acres and a barn not considered historically significant before San José Fire Department crews stopped it.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The land was first brought into the family after Japanese immigrant Yuwakichi Sakauye bought the initial plots in 1907, only several years before the Alien Land Act would have prevented an Asian immigrant from owning such property. It was later managed by his eldest son, Eiichi Edward Sakauye.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eiichi Sakauye became a prominent farmer and civic figure serving on local boards and commissions. He was also a steadfast booster and advocate for the preservation of Japanese American history in the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The farm is one of only a handful of remaining active farming and orchard sites in the city’s boundaries and represents the last patch of agricultural land owned in the immediate area by the Sakauyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999082\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11999082 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-03-KQED-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-03-KQED-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-03-KQED-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-03-KQED.jpg 944w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eiichi Sakauye is photographed with a pear tree following his return to his farm in San José from the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming on July 9, 1945. \u003ccite>(Hikaru Iwasaki courtesy of Calisphere)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The family once grew the plots under their control into a veritable farming empire of around 200 acres in the region, despite facing severe hurdles, including entrenched racism against Asian immigrants; government-sanctioned discrimination such as the Alien Land Act and Asian Exclusion Act; two World Wars, including four years during WWII when the family was sent to a concentration camp at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10459596/hard-row-to-hoe-japanese-farming-in-the-santa-clara-valley\">Heart Mountain, Wyoming\u003c/a>; and a technological revolution that collapsed the agriculture and canning industry here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sakauyes, led by Eiichi Sakauye’s son Ron, planned to develop or sell off much of the acreage they once owned beginning in the 1980s, and indeed, a pair of large commercial offices sit today on nearby land owned by some of the family members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Eiichi Sakauye painted a more complicated picture of what happened to the rest of their farmland in a \u003ca href=\"https://ddr.densho.org/interviews/ddr-jamsj-2-7-1/?tableft=segments\">February 2005 interview\u003c/a> with the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, alluding to disagreements with in-laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a sad story. We had family disputes, so gradually, we got in debt and lost it,” he said. He died later that year at the age of 93.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But over the decades, the family has held onto this cleaver-shaped parcel the longest, part of the original farmland worked by the patriarch, Yuwakichi Sakauye in the early 1900s, and now farmed largely by James and Miyo Tsukuda.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Historical Sites into housing\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>About half of the site is eligible to be listed as an entire historic district in the state’s Register of Historic Resources, according to a consultant report commissioned by the developer. On the site are several buildings — such as barns and pump houses — in addition to the rows of crops, dirt roads and fruit trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of those buildings is an adobe home with a red clay tile roof built around 1920. This home is where Eiichi Sakauye lived his entire life, save for the years he was interned during World War II. It is eligible on its own for listing in the register.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996245\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11996245 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-22-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda picks cucumbers in front of an old building on the Sakauye family farm in San José on July 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, a contract is in place for the Sakauyes to sell the land to the Hanover Company, a Houston-based developer that has mapped out plans to level the entire site to build nearly 1,500 apartments and townhomes, as well as a 2.5-acre public park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San José City Council will consider the proposal at its Aug. 13 meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Not worth preservation, according to family\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While no one disagrees that housing is sorely needed in the region, some in the city are concerned about the apparent ease with which city officials, the Sakauye family and the developer are willing to allow the historic structures to be leveled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In letters to the city, family members said they are proud of their father’s accomplishments and contributions in the community but don’t care about saving his former home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999081\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11999081 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-02-KQED-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-02-KQED-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-02-KQED-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-ARCHIVAL-02-KQED.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sakauye family outside their home in San José following their return from the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming on July 9, 1945. \u003ccite>(Hikaru Iwasaki courtesy of Calisphere)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“While Carolyn Sakauye and Jane May, the children of Eiichi Edward Sakauye, have very fond memories of growing up and spending their childhoods in that family farmhouse, they do not think it is worth trying to preserve it,” their attorney, Sam Farb, wrote to the city in June. The sisters declined to be interviewed for this story, citing advice from their attorney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scott Youdall, a development partner at Hanover, told city officials the public park will include a prominently featured historic interpretation area with embedded storyboards that would tell the story of Eiichi Sakauye’s life in San José, his internment, and his contributions to agriculture. Youdall did not respond to requests for comment for this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to see this last patch of the farm and orchard land be converted into apartment buildings. It’s very difficult to see,” said Vanessa Hatakeyama, the acting director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.jamsj.org/\">Japanese American Museum of San José\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are very few Japanese American farms. And so I think to see one of the last ones in this area go, it is a little bit painful,” she said, citing the once large cultural influence on farming by Japanese Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatakeyama said the museum is in a tough spot. The organization is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the stories of Japanese Americans in the South Bay but also wants to respect the wishes of the family members who have decided to sell the land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eiichi Sakauye seemed resigned to the fate of farms like his even decades ago. In a 1982 feature story in the San José \u003cem>Mercury News\u003c/em> about the changing of the guard in his family, he described his farming in the area at the time as a hobby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hate to see it going like this, but there’s no way you can save the valley. It’s too far gone already. All the canners and packers have moved out, all the equipment people have moved out, all the cold storage people have moved out,” he said at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996249\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11996249 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-27-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A modern office park for Cadence Design Systems is located across the street from the Tsukuda Fruit Stand and the farm owned by the Sakauye family in San José on July 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then, in the 2005 videotaped interview with the local museum, Eiichi was asked what he thought of the future for Japanese Americans in agriculture in Santa Clara Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I believe there’s none,” he said. “Because there’s very few of us in agriculture, and those very few are not producing as much.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Eiichi Sakauye’s legacy \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hatakeyama noted that Eiichi Sakauye purchased a home on Fifth Street in San José and generously donated it to the Japanese American Resource Center in 1998, an organization he helped found, which later became the first iteration of the museum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "Related Stories ",
"postid": "news_11979430,news_11857895,news_11969746"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family also donated many other farm tools, equipment and artifacts that support the museum’s exhibit on Japanese American agriculture in the valley, including a pear sorting machine that Eiichi and his brothers engineered. Carolyn Sakauye and Jane May are also members of the museum’s advisory board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their contributions were really huge already as a family. So even though it’s difficult, and even though we always like to preserve things … sometimes you have to remember that these are people’s personal stories and their personal lives,” Hatakeyama said. “It is their story to tell, and it is their property to control.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The museum has advocated for the public park to be named after Eiichi Sakauye, not just the family name, Hatakeyama said, so people will remember his unique story and contributions, including his force of spirit while incarcerated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eiichi, while with his family at Heart Mountain, took on a variety of roles, such as block manager and activities coordinator, and he was assigned to be the assistant superintendent of agriculture because of his depth of farming knowledge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He recruited other farmers interned there and together they helped produce bounties for thousands of people forcibly living at the camp, according to city and museum records. He led the construction of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.powelltribune.com/stories/heart-mountain-miracle,134795\">root cellar\u003c/a>, which was preserved and \u003ca href=\"https://www.powelltribune.com/stories/annual-heart-mountain-pilgrimage-highlights-lessons-from-the-past,3125\">dedicated\u003c/a> there in 2015.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999518\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2249px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11999518 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2249\" height=\"997\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2.jpg 2249w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-800x355.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-1020x452.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-160x71.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-1536x681.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-2048x908.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-2-1920x851.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2249px) 100vw, 2249px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Eiichi Sakauye operates a bean thrasher on the farm at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming on Nov. 22, 1943. Right: Eiichi Sakauye checks the moisture of the soil on the farm at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming on March 10, 1944. \u003ccite>(Hikaru Iwasaki courtesy of Calisphere)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With a camera he managed to bring into the camp, Eiichi documented life at Heart Mountain in photographs and \u003ca href=\"https://ddr.densho.org/interviews/ddr-densho-1005-1-1/\">video footage\u003c/a>, which were used in a national television documentary in the 1960s. In 2000, he published a \u003ca href=\"https://asianamericanbooks.com/books/2892.htm\">photo book\u003c/a> called \u003cem>Heart Mountain: A Reflection of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatakeyama said the property in North San José is visible evidence of not only Japanese American lineage and the journey of an entire community but also of allyship and of \u003cem>gaman\u003c/em>, a Japanese term meaning to persevere and endure through difficult times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eiichi and his father were able to preserve the land in part because of a close friendship with their neighbors, the Seely family, from whom Yuwakichi first bought the land. During World War I, which lasted from 1914–18, the Sakauyes helped take care of the Seely farm and Edward Seely’s ill mother while Edward Seely served in the military, according to city reports and museum accounts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During WWII, when the Sakauye family was incarcerated, the Seelys took ownership of the Sakauye family’s land and protected it for them until they returned, then handed it back, while many other Japanese Americans lost their land, homes and possessions during that time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They persevered, and they endured, and they managed to hold on to that farm and make it thrive even after resettling in the area,” Hatakeyama said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Losing history for good?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Members of Preservation Action Council San Jose are hoping city officials will push for a rejiggering of the plans to allow at least the home that Eiichi Sakauye grew up in to be preserved on the site and incorporated into the development, and possibly some of the remaining orchard trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have a lot of sites that really tell such a compelling story,” Ben Leech, the president of the action council, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here’s a major preservationist [Eiichi Sakauye] telling a major San José story, and his own house is now threatened,” Leech said. “That just seemed like we needed to speak up and say, there’s got to be a better way to treat this as a development site.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Leech said his organization has had conversations with the developer and the city, but overall, his organization’s requests are being met with apathy, with no one yet willing to take responsibility for the home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like plaques as much as the next person, but this still exists. And it is being proposed as if this was a blank slate, and it’s not a blank slate. It’s actually an incredible site,” Leech said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996244\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11996244 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-19-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda harvests produce for the Tsukuda Fruit Stand beside the Montague Expressway in San José on July 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While Carolyn Sakauye and Jane May’s attorney said they don’t believe the developer nor the city should have to bear the costs of preserving their father’s home, Leech thinks it can be done without affecting the bottom line of the deal for the family and developer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sometimes the site and the story transcend the personal interests of the people involved in a positive way,” Leech said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As much as it is significant that two of the daughters aren’t championing preservation, it doesn’t mean that preservation isn’t important to the larger community. In the future, 50 years from now, 100 years from now, people will forget who was for and who was against saving this thing. They’ll just be glad that it’s still around.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hatakeyama also worries about what else is lost when something is gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the loss that might come with this transformation of the property, it might be one that we don’t realize immediately off the bat,” she said. “There is something that can be very, very magical about being able to actually stand in a space that is still full of generations of history.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>The future of San José family farming\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some customers of the Tsukuda fruit stand share a similar sentiment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Before my time here, I heard there were orchards everywhere,” said Rich Buttrey, a customer for the last two years, as he loaded his haul from the fruit stand into his car. “And this is one of the last remaining ones, and we’re very fortunate to have it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re wonderful people, really make you feel at home, and they have really good food,” Buttrey said of James Tsukuda and his mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999524\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11999524 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"855\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-800x274.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-1020x349.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-160x55.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-1536x525.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-2048x700.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/Japanese-American-Family-Farm-Diptych-3-1-1920x657.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Inez Lismonde (left) and Rich Buttrey (right) chat at the Tsukuda fruit stand. Right: Produce for sale at the Tsukuda fruit stand. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another grower in the region, Phil Cosentino, along with his daughters, still maintains the 2-acre \u003ca href=\"https://cosentinofamilyfarm.com/\">J&P Cosentino Family Farm\u003c/a> near Highway 85 in South San José that was started in the 1940s by his father, Dominic Cosentino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Phil Cosentino said he’s saddened but not surprised to see the paving over of another patch of what he calls the “most fertile fruit-producing region” in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But what are you going to do? Money talks. Nothing else seems to matter anymore,” he said. “History and all that, what there was here in the valley, is meaningless. Money is the only thing that means anything, and nothing else matters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James Tsukuda said he doesn’t know what he’s going to do next after his time working the farmland here comes to an end. The Tsukudas say they likely won’t continue their business elsewhere after they close, especially given the exorbitant prices for land in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11996250\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11996250\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-28-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda on the Sakauye family farm in San José on July 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We’ve gone through this before. So for me, this is roughly the same experience or a similar experience,” he said. “Once we’re done, I think I’ll miss it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One thing he’s sure of: he won’t be visiting the area to gaze at the multi-story apartment buildings about to replace the rows of crops he’s worked in for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not for me. I might come and take a look at the development once after they finish,” James Tsukuda said. “And I’ll probably never come back here again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11999500/historic-japanese-american-family-farm-is-about-to-fade-into-much-needed-housing-in-san-jose",
"authors": [
"11906"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_6266",
"news_1169",
"news_8",
"news_34199"
],
"tags": [
"news_3921",
"news_27626",
"news_1775",
"news_17856",
"news_2672",
"news_21285"
],
"featImg": "news_11996242",
"label": "news"
},
"news_11999300": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11999300",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999300",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1723114969000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "in-san-quentin-program-participants-reckon-with-their-pasts-and-lobby-for-statewide-change",
"title": "In San Quentin Program, Participants Reckon With Their Pasts and Lobby for Statewide Change",
"publishDate": 1723114969,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "In San Quentin Program, Participants Reckon With Their Pasts and Lobby for Statewide Change | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 72,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>On a recent hot day, in the cool of the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center library, Hugo Campos tells a group of about 10 other incarcerated people the story of his best friend’s death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Motivational posters cover the walls, and three circles of chairs have been set up around tables.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campos reads slowly from a written reflection, telling the circle that when he was a teenager, his close friend — the local ‘weed guy’ — was shot during a drug deal gone bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was a big impact in my life,” Campos said. “I didn’t realize that until I came to prison or until I got to this prompt, honestly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the men nod along and shake their heads when he blames himself. The story is familiar. When he finishes, the facilitator, who is also incarcerated, thanks him for his vulnerability and opens up the conversation for comments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This type of peer counseling session is relatively common at San Quentin these days, where hundreds of volunteers come in every week to help people heal and prepare to reenter society. The prison is so well-known for its rehabilitative culture that Gov. Gavin Newsom last year \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/03/17/san-quentin-transformation/\">formally renamed it a “rehabilitation center.”\u003c/a> The governor also uses it as the centerpiece for his “California Model,” which focuses on humanizing incarcerated people and normalizing positive interactions between them and the guards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991734\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11991734 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A group of incarcerated people in blue jumpsuits sit in chairs in a circle.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Spanish-speaking group of incarcerated people participate in a Back to the Start program session in the library at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on June 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Where this program is different from other peer-to-peer counseling groups is what will happen with these written reflections. They’ll be typed up and cataloged. Some will be brought to Sacramento to influence state policies pertaining to childhood social welfare issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We actually then work with the participants to leverage their stories for change, for systems change,” said Dr. Jenny Espinoza, co-founder of the program called \u003ca href=\"https://www.backtothestart.org/\">Back to the Start\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Espinoza and other advocates have identified a need for narratives about child welfare, school discipline, juvenile justice, gun safety — issues that are hard for people in the thick of it to comment on. And they have ready storytellers: men who have been through it all with a lot of free time and a sense of debt to society.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Trying to dismantle the ‘cradle-to-prison pipeline’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For nearly a decade, Espinoza was a primary care doctor at San Quentin before becoming the chief physician and surgeon of California’s prison health care system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she vividly remembers, early in her tenure at the prison, meeting a patient who had Hepatitis C and asking how long he’d had it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He just told me very matter-of-factly that when he was 11, his mother stabbed him with a butter knife in the chest,” Espinoza said. He told her that his aunt then injected him with heroin to numb the pain, and he was treated at the hospital with a blood transfusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991731\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11991731\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jessie Milo reacts as someone reads a story they wrote during the Back to the Start program at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on June 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She quickly learned about many more incidents of early trauma among her patients at the prison, including failed foster care placements, abuse and abandonment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was the juncture where I wish I could have made a difference,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside her exam room at the prison hospital, she saw other effects of adverse childhood experiences — \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html\">referred to clinically as “ACES,”\u003c/a> which include experiences like abuse, neglect and seeing family members with substance-use issues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The more ACES someone has, the greater the likelihood they will experience toxic or prolonged stress during childhood, which can influence brain development, CDC research has shown. ACES are also linked to heart disease, diabetes and mental health issues later in life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991741\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11991741\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An outside view of a large prison facility (San Quentin).\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, on June 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Espinoza said she started the program to influence statewide policies impacting early childhood experiences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Participants in the program review bills under consideration in the state Legislature, select the policies they believe in and write personal letters to advocate for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Close to 30 participants and facilitators meet every Monday in the library to respond in writing to specific prompts about childhood experiences, read their reflections aloud and process them together as a group. Espinoza and another former prison doctor often sit in on the sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991732\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11991732\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hugo Campos (left) speaks to the group after reading a story he wrote during the Back to the Start program at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on June 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Espinoza said by advocating for criminal justice reform, child welfare, violence prevention and education, Back to the Start is trying to dismantle the “cradle-to-prison pipeline” whereby childhood circumstances, poverty and an entrenched school discipline system often set up certain vulnerable people for incarceration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group has already had one successful lobbying effort. This summer, facilitator Donald Thompson wrote \u003ca href=\"https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/05/08/i-am-serving-a-life-sentence-at-san-quentin-i-know-budget-cuts-will-hurt-foster-youth/\">an op-ed for the \u003cem>San Diego Union-Tribune\u003c/em>\u003c/a> imploring legislators to preserve funding for foster youth. Espinoza believes this and other narratives were part of the reason the funding was restored in the final budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Human, too\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before the sessions start, as men mill around and sign in, 48-year-old facilitator Edwin Chavez introduces himself to outside visitors. Chavez is tall, with salt-and-pepper hair and a ‘San Quentin News’ badge around his neck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve been to the worst of the worst, and to me, San Quentin is not prison,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chavez has been incarcerated for about 30 years and leads the Spanish-speaking group. He said the culture in San Quentin is different from other California prison facilities. Here, he said, guards call him by his name, not his number.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991735\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11991735\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A grey-haired man in a blue prison jumpsuit speaks to other incarcerated people who are sitting next to him on chairs.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Edwin E. Chavez (center) speaks during the Back to the Start program at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on June 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chavez was a member of Back to the Start’s first cohort last year. He said he grew up in El Salvador during that country’s bloody civil war and understands the trauma that many in the Spanish-speaking group have experienced. Still, he said he learns more from the other men than he ever expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the stories told here never make it out of the library and into the halls of the Capitol, Chavez said, they still make a difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I didn’t even know about the word empathy within myself. Self-empathy, self-love, self-compassion,” he said. “That’s what this group has done for me.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "A peer counseling program in the prison aims to influence the childhood social welfare policy in California. Participants say the process is also helping them better understand and come to terms with early traumatic experiences that influenced their trajectories.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1723487158,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 29,
"wordCount": 1173
},
"headData": {
"title": "In San Quentin Program, Participants Reckon With Their Pasts and Lobby for Statewide Change | KQED",
"description": "A peer counseling program in the prison aims to influence the childhood social welfare policy in California. Participants say the process is also helping them better understand and come to terms with early traumatic experiences that influenced their trajectories.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "In San Quentin Program, Participants Reckon With Their Pasts and Lobby for Statewide Change",
"datePublished": "2024-08-08T04:02:49-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-08-12T11:25:58-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/4b76e696-3c95-4723-bdcf-b1ca01039ff6/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Kate Wolffe, CapRadio",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-11999300",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11999300/in-san-quentin-program-participants-reckon-with-their-pasts-and-lobby-for-statewide-change",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On a recent hot day, in the cool of the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center library, Hugo Campos tells a group of about 10 other incarcerated people the story of his best friend’s death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Motivational posters cover the walls, and three circles of chairs have been set up around tables.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campos reads slowly from a written reflection, telling the circle that when he was a teenager, his close friend — the local ‘weed guy’ — was shot during a drug deal gone bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was a big impact in my life,” Campos said. “I didn’t realize that until I came to prison or until I got to this prompt, honestly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the men nod along and shake their heads when he blames himself. The story is familiar. When he finishes, the facilitator, who is also incarcerated, thanks him for his vulnerability and opens up the conversation for comments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This type of peer counseling session is relatively common at San Quentin these days, where hundreds of volunteers come in every week to help people heal and prepare to reenter society. The prison is so well-known for its rehabilitative culture that Gov. Gavin Newsom last year \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/03/17/san-quentin-transformation/\">formally renamed it a “rehabilitation center.”\u003c/a> The governor also uses it as the centerpiece for his “California Model,” which focuses on humanizing incarcerated people and normalizing positive interactions between them and the guards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991734\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11991734 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A group of incarcerated people in blue jumpsuits sit in chairs in a circle.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-59-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Spanish-speaking group of incarcerated people participate in a Back to the Start program session in the library at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on June 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Where this program is different from other peer-to-peer counseling groups is what will happen with these written reflections. They’ll be typed up and cataloged. Some will be brought to Sacramento to influence state policies pertaining to childhood social welfare issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We actually then work with the participants to leverage their stories for change, for systems change,” said Dr. Jenny Espinoza, co-founder of the program called \u003ca href=\"https://www.backtothestart.org/\">Back to the Start\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Espinoza and other advocates have identified a need for narratives about child welfare, school discipline, juvenile justice, gun safety — issues that are hard for people in the thick of it to comment on. And they have ready storytellers: men who have been through it all with a lot of free time and a sense of debt to society.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Trying to dismantle the ‘cradle-to-prison pipeline’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For nearly a decade, Espinoza was a primary care doctor at San Quentin before becoming the chief physician and surgeon of California’s prison health care system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she vividly remembers, early in her tenure at the prison, meeting a patient who had Hepatitis C and asking how long he’d had it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He just told me very matter-of-factly that when he was 11, his mother stabbed him with a butter knife in the chest,” Espinoza said. He told her that his aunt then injected him with heroin to numb the pain, and he was treated at the hospital with a blood transfusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991731\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11991731\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-23-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jessie Milo reacts as someone reads a story they wrote during the Back to the Start program at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on June 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She quickly learned about many more incidents of early trauma among her patients at the prison, including failed foster care placements, abuse and abandonment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was the juncture where I wish I could have made a difference,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside her exam room at the prison hospital, she saw other effects of adverse childhood experiences — \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html\">referred to clinically as “ACES,”\u003c/a> which include experiences like abuse, neglect and seeing family members with substance-use issues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The more ACES someone has, the greater the likelihood they will experience toxic or prolonged stress during childhood, which can influence brain development, CDC research has shown. ACES are also linked to heart disease, diabetes and mental health issues later in life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991741\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11991741\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An outside view of a large prison facility (San Quentin).\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-176-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, on June 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Espinoza said she started the program to influence statewide policies impacting early childhood experiences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Participants in the program review bills under consideration in the state Legislature, select the policies they believe in and write personal letters to advocate for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Close to 30 participants and facilitators meet every Monday in the library to respond in writing to specific prompts about childhood experiences, read their reflections aloud and process them together as a group. Espinoza and another former prison doctor often sit in on the sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991732\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11991732\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-34-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hugo Campos (left) speaks to the group after reading a story he wrote during the Back to the Start program at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on June 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Espinoza said by advocating for criminal justice reform, child welfare, violence prevention and education, Back to the Start is trying to dismantle the “cradle-to-prison pipeline” whereby childhood circumstances, poverty and an entrenched school discipline system often set up certain vulnerable people for incarceration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group has already had one successful lobbying effort. This summer, facilitator Donald Thompson wrote \u003ca href=\"https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/05/08/i-am-serving-a-life-sentence-at-san-quentin-i-know-budget-cuts-will-hurt-foster-youth/\">an op-ed for the \u003cem>San Diego Union-Tribune\u003c/em>\u003c/a> imploring legislators to preserve funding for foster youth. Espinoza believes this and other narratives were part of the reason the funding was restored in the final budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Human, too\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before the sessions start, as men mill around and sign in, 48-year-old facilitator Edwin Chavez introduces himself to outside visitors. Chavez is tall, with salt-and-pepper hair and a ‘San Quentin News’ badge around his neck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve been to the worst of the worst, and to me, San Quentin is not prison,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chavez has been incarcerated for about 30 years and leads the Spanish-speaking group. He said the culture in San Quentin is different from other California prison facilities. Here, he said, guards call him by his name, not his number.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11991735\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11991735\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A grey-haired man in a blue prison jumpsuit speaks to other incarcerated people who are sitting next to him on chairs.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240603-SANQUENTINACES-94-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Edwin E. Chavez (center) speaks during the Back to the Start program at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on June 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chavez was a member of Back to the Start’s first cohort last year. He said he grew up in El Salvador during that country’s bloody civil war and understands the trauma that many in the Spanish-speaking group have experienced. Still, he said he learns more from the other men than he ever expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the stories told here never make it out of the library and into the halls of the Capitol, Chavez said, they still make a difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I didn’t even know about the word empathy within myself. Self-empathy, self-love, self-compassion,” he said. “That’s what this group has done for me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/11999300/in-san-quentin-program-participants-reckon-with-their-pasts-and-lobby-for-statewide-change",
"authors": [
"byline_news_11999300"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_34167",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_1628",
"news_17725",
"news_27626",
"news_486"
],
"featImg": "news_11991738",
"label": "news_72"
},
"news_11999232": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_11999232",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11999232",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1723111242000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "what-will-it-take-to-improve-ev-infrastructure-in-california",
"title": "What Will It Take to Improve EV Infrastructure in California?",
"publishDate": 1723111242,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "What Will It Take to Improve EV Infrastructure in California? | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 33523,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may have heard some horror stories about electric vehicle charging — long lines, lengthy waits, broken units. Sometimes even\u003cem> finding \u003c/em>a charging station is a challenge. When your car’s low on charge but no charger is available, it’s stressful. Maybe you’re halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and you’re stuck waiting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s one of the big things stopping Bay Curious listener Kelly Lindberg from buying an electric car right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m hoping that by 2030, between having some years to save up and the technology getting better and cheaper, maybe that’s around the time [it] could work for our family,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, Lindberg has an idea to help alleviate the charging congestion. She’s noticed a lot of empty former gas station sites around her neighborhood in Oakland and wondered, “Would it be a good idea to turn some of these spaces into electric car charging stations?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom set a goal for the state to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by the year 2035. So even if you’ve got a gas-powered car, and this isn’t a problem you’re facing currently, it may be soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>How to set up a charging station\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To find out what goes into installing a new charging station, I met up with Jonah Eidus, who oversees real estate development for electric car charging company EVgo. The company has hundreds of charging stalls across the Bay Area and thousands across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In general, when we’re installing new chargers, we’re looking to be in high-traffic areas where the chargers will be used for about 15 to 45 minutes,” Eidus said. “And that means we also want to have amenities nearby so people have something to do during those 15 to 45 minutes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since charging your car takes longer than pumping gas, stations are designed with the surroundings in mind. They aim to install stations in the parking lot of a Safeway, for example, or close to a coffee shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are many other considerations too, Eidus said, including the availability of parking stalls. Is there enough space for many cars to park? The goal, after all, is to build as many charging stalls per site as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Does the site integrate well into the electrical grid? The product they are ultimately selling is electricity, so they have to make sure that a site \u003cem>has \u003c/em>the electricity to sell at an affordable price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additionally, is the charging station set up near those who need it most, including those who live in apartment complexes and don’t have the option to charge from their own garage? There are also city zoning regulations and safety considerations to take into account.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s not even half of what goes into establishing a charging site. In fact, EVgo has a mapping algorithm that integrates 27 different factors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Suffice to say, it is a fairly sophisticated process that we go through,” Eidus said. “When a site goes live, a lot of thought and a lot of data has gone into the decision to build that site.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Improving reliability and keeping up with demand\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California — particularly the Bay Area — \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/12/us/bay-area-electric-vehicles.html\">leads the nation\u003c/a> in electric vehicle adoption. To meet that growing demand, California has to build 1 million new chargers by the end of 2030, \u003ca href=\"https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24795161/assembly-bill-2127-second-electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure-second-assessment-revised-staff-report.pdf#page=52\">according to the state’s own projections (PDF)\u003c/a>. Some experts say \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2024/07/california-electric-car-chargers-unrealistic-goals/\">that’s not feasible\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would say we’re tight on the number of chargers,” said Carleen Cullen, co-founder of the environmental nonprofit Cool the Earth and a former transportation advisor to Gov. Newsom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only are they in short supply, the ones we do have are not always reliable, Cullen said. She helped conduct a study a few years ago to test the reliability of charging stations in the Bay Area and found that a quarter of them weren’t functional, meaning the screens were broken, the payment system didn’t work or the equipment was flawed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cullen said while the infrastructure has improved a lot since then, there’s still not enough of it — despite the fact that \u003ca href=\"https://smartasset.com/data-studies/ev-chargers-2023\">California is outpacing other states\u003c/a> in both EV adoption and infrastructure. And in order to reach Newsom’s goal, we need consumers, charging companies, EV manufacturers, local governments and utility companies to work together, Cullen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to move the adoption of EVs forward, we need to move the number of charging ports available as well, and we need to move the grid capacity as well,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999354\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999354\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tashinda Richardson of Oakland plugs in her rented electric vehicle at an EVgo Fast Charging station in Oakland on Jan. 29. Richardson said it can be hard to find a charger when she needs one. Sometimes, she said, chargers won’t work or the plug will get stuck in the car. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Styer Martínez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A big hold-up right now, according to Cullen, lies with PG&E.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a huge lag time between when the charging station vendor requests the power and when PG&E actually delivers it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For a charging station to operate, it needs to be hooked up to the power grid. That’s where PG&E comes in. And they won’t just let you set up a charging station anywhere. They have to be able to deliver enough power to that site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Is the section of the grid you’re trying to connect to also connected to a big manufacturing plant, for example? Are your neighbors using a lot of electricity during certain times of the day? Then the available power is likely spoken for. Does that portion of the grid rely heavily on solar power? Then the chargers may not work when the sun goes down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have over 600,000 EVs in our service territory. And we’ve seen EV adoption grow at about 26% of the compound annual growth rate over the last few years. That’s a significant amount of load that we’re seeing on the system,” said David Almeida, a manager within PG&E’s clean energy transportation group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almeida said the utility company underestimated electricity demand, and as a result, it doesn’t have the infrastructure to support the rapidly growing EV industry right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But they’re working on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are building out a forecast that doesn’t look at necessarily just historical load, but it looks at where we anticipate load growth,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The goal is to make electric car charging stations faster to build and more reliable once they’re up and running.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite all the work needed to bolster this transportation system overhaul, Almeida said it’s ultimately worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right now, California’s transportation system is by far the \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ghg-inventory-data\">largest contributor\u003c/a> to our greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning away from gas-powered cars is critical to mitigating the impacts of climate change, and EVs are already helping to do that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent \u003ca href=\"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c09642\">study\u003c/a> by scientists at UC Berkeley showed EV adoption in the Bay Area has already reduced our carbon emissions by almost 2%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve been a believer from the very beginning,” Almeida said. “And it’s just very cool to see a lot of this prove out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This is Bay curious. And today we’re going on a little road trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sounds of a car driving\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Here we go. So we are driving around San Francisco in my Volkswagen E-golf, and it’s an electric vehicle. And we’re looking for a place to charge. And I’m here with Dana Cronin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>And how do you normally find a place to charge in the city?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> It’s pretty rare that I have to find a place to charge because I mostly charge at home. But when I do have to find a place, I pull up an app on my phone and …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Safely, of course, pulled over by the side of the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Exactly. Let’s actually pull over real quick up here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(sound of car decelerating)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Okay, so I pull up this app on my phone and what it does is it loads all sorts of different chargers that are nearby that are owned by all sorts of different companies. The numbers mean how many charging stations are in each of these locations. Of the one that’s nearby, it looks like one is out of service; four are currently being used … but looks like one is available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> 0.2 miles away. That’s not too bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Yeah, let’s give it a shot. Okay, so the charger is somewhere in this enormous parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> You know that there’s a spot open right now because of your app, right? Or is it possible that it’s there but someone’s using it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> I would … I would say I don’t feel 100% confident based on the app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> There’s a line of Teslas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>So, let’s go and see if the non-Tesla chargers are near the Tesla ones, too. Oh, and here we are to the right. … This is also Tesla charging. Just kidding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>We drove around the parking lot for a while but then finally found the chargers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> So, it’s full. (laughs)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> There was a little dispute with another customer over who was there first. It was totally us, but we let it go. Eventually, another stall opened up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Charging port here, plug it in and it looks like this one gives me the option to pay by the EVgo app, or I can pay by credit card, which is actually great. It does not seem … Oh, there we go, there we go. Okay, let’s remove the card … (pause) authorization declined. I will try a different card payment. (pause) Authorized!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Step one: Complete! (laughing)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Step 7,962: pay for the charging. (laughing)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Generally, I would say this was not super easy, and yet it’s pretty much totally full.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price\u003c/strong>: Yeah, I mean, it’s not easy. I feel really lucky most of the time. I charge at home because it is, you know, it’s a pain and it’s a little stressful, especially if you are really low on charge. Like I’ve been in situations where I’m really sweating it out because I go to one charging station and like the screen is broken or the Wi-Fi isn’t working, or sometimes they’ll have these in paid parking garages and they don’t tell you that. And it’s like $30 just to get in the garage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Like it feels like you do have to have an at-home charger right now for this to be convenient and conducive to your lifestyle. Like, I can’t imagine, like fully relying on this, you know. I, for one, will probably just stick with my Subaru for now. My gas-powered Subaru, for now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> On today’s episode of Bay Curious, we dive into the world of electric vehicles. I love driving mine, but as you saw, it’s not perfect. California currently dominates the EV market, and the state has a lofty goal of banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. So if you’re not driving an EV yet, you may be soon. Is your community set up for it? Is the Bay area’s current infrastructure matching up with the demand? We’ll get into all that just after a quick break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>SPONSOR\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>For this episode, I’m tossing to my co-pilot … reporter Dana Cronin … to explain what’s going on with the Bay Area’s EV infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Like a lot of Bay Area residents … maybe you included … I want my next car to be electric. But if my 2012 Subaru Outback died tomorrow … I’m not sure I’d be ready to make the switch. Especially after that drive with Olivia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious listener Kelly Lindberg … feels the same way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kelly Lindberg:\u003c/strong> You hear those stories in the news sometimes about, like, the drive between, like, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. You know, people going in their Teslas and having a super long line at the charging station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Kelly works for a climate startup accelerator, and she’s thought, “There’s gotta be a solution to this problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One came to her… as she was driving through her neighborhood in Oakland. She’s noticed a lot of abandoned gas stations around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kelly Lindberg:\u003c/strong> Would it be a good idea to maybe turn some of these spaces into electric car charging stations?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>I mean … sounds like a good idea to me. I, too, live in Oakland and have noticed quite a few empty lots. Whether they’re former gas stations, convenience stores, or storefronts … it seems like there’s plenty of empty space for charging stations to set up shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, to do that, you first need a charging company. So, I met with one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(sounds of loud road noise)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Jonah Eidus is wearing a navy-logoed polo and is parked at an EVgo charging station. He oversees EVgo’s real estate department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EVgo has hundreds of charging stalls in the Bay Area … the one we’re meeting at is in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood … right off of 580 on Fruitvale Avenue. It’s set up at a Shell gas station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> So this site is an eight-stall, fast-charging site, capable of delivering up to 350 kW to each car. And it is definitely one of the more popular stations in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>That’s enough to charge most modern EVs in less than 20 minutes. And it is popular! Over the course of our interview … all eight stalls were full almost the whole time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without wasting any time, I posed Kelly’s question. Could empty lots and gas stations near her house get setups like this one?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> In general, when we’re installing new chargers, we’re looking to be in high-traffic areas where the chargers will be used for about 15 to 45 minutes. And that means we also want to have amenities nearby so people have something to do during those 15 to 45 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>It takes longer to charge your car’s battery than it does to pump gas. So this charging station, for example, is right next to a Peet’s Coffee and a Farmer Joe’s grocery store. A perfect place to run some errands while you wait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we’re talking, Dave Robinson drives up in his brand new 2023 KIA EV6, backs into a stall, and plugs in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>What do you plan to do while you wait?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dave Robinson:\u003c/strong> Just hang out. You know, if it’s going to be a while, there’s coffee shops and everything else around. So it’s easy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Convenience! It’s a big factor in selecting a charging site, Jonah says. But there are lots of other factors, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus: \u003c/strong>Availability of parking stalls, grid interconnection, forecasted charging demand, electricity rates and importantly, multifamily housing density nearby the charging station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>OK … let’s take those one at a time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> Availability of parking stalls …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Meaning … is there enough space for cars to park here? The goal is to build as many charging stalls as possible per site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> … grid interconnection …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>This one is super important. Because after all, the product they are ultimately selling … is electricity. And they need to make sure that a specific site HAS the electricity to sell\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> … forecasted charging demand … electricity rates …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>How many customers do they expect, and how much will those customers have to pay to charge? The cost of electricity can \u003cem>literally \u003c/em>vary block to block.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>And … EVGo is a for-profit company after all … so it needs to pencil out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> … and importantly, multifamily housing density nearby the charging station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Is the charging station set up near those who need it the most? Those who live in apartment complexes, for example, don’t have the option to charge from their own garage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s not even \u003cem>half \u003c/em>the considerations that go into establishing a charging site. There’s also things like a city’s zoning regulations … and safety considerations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, EVgo has a mapping algorithm that integrates 27 different factors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus: \u003c/strong>Suffice to say, it is a fairly sophisticated process that we go through. And when a site goes live, a lot of thought and a lot of data has gone into the decision to build that site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Jonah couldn’t say exactly whether the specific abandoned gas stations in Kelly’s neighborhood could be converted to charging sites … I guess that’s a question for the algorithm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(music)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem> \u003c/em>So that’s how companies choose specific charging sites … and avoid others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But at the \u003cem>heart \u003c/em>of Kelly’s question … is a bigger question. Clearly, we need MORE charging stations … whether at abandoned gas stations … or near coffee shops and grocery stores. So … why hasn’t the electric vehicle charging infrastructure kept up with demand?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To answer that question, I met up with Carleen Cullen. She’s the co-founder of the environmental nonprofit Cool the Earth and a former transportation advisor to Governor Newsom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(sounds of a busy parking lot)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>We meet up at another charging station … this one in the parking lot of a Safeway in Mill Valley. We’re chatting next to Carleen’s Chevy Bolt … which is parked in a stall, ready to charge … when, all of a sudden, another EV driver pulls up behind us and asks how long we plan to be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>I guess that’s part of the challenge is that there’s so few chargers that we have someone waiting on us here waiting for a charge, somewhat impatiently. So we’re going to go ahead and get charging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen:\u003c/strong> Let’s get started.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Carleen swipes her credit card, pulls the charger around to her car, plugs in, and it starts charging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(sound of the high-pitched hum from the charger)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen: \u003c/strong>So when you hear that great hum, you know that that’s happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Carleen is somewhat of an electric vehicle evangelist … an E-V-vangelist … if you will. Half the time we spent together I felt like I was in an EV infomercial. But she’s not naive. She knows the current infrastructure is flawed. In fact, she did a study a few years ago where she tested the reliability of charging stations in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen: \u003c/strong>And we found that about a quarter of the stations in the Bay area weren’t functional.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Meaning the screens were broken or the payment system didn’t work or the equipment was flawed. She says the infrastructure has improved a lot since then, but there’s still not enough of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen: \u003c/strong>I would say we’re tight on the number of chargers. Yeah, we’re definitely tight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>And that’s in part because … what we’re talking about here … is a MAJOR overhaul of an entire transportation system. In 2020, Governor Newsom set a goal to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in California by the year 2035. And California is outpacing other states in both EV adoption and infrastructure by a long shot. We have more chargers than any other state. But in order to reach that lofty goal … Carleen says we need three things:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen:\u003c/strong> We need to move the adoption of EVs forward. We need to move the number of charging ports available as well, and we need to move the grid capacity as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>These things all have to happen simultaneously. Consumers, charging companies, EV manufacturers, utility companies, local governments … everyone has to work in concert for this to work. Carleen says, right now, the utility companies aren’t necessarily pulling their weight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen: \u003c/strong>There’s a huge lag time between when the station, the charging station vendor requests the power and when PG&E actually delivers it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>For a charging station to operate, it needs to be hooked up to our power grid. That’s where PG&E comes in. And they won’t just let you set up a charging station ANYWHERE. They have to be able to deliver enough power to that site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Is the section of the grid you’re trying to connect to also connected to a big manufacturing plant … for example? Are your neighbors using a lot of electricity during certain times of the day? Then the available power is likely spoken for. Does that portion of the grid rely heavily on solar power? Then the chargers may not work when the sun goes down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are critical considerations, says David Almeida … a manager within PG&E’s clean energy transportation group. And he says Carleen’s critique is fair. He says, yes, the utility is definitely still playing catch-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>David Almeida:\u003c/strong> So we have over 600,000 EVs in our service territory. And we’ve seen EV adoption grow at about 26% of the compound annual growth rate over the last few years. That’s a significant amount of load that we’re seeing on the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>He also says … they didn’t plan for that increased demand for electricity. In fact, they UNDERestimated it … and, as a result, they don’t have the infrastructure to support it right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he says, they’re working on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>David Almeida: \u003c/strong>We are building out a forecast that doesn’t look at necessarily just historical load, but it looks at where we anticipate load growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>He says their goal is to make electric car charging stations faster to build and more reliable once they’re up and running.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>This all sounds like a lot of work. Overhauling our entire state’s transportation system … building thousands and thousands of new charging stations … getting utility companies on board … I’m exhausted just thinking about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s important to remember WHY we’re doing this. Right now, California’s transportation system is BY FAR the largest contributor to our greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning away from gas-powered cars is critical to mitigating the impacts of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Evs are already helping to do that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent study by scientists at UC Berkeley showed EV adoption in the Bay Area has already reduced our carbon emissions by almost 2 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, obviously, to keep up that progress … the system has to work for EVERYONE. And I’m not sure we’re there yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music sneaks in\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> What do you think, Olivia? Any more sympathy for the cause?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> You know, yeah. I didn’t realize there were so many hurdles to getting new charging stations online. I feel really lucky that I am able to charge my car at home and so this isn’t an issue I have to deal with very often. But for folks who can’t charge overnight where they live — that’s a huge hurdle. And I’m sure it’s a non-starter for some people! It’s got to get better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Yeah … 2035 is not THAT far away … and if we’re gonna reach that goal, we’re going to need more charging stations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m kind of hoping my Subaru lasts just a couple more years …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Dana Cronin — thank you!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>That was KQED’s Dana Cronin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This story would not have been possible without our question-asker, Kelly Lindberg. That’s because you, our dear audience, decide what we cover by submitting questions — and then voting on which ones we should answer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We have a new voting round-up at BayCurious.org with three enticing questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice 1:\u003c/strong> Why did Oakland International Airport become San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, giving us two very confusingly similar-sounding airports?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice 2:\u003c/strong> I remember going to the Berkeley dump, now Cesar Chavez Park, with my dad in the 1970s. It was pretty wild. It’d be really interesting to learn more about its evolution from dump to park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice 3:\u003c/strong> I was walking my dog on Thornton Beach on the Daly City/SF border and found a really long tunnel coming out of the hillside around some abandoned piers. Any idea what it is?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Voting is so easy! Just grab your phone, pull up BayCurious.org, scroll to our voting round and click on your favorite question! No registering or emails or phone numbers or anything complicated. We try to make it easy on you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Amanda Font, Olivia Allen-Price, Christopher Beale. Special thanks to Laura Klivans, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED Family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>I’m Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "EV owners face challenges in finding charging stations with infrastructure still lagging behind ambitious California goals. But few are aware of just how many complicated considerations go into the building charging stations.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1729027055,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": true,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 148,
"wordCount": 4565
},
"headData": {
"title": "What Will It Take to Improve EV Infrastructure in California? | KQED",
"description": "EV owners face challenges in finding charging stations with infrastructure still lagging behind ambitious California goals. But few are aware of just how many complicated considerations go into the building charging stations.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "What Will It Take to Improve EV Infrastructure in California?",
"datePublished": "2024-08-08T03:00:42-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-10-15T14:17:35-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/chrt.fm/track/G6C7C3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC9615068029.mp3?updated=1723057572",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-11999232",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/11999232/what-will-it-take-to-improve-ev-infrastructure-in-california",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may have heard some horror stories about electric vehicle charging — long lines, lengthy waits, broken units. Sometimes even\u003cem> finding \u003c/em>a charging station is a challenge. When your car’s low on charge but no charger is available, it’s stressful. Maybe you’re halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and you’re stuck waiting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s one of the big things stopping Bay Curious listener Kelly Lindberg from buying an electric car right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m hoping that by 2030, between having some years to save up and the technology getting better and cheaper, maybe that’s around the time [it] could work for our family,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, Lindberg has an idea to help alleviate the charging congestion. She’s noticed a lot of empty former gas station sites around her neighborhood in Oakland and wondered, “Would it be a good idea to turn some of these spaces into electric car charging stations?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom set a goal for the state to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by the year 2035. So even if you’ve got a gas-powered car, and this isn’t a problem you’re facing currently, it may be soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>How to set up a charging station\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To find out what goes into installing a new charging station, I met up with Jonah Eidus, who oversees real estate development for electric car charging company EVgo. The company has hundreds of charging stalls across the Bay Area and thousands across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In general, when we’re installing new chargers, we’re looking to be in high-traffic areas where the chargers will be used for about 15 to 45 minutes,” Eidus said. “And that means we also want to have amenities nearby so people have something to do during those 15 to 45 minutes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since charging your car takes longer than pumping gas, stations are designed with the surroundings in mind. They aim to install stations in the parking lot of a Safeway, for example, or close to a coffee shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are many other considerations too, Eidus said, including the availability of parking stalls. Is there enough space for many cars to park? The goal, after all, is to build as many charging stalls per site as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Does the site integrate well into the electrical grid? The product they are ultimately selling is electricity, so they have to make sure that a site \u003cem>has \u003c/em>the electricity to sell at an affordable price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additionally, is the charging station set up near those who need it most, including those who live in apartment complexes and don’t have the option to charge from their own garage? There are also city zoning regulations and safety considerations to take into account.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s not even half of what goes into establishing a charging site. In fact, EVgo has a mapping algorithm that integrates 27 different factors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Suffice to say, it is a fairly sophisticated process that we go through,” Eidus said. “When a site goes live, a lot of thought and a lot of data has gone into the decision to build that site.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Improving reliability and keeping up with demand\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California — particularly the Bay Area — \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/12/us/bay-area-electric-vehicles.html\">leads the nation\u003c/a> in electric vehicle adoption. To meet that growing demand, California has to build 1 million new chargers by the end of 2030, \u003ca href=\"https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24795161/assembly-bill-2127-second-electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure-second-assessment-revised-staff-report.pdf#page=52\">according to the state’s own projections (PDF)\u003c/a>. Some experts say \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2024/07/california-electric-car-chargers-unrealistic-goals/\">that’s not feasible\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would say we’re tight on the number of chargers,” said Carleen Cullen, co-founder of the environmental nonprofit Cool the Earth and a former transportation advisor to Gov. Newsom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only are they in short supply, the ones we do have are not always reliable, Cullen said. She helped conduct a study a few years ago to test the reliability of charging stations in the Bay Area and found that a quarter of them weren’t functional, meaning the screens were broken, the payment system didn’t work or the equipment was flawed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cullen said while the infrastructure has improved a lot since then, there’s still not enough of it — despite the fact that \u003ca href=\"https://smartasset.com/data-studies/ev-chargers-2023\">California is outpacing other states\u003c/a> in both EV adoption and infrastructure. And in order to reach Newsom’s goal, we need consumers, charging companies, EV manufacturers, local governments and utility companies to work together, Cullen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to move the adoption of EVs forward, we need to move the number of charging ports available as well, and we need to move the grid capacity as well,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11999354\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11999354\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240129-EVFILE-KSM-24_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tashinda Richardson of Oakland plugs in her rented electric vehicle at an EVgo Fast Charging station in Oakland on Jan. 29. Richardson said it can be hard to find a charger when she needs one. Sometimes, she said, chargers won’t work or the plug will get stuck in the car. \u003ccite>(Kathryn Styer Martínez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A big hold-up right now, according to Cullen, lies with PG&E.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a huge lag time between when the charging station vendor requests the power and when PG&E actually delivers it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For a charging station to operate, it needs to be hooked up to the power grid. That’s where PG&E comes in. And they won’t just let you set up a charging station anywhere. They have to be able to deliver enough power to that site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Is the section of the grid you’re trying to connect to also connected to a big manufacturing plant, for example? Are your neighbors using a lot of electricity during certain times of the day? Then the available power is likely spoken for. Does that portion of the grid rely heavily on solar power? Then the chargers may not work when the sun goes down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have over 600,000 EVs in our service territory. And we’ve seen EV adoption grow at about 26% of the compound annual growth rate over the last few years. That’s a significant amount of load that we’re seeing on the system,” said David Almeida, a manager within PG&E’s clean energy transportation group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almeida said the utility company underestimated electricity demand, and as a result, it doesn’t have the infrastructure to support the rapidly growing EV industry right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But they’re working on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are building out a forecast that doesn’t look at necessarily just historical load, but it looks at where we anticipate load growth,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The goal is to make electric car charging stations faster to build and more reliable once they’re up and running.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite all the work needed to bolster this transportation system overhaul, Almeida said it’s ultimately worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right now, California’s transportation system is by far the \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ghg-inventory-data\">largest contributor\u003c/a> to our greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning away from gas-powered cars is critical to mitigating the impacts of climate change, and EVs are already helping to do that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent \u003ca href=\"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c09642\">study\u003c/a> by scientists at UC Berkeley showed EV adoption in the Bay Area has already reduced our carbon emissions by almost 2%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve been a believer from the very beginning,” Almeida said. “And it’s just very cool to see a lot of this prove out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "baycuriousquestion",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This is Bay curious. And today we’re going on a little road trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sounds of a car driving\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Here we go. So we are driving around San Francisco in my Volkswagen E-golf, and it’s an electric vehicle. And we’re looking for a place to charge. And I’m here with Dana Cronin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>And how do you normally find a place to charge in the city?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> It’s pretty rare that I have to find a place to charge because I mostly charge at home. But when I do have to find a place, I pull up an app on my phone and …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Safely, of course, pulled over by the side of the road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Exactly. Let’s actually pull over real quick up here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(sound of car decelerating)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Okay, so I pull up this app on my phone and what it does is it loads all sorts of different chargers that are nearby that are owned by all sorts of different companies. The numbers mean how many charging stations are in each of these locations. Of the one that’s nearby, it looks like one is out of service; four are currently being used … but looks like one is available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> 0.2 miles away. That’s not too bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Yeah, let’s give it a shot. Okay, so the charger is somewhere in this enormous parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> You know that there’s a spot open right now because of your app, right? Or is it possible that it’s there but someone’s using it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> I would … I would say I don’t feel 100% confident based on the app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> There’s a line of Teslas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>So, let’s go and see if the non-Tesla chargers are near the Tesla ones, too. Oh, and here we are to the right. … This is also Tesla charging. Just kidding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>We drove around the parking lot for a while but then finally found the chargers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> So, it’s full. (laughs)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> There was a little dispute with another customer over who was there first. It was totally us, but we let it go. Eventually, another stall opened up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Charging port here, plug it in and it looks like this one gives me the option to pay by the EVgo app, or I can pay by credit card, which is actually great. It does not seem … Oh, there we go, there we go. Okay, let’s remove the card … (pause) authorization declined. I will try a different card payment. (pause) Authorized!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Step one: Complete! (laughing)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Step 7,962: pay for the charging. (laughing)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Generally, I would say this was not super easy, and yet it’s pretty much totally full.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price\u003c/strong>: Yeah, I mean, it’s not easy. I feel really lucky most of the time. I charge at home because it is, you know, it’s a pain and it’s a little stressful, especially if you are really low on charge. Like I’ve been in situations where I’m really sweating it out because I go to one charging station and like the screen is broken or the Wi-Fi isn’t working, or sometimes they’ll have these in paid parking garages and they don’t tell you that. And it’s like $30 just to get in the garage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Like it feels like you do have to have an at-home charger right now for this to be convenient and conducive to your lifestyle. Like, I can’t imagine, like fully relying on this, you know. I, for one, will probably just stick with my Subaru for now. My gas-powered Subaru, for now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> On today’s episode of Bay Curious, we dive into the world of electric vehicles. I love driving mine, but as you saw, it’s not perfect. California currently dominates the EV market, and the state has a lofty goal of banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. So if you’re not driving an EV yet, you may be soon. Is your community set up for it? Is the Bay area’s current infrastructure matching up with the demand? We’ll get into all that just after a quick break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>SPONSOR\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>For this episode, I’m tossing to my co-pilot … reporter Dana Cronin … to explain what’s going on with the Bay Area’s EV infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Like a lot of Bay Area residents … maybe you included … I want my next car to be electric. But if my 2012 Subaru Outback died tomorrow … I’m not sure I’d be ready to make the switch. Especially after that drive with Olivia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious listener Kelly Lindberg … feels the same way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kelly Lindberg:\u003c/strong> You hear those stories in the news sometimes about, like, the drive between, like, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. You know, people going in their Teslas and having a super long line at the charging station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Kelly works for a climate startup accelerator, and she’s thought, “There’s gotta be a solution to this problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One came to her… as she was driving through her neighborhood in Oakland. She’s noticed a lot of abandoned gas stations around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kelly Lindberg:\u003c/strong> Would it be a good idea to maybe turn some of these spaces into electric car charging stations?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>I mean … sounds like a good idea to me. I, too, live in Oakland and have noticed quite a few empty lots. Whether they’re former gas stations, convenience stores, or storefronts … it seems like there’s plenty of empty space for charging stations to set up shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, to do that, you first need a charging company. So, I met with one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(sounds of loud road noise)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Jonah Eidus is wearing a navy-logoed polo and is parked at an EVgo charging station. He oversees EVgo’s real estate department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EVgo has hundreds of charging stalls in the Bay Area … the one we’re meeting at is in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood … right off of 580 on Fruitvale Avenue. It’s set up at a Shell gas station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> So this site is an eight-stall, fast-charging site, capable of delivering up to 350 kW to each car. And it is definitely one of the more popular stations in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>That’s enough to charge most modern EVs in less than 20 minutes. And it is popular! Over the course of our interview … all eight stalls were full almost the whole time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without wasting any time, I posed Kelly’s question. Could empty lots and gas stations near her house get setups like this one?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> In general, when we’re installing new chargers, we’re looking to be in high-traffic areas where the chargers will be used for about 15 to 45 minutes. And that means we also want to have amenities nearby so people have something to do during those 15 to 45 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>It takes longer to charge your car’s battery than it does to pump gas. So this charging station, for example, is right next to a Peet’s Coffee and a Farmer Joe’s grocery store. A perfect place to run some errands while you wait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we’re talking, Dave Robinson drives up in his brand new 2023 KIA EV6, backs into a stall, and plugs in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>What do you plan to do while you wait?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dave Robinson:\u003c/strong> Just hang out. You know, if it’s going to be a while, there’s coffee shops and everything else around. So it’s easy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Convenience! It’s a big factor in selecting a charging site, Jonah says. But there are lots of other factors, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus: \u003c/strong>Availability of parking stalls, grid interconnection, forecasted charging demand, electricity rates and importantly, multifamily housing density nearby the charging station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>OK … let’s take those one at a time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> Availability of parking stalls …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Meaning … is there enough space for cars to park here? The goal is to build as many charging stalls as possible per site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> … grid interconnection …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>This one is super important. Because after all, the product they are ultimately selling … is electricity. And they need to make sure that a specific site HAS the electricity to sell\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> … forecasted charging demand … electricity rates …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>How many customers do they expect, and how much will those customers have to pay to charge? The cost of electricity can \u003cem>literally \u003c/em>vary block to block.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>And … EVGo is a for-profit company after all … so it needs to pencil out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus:\u003c/strong> … and importantly, multifamily housing density nearby the charging station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Is the charging station set up near those who need it the most? Those who live in apartment complexes, for example, don’t have the option to charge from their own garage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s not even \u003cem>half \u003c/em>the considerations that go into establishing a charging site. There’s also things like a city’s zoning regulations … and safety considerations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, EVgo has a mapping algorithm that integrates 27 different factors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonah Eidus: \u003c/strong>Suffice to say, it is a fairly sophisticated process that we go through. And when a site goes live, a lot of thought and a lot of data has gone into the decision to build that site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Jonah couldn’t say exactly whether the specific abandoned gas stations in Kelly’s neighborhood could be converted to charging sites … I guess that’s a question for the algorithm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(music)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem> \u003c/em>So that’s how companies choose specific charging sites … and avoid others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But at the \u003cem>heart \u003c/em>of Kelly’s question … is a bigger question. Clearly, we need MORE charging stations … whether at abandoned gas stations … or near coffee shops and grocery stores. So … why hasn’t the electric vehicle charging infrastructure kept up with demand?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To answer that question, I met up with Carleen Cullen. She’s the co-founder of the environmental nonprofit Cool the Earth and a former transportation advisor to Governor Newsom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(sounds of a busy parking lot)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>We meet up at another charging station … this one in the parking lot of a Safeway in Mill Valley. We’re chatting next to Carleen’s Chevy Bolt … which is parked in a stall, ready to charge … when, all of a sudden, another EV driver pulls up behind us and asks how long we plan to be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>I guess that’s part of the challenge is that there’s so few chargers that we have someone waiting on us here waiting for a charge, somewhat impatiently. So we’re going to go ahead and get charging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen:\u003c/strong> Let’s get started.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Carleen swipes her credit card, pulls the charger around to her car, plugs in, and it starts charging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(sound of the high-pitched hum from the charger)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen: \u003c/strong>So when you hear that great hum, you know that that’s happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Carleen is somewhat of an electric vehicle evangelist … an E-V-vangelist … if you will. Half the time we spent together I felt like I was in an EV infomercial. But she’s not naive. She knows the current infrastructure is flawed. In fact, she did a study a few years ago where she tested the reliability of charging stations in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen: \u003c/strong>And we found that about a quarter of the stations in the Bay area weren’t functional.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>Meaning the screens were broken or the payment system didn’t work or the equipment was flawed. She says the infrastructure has improved a lot since then, but there’s still not enough of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen: \u003c/strong>I would say we’re tight on the number of chargers. Yeah, we’re definitely tight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>And that’s in part because … what we’re talking about here … is a MAJOR overhaul of an entire transportation system. In 2020, Governor Newsom set a goal to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in California by the year 2035. And California is outpacing other states in both EV adoption and infrastructure by a long shot. We have more chargers than any other state. But in order to reach that lofty goal … Carleen says we need three things:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen:\u003c/strong> We need to move the adoption of EVs forward. We need to move the number of charging ports available as well, and we need to move the grid capacity as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>These things all have to happen simultaneously. Consumers, charging companies, EV manufacturers, utility companies, local governments … everyone has to work in concert for this to work. Carleen says, right now, the utility companies aren’t necessarily pulling their weight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carleen Cullen: \u003c/strong>There’s a huge lag time between when the station, the charging station vendor requests the power and when PG&E actually delivers it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>For a charging station to operate, it needs to be hooked up to our power grid. That’s where PG&E comes in. And they won’t just let you set up a charging station ANYWHERE. They have to be able to deliver enough power to that site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Is the section of the grid you’re trying to connect to also connected to a big manufacturing plant … for example? Are your neighbors using a lot of electricity during certain times of the day? Then the available power is likely spoken for. Does that portion of the grid rely heavily on solar power? Then the chargers may not work when the sun goes down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are critical considerations, says David Almeida … a manager within PG&E’s clean energy transportation group. And he says Carleen’s critique is fair. He says, yes, the utility is definitely still playing catch-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>David Almeida:\u003c/strong> So we have over 600,000 EVs in our service territory. And we’ve seen EV adoption grow at about 26% of the compound annual growth rate over the last few years. That’s a significant amount of load that we’re seeing on the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>He also says … they didn’t plan for that increased demand for electricity. In fact, they UNDERestimated it … and, as a result, they don’t have the infrastructure to support it right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he says, they’re working on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>David Almeida: \u003c/strong>We are building out a forecast that doesn’t look at necessarily just historical load, but it looks at where we anticipate load growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>He says their goal is to make electric car charging stations faster to build and more reliable once they’re up and running.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin: \u003c/strong>This all sounds like a lot of work. Overhauling our entire state’s transportation system … building thousands and thousands of new charging stations … getting utility companies on board … I’m exhausted just thinking about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s important to remember WHY we’re doing this. Right now, California’s transportation system is BY FAR the largest contributor to our greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning away from gas-powered cars is critical to mitigating the impacts of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Evs are already helping to do that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent study by scientists at UC Berkeley showed EV adoption in the Bay Area has already reduced our carbon emissions by almost 2 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, obviously, to keep up that progress … the system has to work for EVERYONE. And I’m not sure we’re there yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music sneaks in\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> What do you think, Olivia? Any more sympathy for the cause?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> You know, yeah. I didn’t realize there were so many hurdles to getting new charging stations online. I feel really lucky that I am able to charge my car at home and so this isn’t an issue I have to deal with very often. But for folks who can’t charge overnight where they live — that’s a huge hurdle. And I’m sure it’s a non-starter for some people! It’s got to get better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Yeah … 2035 is not THAT far away … and if we’re gonna reach that goal, we’re going to need more charging stations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m kind of hoping my Subaru lasts just a couple more years …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/strong> Dana Cronin — thank you!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dana Cronin:\u003c/strong> Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Music\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>That was KQED’s Dana Cronin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This story would not have been possible without our question-asker, Kelly Lindberg. That’s because you, our dear audience, decide what we cover by submitting questions — and then voting on which ones we should answer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We have a new voting round-up at BayCurious.org with three enticing questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice 1:\u003c/strong> Why did Oakland International Airport become San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, giving us two very confusingly similar-sounding airports?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice 2:\u003c/strong> I remember going to the Berkeley dump, now Cesar Chavez Park, with my dad in the 1970s. It was pretty wild. It’d be really interesting to learn more about its evolution from dump to park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Voice 3:\u003c/strong> I was walking my dog on Thornton Beach on the Daly City/SF border and found a really long tunnel coming out of the hillside around some abandoned piers. Any idea what it is?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>Voting is so easy! Just grab your phone, pull up BayCurious.org, scroll to our voting round and click on your favorite question! No registering or emails or phone numbers or anything complicated. We try to make it easy on you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious is made by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Amanda Font, Olivia Allen-Price, Christopher Beale. Special thanks to Laura Klivans, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED Family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/strong>I’m Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
}
],
"link": "/news/11999232/what-will-it-take-to-improve-ev-infrastructure-in-california",
"authors": [
"11362"
],
"programs": [
"news_28779",
"news_34552",
"news_33523"
],
"series": [
"news_17986"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_1758",
"news_19906",
"news_8",
"news_33520",
"news_248",
"news_1397"
],
"tags": [
"news_18426",
"news_21349",
"news_22457",
"news_21348",
"news_27626",
"news_1631"
],
"featImg": "news_11999267",
"label": "news_33523"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"radioSearchSegmentsReducer": {},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"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",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"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",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"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.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"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.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"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.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"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.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/news?category=california": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 2280,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 2584,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"news_12000706",
"news_12000606",
"news_12000061",
"news_11999996",
"news_11999966",
"news_11999751",
"news_11999549",
"news_11999721",
"news_11999607",
"news_11999500",
"news_11999300",
"news_11999232"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news_category_california": {
"isLoading": true
},
"news_31795": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31795",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31795",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31812,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/california"
},
"source_news_11999721": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_11999721",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "NPR",
"link": "https://www.npr.org/2024/08/10/nx-s1-5061760/kamala-harris-immigration-record-california",
"isLoading": false
},
"news_8": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_8",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "8",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/news"
},
"news_18538": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18538",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18538",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california"
},
"news_18481": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18481",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18481",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "CALmatters",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "affiliate",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "CALmatters Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18515,
"slug": "calmatters",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/affiliate/calmatters"
},
"news_33738": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33738",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33738",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33755,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/california"
},
"news_33733": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33733",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33733",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33750,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/news"
},
"news_6266": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6266",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6266",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6290,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/housing"
},
"news_13": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_13",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "13",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 13,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/politics"
},
"news_27626": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_27626",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "27626",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-news Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 27643,
"slug": "featured-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/featured-news"
},
"news_4020": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4020",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4020",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Homelessness",
"slug": "homelessness",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Homelessness | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "index"
},
"ttid": 4039,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/homelessness"
},
"news_1775": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1775",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1775",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1790,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/housing"
},
"news_2672": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2672",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2672",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Photography",
"description": "Witness the Bay Area through captivating images and compelling narratives. Explore the latest visually-driven storytelling by KQED and immerse yourself in the heart of our community.",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Witness the Bay Area through captivating images and compelling narratives. Explore the latest visually-driven storytelling by KQED and immerse yourself in the heart of our community.",
"title": "Photography Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2689,
"slug": "photography",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/photography"
},
"news_38": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_38",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "38",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 58,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco"
},
"news_29607": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_29607",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "29607",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "unhoused",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "unhoused Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 29624,
"slug": "unhoused",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/unhoused"
},
"news_33739": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33739",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33739",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33756,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/housing"
},
"news_33734": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33734",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33734",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local Politics",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Politics Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33751,
"slug": "local-politics",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/local-politics"
},
"news_33729": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33729",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33729",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33746,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/san-francisco"
},
"news_33523": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33523",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33523",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Bay Curious",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Bay Curious Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33540,
"slug": "bay-curious",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/bay-curious"
},
"news_17986": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17986",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17986",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/BayCuriousLogoFinal01-e1493662037229.png",
"name": "Bay Curious",
"description": "\u003ch2>A podcast exploring the Bay Area one question at a time\u003c/h2>\r\n\r\n\u003caside>\r\n\u003cdiv style=\"width: 100%; padding-right: 20px;\">\r\n\r\nKQED’s \u003cstrong>Bay Curious\u003c/strong> gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.\r\n\u003cbr />\r\n\u003cspan class=\"alignleft\">\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1172473406\">\u003cimg width=\"75px\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/DownloadOniTunes_100x100.png\">\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/app/playmusic?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic&isi=691797987&ius=googleplaymusic&link=https://play.google.com/music/m/Ipi2mc5aqfen4nr2daayiziiyuy?t%3DBay_Curious\">\u003cimg width=\"75px\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/Google_Play_100x100.png\">\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003c/div>\r\n\u003c/aside> \r\n\u003ch2>What's your question?\u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cdiv id=\"huxq6\" class=\"curiosity-module\" data-pym-src=\"//modules.wearehearken.com/kqed/curiosity_modules/133\">\u003c/div>\r\n\u003cscript src=\"//assets.wearehearken.com/production/thirdparty/p.m.js\">\u003c/script>\r\n\u003ch2>Bay Curious monthly newsletter\u003c/h2>\r\nWe're launching it soon! \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEtzbyNbSQkRHCCAkKhoGiAl3Bd0zWxhk0ZseJ1KH_o_ZDjQ/viewform\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up\u003c/a> so you don't miss it when it drops.\r\n",
"taxonomy": "series",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "A podcast exploring the Bay Area one question at a time KQED’s Bay Curious gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers. What's your question? Bay Curious monthly newsletter We're launching it soon! Sign up so you don't miss it when it drops.",
"title": "Bay Curious Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18020,
"slug": "baycurious",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/series/baycurious"
},
"news_19906": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19906",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19906",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Environment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Environment Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19923,
"slug": "environment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/environment"
},
"news_356": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_356",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "356",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Science Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 364,
"slug": "science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/science"
},
"news_18426": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18426",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18426",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Bay Curious",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Bay Curious Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18460,
"slug": "bay-curious",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/bay-curious"
},
"news_20023": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20023",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20023",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "environment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "environment Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20040,
"slug": "environment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/environment"
},
"news_23518": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_23518",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "23518",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "plants",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "plants Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 23535,
"slug": "plants",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/plants"
},
"news_1421": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1421",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1421",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "wildlife",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "wildlife Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1433,
"slug": "wildlife",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/wildlife"
},
"news_33737": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33737",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33737",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Science Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33754,
"slug": "science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/science"
},
"news_457": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_457",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "457",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16998,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/health"
},
"news_21405": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21405",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21405",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "equity",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "equity Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21422,
"slug": "equity",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/equity"
},
"news_18543": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18543",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18543",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 466,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/health"
},
"news_3674": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3674",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3674",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Rob Bonta",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Rob Bonta Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3692,
"slug": "rob-bonta",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/rob-bonta"
},
"news_33747": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33747",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33747",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33764,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/health"
},
"news_34178": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34178",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34178",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "home insurance",
"slug": "home-insurance",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "home insurance Archives | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34195,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/home-insurance"
},
"news_18159": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18159",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18159",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "insurance",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "insurance Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18193,
"slug": "insurance",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/insurance"
},
"news_10": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_10",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "10",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Sports",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Sports Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 10,
"slug": "sports",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/sports"
},
"news_6454": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6454",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6454",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "2024 Olympics",
"slug": "2024-olympics",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "2024 Olympics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "noindex"
},
"ttid": 6478,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/2024-olympics"
},
"news_18058": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18058",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18058",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "basketball",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "basketball Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18092,
"slug": "basketball",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/basketball"
},
"news_34078": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34078",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34078",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sports",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sports Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 34095,
"slug": "sports",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sports"
},
"news_18016": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18016",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18016",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Steph Curry",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Steph Curry Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18050,
"slug": "steph-curry",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/steph-curry"
},
"news_34165": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34165",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34165",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Climate",
"slug": "climate",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Climate Archives | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34182,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/climate"
},
"news_18512": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18512",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18512",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "firefighters",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "firefighters Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18546,
"slug": "firefighters",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/firefighters"
},
"news_4463": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4463",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4463",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "wildfires",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "wildfires Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4482,
"slug": "wildfires",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/wildfires"
},
"news_33750": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33750",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33750",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Climate",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Climate Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33767,
"slug": "climate",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/climate"
},
"news_1169": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1169",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1169",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1180,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/immigration"
},
"news_32839": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32839",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32839",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Election 2024",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Election 2024 Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32856,
"slug": "election-2024",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/election-2024"
},
"news_20202": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20202",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20202",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20219,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/immigration"
},
"news_61": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_61",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "61",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Kamala Harris",
"slug": "kamala-harris",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": "Browse all our stories on Vice President Kamala Harris, including archive coverage of her accomplishments — and controversies — during her time in Bay Area and California politics before 2020.\r\n\r\nThe Oakland-born, Berkeley-raised Harris was San Francisco district attorney from 2004–10, California attorney general from 2011–17 and United States senator for California from 2017–21. In 2020, she became the first woman, the first Black woman and the first South Asian woman to be elected to vice president.",
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Kamala Harris Archives | KQED News",
"description": "Browse all our stories on Vice President Kamala Harris, including archive coverage of her accomplishments — and controversies — during her time in Bay Area and California politics before 2020. The Oakland-born, Berkeley-raised Harris was San Francisco district attorney from 2004–10, California attorney general from 2011–17 and United States senator for California from 2017–21. In 2020, she became the first woman, the first Black woman and the first South Asian woman to be elected to vice president.",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 62,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/kamala-harris"
},
"news_16": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_16",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "16",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Gavin Newsom",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Gavin Newsom Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16,
"slug": "gavin-newsom",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/gavin-newsom"
},
"news_21214": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21214",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21214",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "homeless encampments",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "homeless encampments Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21231,
"slug": "homeless-encampments",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/homeless-encampments"
},
"news_34199": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34199",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34199",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Reparations",
"slug": "reparations",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Reparations Archives | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34216,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/reparations"
},
"news_3921": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3921",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3921",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "affordable housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "affordable housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3940,
"slug": "affordable-housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/affordable-housing"
},
"news_17856": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17856",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17856",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Japanese Americans",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Japanese Americans Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17890,
"slug": "japanese-americans",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/japanese-americans"
},
"news_21285": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21285",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21285",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "South Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "South Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21302,
"slug": "south-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/south-bay"
},
"news_33736": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33736",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33736",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Arts and Culture",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Arts and Culture Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33753,
"slug": "arts-and-culture",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/arts-and-culture"
},
"news_33745": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33745",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33745",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Criminal Justice",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Criminal Justice Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33762,
"slug": "criminal-justice",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/criminal-justice"
},
"news_33731": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33731",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33731",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "South Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "South Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33748,
"slug": "south-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/south-bay"
},
"news_72": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_72",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "72",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/10/TCR-2-Logo-Web-Banners-03.png",
"name": "The California Report",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "The California Report Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6969,
"slug": "the-california-report",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/the-california-report"
},
"news_34167": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34167",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34167",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Criminal Justice",
"slug": "criminal-justice",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Criminal Justice Archives | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34184,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/criminal-justice"
},
"news_1628": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1628",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1628",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1640,
"slug": "california-department-of-corrections-and-rehabilitation",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california-department-of-corrections-and-rehabilitation"
},
"news_17725": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17725",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17725",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "criminal justice",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "criminal justice Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17759,
"slug": "criminal-justice",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/criminal-justice"
},
"news_486": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_486",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "486",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Quentin",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Quentin Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 495,
"slug": "san-quentin",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-quentin"
},
"news_28779": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_28779",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "28779",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "The Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "The Bay is a daily news and culture program from KQED that covers the latest headlines, trends, and stories that matter to the Bay Area.",
"title": "The Bay Area Archives | KQED",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 28796,
"slug": "the-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/the-bay"
},
"news_34552": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34552",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34552",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "baycurious",
"slug": "baycurious",
"taxonomy": "program",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "baycurious | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34569,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/baycurious"
},
"news_1758": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1758",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1758",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Economy",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Full coverage of the economy",
"title": "Economy Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2648,
"slug": "economy",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/economy"
},
"news_33520": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33520",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33520",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Podcast",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Podcast Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33537,
"slug": "podcast",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/podcast"
},
"news_248": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_248",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "248",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Technology",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Technology Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 256,
"slug": "technology",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/technology"
},
"news_1397": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1397",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1397",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Transportation",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Transportation Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1409,
"slug": "transportation",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/transportation"
},
"news_21349": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21349",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21349",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "clean energy",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "clean energy Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21366,
"slug": "clean-energy",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/clean-energy"
},
"news_22457": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_22457",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "22457",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "electric cars",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "electric cars Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22474,
"slug": "electric-cars",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/electric-cars"
},
"news_21348": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21348",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21348",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "electric vehicles;",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "electric vehicles; Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21365,
"slug": "electric-vehicles",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/electric-vehicles"
},
"news_1631": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1631",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1631",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Technology",
"slug": "technology",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Technology | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 1643,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/technology"
},
"news_33732": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33732",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33732",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Technology",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Technology Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33749,
"slug": "technology",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/technology"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}