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"slug": "phone-text-scams-california-irs-bank-cdph-emergency-call-how-to-spot-fake-job-offer",
"title": "Have You Been Hit With One of These Bay Area Phone Scams? How to Spot the Red Flags",
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"headTitle": "Have You Been Hit With One of These Bay Area Phone Scams? How to Spot the Red Flags | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>If you’ve had the nagging feeling that scam calls and messages have gotten worse over the last few years, you’re actually correct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Americans reported losing a total of $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-data-show-people-reported-losing-3-point-5-billion-imposter-scams-2025\">June data\u003c/a> announced by the Federal Trade Commission this summer — nearly three times the amount reported in 2020. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Imposter scams and other types of fraud through social media, email and other platforms have become a ubiquitous issue impacting people across the country. According to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/poll-scams-law-enforcement-social-media-389f8d824b89fa434c297729f2aaf56d\">a poll and investigation\u003c/a> by the \u003cem>Associated Press\u003c/em> and the University of Chicago, almost every American has been \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/scams-online-scams-ai-internet-safety-phishing-fraud-34517de3546d604e20c9d78d3dc5af4f\">“targeted by scammers in some way.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It can happen to anyone,” said Alma Galvan, the San Francisco Bay Area communications director for the Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit that supports consumers and businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t matter your education level,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what you look like. Scammers will target anyone.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098963\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Phone and text scams are getting more sophisticated. Americans reported losing a total of $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, according to June data announced by the Federal Trade Commission this summer. (Matthias Balk/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And while scams take all forms — \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/sf-better-business-bureau-warns-customers-of-cat-22413539.php\">pretending to be local San Francisco businesses\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/34935-bbb-scam-alert-dont-be-fooled-by-free-gas-and-grocery-card-postcards\">fake gas gift cards\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095536/after-the-18000-scam-how-can-bay-area-renters-protect-themselves\">rent schemes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-romance-scams\">catfishing\u003c/a> and even impersonating \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">KQED \u003cem>Forum \u003c/em>host Mina Kim\u003c/a> — the ones that fall directly into your lap are usually through phone calls and text messages. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is compounded by the fact that your phone’s caller ID capabilities may not always flag a spam call — and scammers can find a way to make it appear as if they are calling from \u003ca href=\"https://www.calwater.com/help/protecting-yourself-against-utility-scams/\">a verified organization or agency\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In fact, the problem has become \u003cem>so\u003c/em> widespread that California now has its own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069507/sick-of-scam-calls-and-texts-you-can-now-request-to-remove-your-details-from-data-brokers\">“Delete Request and Opt-out Platform” (DROP) form\u003c/a>, which allows residents to scrub their info from data brokers — a major way scammers obtain your contact information — in order to lessen the amount of scam calls and texts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While a scam may feel obvious in hindsight, it can be hard to think calmly in the heat of the moment, especially since scammers often fake emergencies or apply pressure to spur people to act in panic. And the ability of scammers to persuade and convince their targets has only gotten worse with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">the rise of generative AI.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One silver lining: Scams often follow the same kinds of patterns and playbooks — and knowing about them could help you and your family learn to detect a scam even faster.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Read on to learn about common forms of phone- and text-based scams in the Bay Area and California, as well as the red flags to look out for if you do receive a potentially enticing message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Task scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The most common scams in the Bay Area have been “task scams,” Galvan said: when someone receives an offer — often through text — to do seemingly simple, repetitive actions online, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/all/scamstudies/jobscams/employment-scams-2026-update\">liking YouTube videos\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are so many different versions of this scam, and it doesn’t target one individual,” she said, explaining that the age range of people impacted by the scam varies from early 20s to late 60s. “It attracts consumers that are looking for a job.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The kind of job being offered promises “flexible hours, the ability to work from home, super high earnings — and you only have to work an hour and a half a day, and you make $500, with the option of making extra money if you decide to work over the weekend,” Galvan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sometimes these scammers will even provide some initial payment to build some trust. But these so-called opportunities can lead to major consequences. One person reported to the BBB lost $17,000 after buying equipment to work from home, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The scammers “instructed him to purchase gift cards to pay for the equipment,” saying it was for “security measures and protocol that the company had,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A major red flag, Galvan said, is recognizing when the salary may be too high for the task. People should also never pay to apply for a job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Don’t let anyone deposit money into your personal bank account if you haven’t had a job interview or received an offer letter, she said. You should also never make any suggested purchases with gift cards or cryptocurrency, especially since the latter is “not regulated by the government,” Galvan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: A job offer with aspects — high salary, flexibility, simplicity — that seem too good to be true, a demand to purchase equipment or pay to apply\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Employment scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In another employment-based scam, targets will receive a fake job offer — purporting to be from a legitimate business in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A person may get a text message, a DM through social media or a platform like WhatsApp and Telegram offering a position related to their field, “but then the salary is just above average for the job itself,” Galvan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said that people should go to the company’s website and verify if the position is indeed real — and even try calling the company to also verify the job listing and the identity of the person conducting the interview.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc9KDXSDP26/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep in mind: Anyone can create a website, but a way to look into who is \u003cem>running \u003c/em>a website is by visiting \u003ca href=\"https://www.whois.com/\">Whois.com\u003c/a>. If the website is public, you’ll be able to see who created it, when it was created and when the domain expired. For example, if the website was created just a few days ago and is offering several jobs, it may not be a legitimate business, Galvan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While you should insist on a formal interview by phone or video, generative AI has unfortunately been a major tool in these scams, allowing fraudsters to produce voices and videos to mimic recruiters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It might feel incredibly discouraging to make sure everyone you are talking to is real — something KQED’s internet \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/reel/Dc9KDXSDP26/\">podcast Close All Tabs\u003c/a> even touches on in an episode about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086839/how-to-prove-youre-not-ai\">how difficult it is to prove \u003cem>you \u003c/em>are not AI\u003c/a>. But that’s why doing the research beforehand is vital, Galvan said, “to make sure that you’re actually talking to a real person.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: High salaries, well-known companies, a job website that was only recently created, a suspicious video interview\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bank scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-data-show-people-reported-losing-3-point-5-billion-imposter-scams-2025\">the FTC\u003c/a>, the most costly type of impersonation scams come from a fake security alert, often from someone purporting to represent your real bank.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People are convinced to move money to “protect” it, with their losses often limited only by their available funds,” per \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-data-show-people-reported-losing-3-point-5-billion-imposter-scams-2025\">the FTC\u003c/a>. Callers may also ask for a person’s card number, a PIN or the last four digits of their Social Security number.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1187\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM.jpg\" alt=\"A woman walks past a Wells Fargo ATM in Pasadena on September 28, 2016. California Treasurer John Chiang said the state will suspend several banking relationships with Wells Fargo to sanction the firm following allegations of 'fleecing its customers.'\" class=\"wp-image-11108212\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-400x247.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-1180x730.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-960x594.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman walks past a Wells Fargo ATM in Pasadena. (Frederic J Brown/AFP-Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Galvan said here it’s good to have a connection with your local bank and make sure you know if you’ve even opted in to receive text messages from them — because otherwise, getting out-of-the-blue texts from your bank should raise your suspicions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After hanging up, she said people should be sure to call the number on the back of your bank card, as opposed to the first result on a Google search, since a scammer could potentially buy an ad and place a fraudulent phone number. Don’t call any numbers you’re given in a message purporting to be from your bank either, as these may be scam numbers too. Only through this official phone number to your bank can you confirm if the message you got was valid.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s up to us to do that little extra step,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: Unexpected texts from your bank, requests for personal information, including your PIN\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IRS scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What is more stressful than a call from the bank? A call from the Internal Revenue Service, which handles taxes in the United States. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The IRS has a page dedicated to \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-scams/recognize-tax-scams-and-fraud\">the common reasons\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen-tax-scams-for-2026-irs-reminds-taxpayers-to-watch-out-for-dangerous-threats\">impersonators use\u003c/a> when contacting unsuspecting targets, including W-2 form fraud and unclaimed tax refunds. Some people have also received fake calls about apparent back taxes owed, with the scammer claiming to be from the IRS or \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/tax-season-phone-scams-and-taxpayer-id-theft\">“Tax Resolution Oversight Department.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12035739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, D.C. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But you should know: The IRS primarily contacts people through letters the first time — which \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-irs-notice-or-letter\">you can verify online or by calling the IRS’s hotline at 800-829-1040\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep in mind — like your bank, the IRS only \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/how-to-know-its-the-irs\">texts\u003c/a> you when you opt in to receive those texts. According to the agency, there \u003cem>are \u003c/em>some cases where they use automated phone messages, but these calls will “direct you to IRS.gov to securely manage your account, make payments or resolve an issue,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/how-to-know-its-the-irs\">the IRS website read\u003c/a>. “The messages don’t share specific details.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/tax-season-phone-scams-and-taxpayer-id-theft\">the FCC\u003c/a>, people should never give personal details over the phone like PINs, passwords and credit card information. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS, ask for a reference number. Then the person should hang up and call the IRS again, but only using one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/let-us-help-you\">the official IRS phone numbers\u003c/a> listed on its government website, to see if the call was real. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: Unexpected texts from the IRS, attempts to panic you with talk of “back taxes” owed or similar, a live caller wanting financial information including your PIN\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emergency call scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This particularly alarming type of scam has continued to \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/grandparent/\">grab headlines\u003c/a> for the past few years: Someone impersonating a loved one in text messages or even a phone call, desperately asking a parent or a grandparent to wire them money due to some emergency.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A common example is the young person — usually college-aged — saying they’re traveling for vacation (for example, for spring break) and getting arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border, Galvan said. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.nyc.gov/site/dca/consumers/artificial-intelligence-scam-tips.page\">AI has only made it easier\u003c/a> for scammers to impersonate someone’s voice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It sounds like the person,” she said. “It sounds legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“It doesn’t matter your education level. It doesn’t matter what you look like. Scammers will target anyone,” said Alma Galvan, the San Francisco Bay Area communications director for the Better Business Bureau. (Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Galvan suggested families have a code word that the scammer wouldn’t be able to guess. If the person over the phone is able to provide the code word, then the person knows it’s potentially real.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A key part of this scam’s playbook: creating a sense of emergency with the need to send money immediately. The Federal Communications Commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/grandparent-scams-get-more-sophisticated\">recommended that the person\u003c/a> receiving the call should, after hanging up, try calling the intended person using the number saved in their contacts to see if they truly were the one on the call.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: A dramatic, panic-inducing story of some emergency, an urgent request for money (for example, to post bail), the person using an unrecognized number \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mail delivery scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A common way this plays out: You receive a text alert from an unknown number prompting you to click a link — because “your” package from a company like USPS, Amazon or FedEx has been misplaced or needs a pick-up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve all transitioned into buying things online,” Galvan said. Because of this, she said it’s key to remember “what you’re ordering, where it’s coming from and who’s going to deliver it for you.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When receiving these texts, she said to be wary of \u003ca href=\"https://www.du.edu/it/services/security/5-url-warning-signs\">suspicious links in the text\u003c/a> — for example, links that were generated by URL-shortening websites like \u003ca href=\"http://bit.ly\">bit.ly\u003c/a>, which can be used to mask the true online destination. These links may be seeking personal information input from you — or even be malicious software.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098971\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A United States Postal Service (USPS) delivery van is parked on a street in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Aug. 21, 2026. (Charles-McClintock Wilson/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Keep in mind that if you don’t have \u003ca href=\"https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/recognizing-and-avoiding-spyware\">spyware\u003c/a> [protection], it just takes one click for you to get a virus on your computer. Same thing with your phone,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Phones tend to have protection come with them, she said, but it’s important to make sure that your software — like an iPhone’s iOS — is up-to-date. For more tips, KQED has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070405/how-to-protect-your-information-online-in-2026\">a thorough guide on digital hygiene and security\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Admittedly, when it comes to packages and deliveries, it can be hard to know what is a scam text and what is a simple text alert that you signed up for. But California has \u003ca href=\"https://www.business.com/articles/text-message-laws/\">laws\u003c/a> that require people to opt in to receive various forms of text messages. So if you don’t remember signing up for text alerts, that could be a potential red flag. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: “Delivery updates” you weren’t expecting, being urged to click a link\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other common phone and text scams in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, these scams are just the tip of the iceberg of the type of texts and calls a person can receive. Luckily, there are major tools online to help you look up past scams and see if they match a call, text or business you’re suspicious about. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The BBB has a thorough \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/lookupscam\">Scam Tracker\u003c/a> database with a list of scams reported by consumers, complete with descriptions of who they were reached by, who they thought they were talking to and even how much they lost. The American Association of Retired Persons also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/tracking-map/\">a scam map.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other scams may involve people impersonating:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The California Department of Public Health\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s health agency warns that scammers are calling to ask for financial and sensitive information, pretending to represent CDPH. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/contact_us.aspx\">According to the agency\u003c/a>, legitimate calls focus on public health matters like disease contact tracing. They “will never involve requests for sensitive financial or non-health-related information, such as someone’s Social Security number or credit card details,” CDPH said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1438\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/ap_19032839240667-c3ea9c8607ab8c46c7dcbc486a7c0f917e3d5a08-e1549984154270.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11725572\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man walks past a PG&E sign. (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Utility agencies\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>West Sacramento sent out a warning early this year about \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/CityofWestSacramento/posts/a-postcard-claiming-to-be-a-public-utility-notice-from-a-private-entity-called-c/1326817099482868/\">a postcard falsely requiring residents to enroll in a “program\u003c/a>” that would allow them to receive funds for utility upgrades. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other utility scams may call to ask people to pay their bills by using \u003ca href=\"https://www.santaclaraca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/45479/\">a prepaid credit card, gift card, or third-party payment app\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re unsure about your utility account, be sure to call your county’s services division or PG&E directly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A radio or TV opportunity\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Creatives are being increasingly targeted by scammers posing as the hosts of radio or TV shows, offering them the chance to talk about their work on-air — as soon as they make some kind of donation or payment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Authors have even received messages pretending to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">KQED Forum host Mina Kim\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>, \u003c/strong>inviting them on our call-in show to talk about their book (for $200). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED will never charge people to be on \u003cem>Forum,\u003c/em> and producers are the ones who directly connect with authors and publishers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So you got scammed. Now what?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Report it ASAP\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You may feel overwhelmed or even embarrassed after realizing that you fell into a scam, Galvan said — and that’s natural. However, she said that \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/reportscam\">reporting it to places like the BBB\u003c/a> offers the chance to help people around you avoid the same scam by making the information public.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want to make it as universal as possible and as easy-to-use tool for the public, so that we can alert the consumers about what’s happening in our area and then hopefully get them to be looked into by law enforcement or by government,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069528\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Many agencies also provide the next steps to take after facing a scam, whether it includes personal identity theft, a loss of funds or compromised accounts. (Rain Star/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the BBB is a nonprofit, and they don’t have the “power to shut down anyone,” Galvan said. Nonetheless, the group works closely with local government agencies, which \u003cem>can \u003c/em>then investigate the company and the scam.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052217/immigration-lawyers-bay-area-common-scams-notario-fraud\">immigration-based scams\u003c/a> have also become common, she said that the BBB is not a government agency and does not verify the residency status of anyone reporting this kind of scam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People can also report potential scams to other sites and organizations including:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115002234203-Unwanted-Calls-Texts-Phone\">The FCC: Unwanted Calls/Texts\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Local authorities like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090715/outside-lands-ticket-pass-friday-saturday-sunday-lineup-resale-scams-2026\">the police\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company\">California Attorney General’s office\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The organization that is being impersonated (for example, the IRS has \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/report-fraud/report-fake-irs-treasury-or-tax-related-emails-and-messages\">a guide on how to contact the agency\u003c/a> if you run into an IRS-based scam — national agencies can be \u003ca href=\"https://www.usa.gov/agency-index\">found on the federal government’s website\u003c/a>, or find a state-based agency on \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/fraud/subprograms-and-info\">the California Department of Social Services website\u003c/a>)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/customer-service/scams.html\">PG&E Scams\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/\">FTC’s Report Fraud website\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ic3.gov/\">Internet Crime Complaint Center\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seek support\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many agencies also provide the next steps to take after facing a scam, whether it includes personal identity theft, a loss of funds or compromised accounts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some resources include:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-scams/if-you-were-scammed\">IRS: If You Were Scammed\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/consumers\">California Attorney General’s page on consumer protection\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/idtheft/facts/how-to-registry\">California Identity Theft Registry\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed\">FTC Consumer Advice\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://scamsurvivaltoolkit.bbbmarketplacetrust.org/\">BBB Scam Survival Toolkit\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/all/scam-prevention\">BBB Scam Prevention Guide\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’ve had the nagging feeling that scam calls and messages have gotten worse over the last few years, you’re actually correct.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you’ve had the nagging feeling that scam calls and messages have gotten worse over the last few years, you’re actually correct.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Americans reported losing a total of $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-data-show-people-reported-losing-3-point-5-billion-imposter-scams-2025\">June data\u003c/a> announced by the Federal Trade Commission this summer — nearly three times the amount reported in 2020. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Americans reported losing a total of $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-data-show-people-reported-losing-3-point-5-billion-imposter-scams-2025\">June data\u003c/a> announced by the Federal Trade Commission this summer — nearly three times the amount reported in 2020. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Imposter scams and other types of fraud through social media, email and other platforms have become a ubiquitous issue impacting people across the country. According to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/poll-scams-law-enforcement-social-media-389f8d824b89fa434c297729f2aaf56d\">a poll and investigation\u003c/a> by the \u003cem>Associated Press\u003c/em> and the University of Chicago, almost every American has been \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/scams-online-scams-ai-internet-safety-phishing-fraud-34517de3546d604e20c9d78d3dc5af4f\">“targeted by scammers in some way.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Imposter scams and other types of fraud through social media, email and other platforms have become a ubiquitous issue impacting people across the country. According to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/poll-scams-law-enforcement-social-media-389f8d824b89fa434c297729f2aaf56d\">a poll and investigation\u003c/a> by the \u003cem>Associated Press\u003c/em> and the University of Chicago, almost every American has been \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/scams-online-scams-ai-internet-safety-phishing-fraud-34517de3546d604e20c9d78d3dc5af4f\">“targeted by scammers in some way.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It can happen to anyone,” said Alma Galvan, the San Francisco Bay Area communications director for the Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit that supports consumers and businesses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It can happen to anyone,” said Alma Galvan, the San Francisco Bay Area communications director for the Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit that supports consumers and businesses. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t matter your education level,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what you look like. Scammers will target anyone.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t matter your education level,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what you look like. Scammers will target anyone.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098963\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Phone and text scams are getting more sophisticated. Americans reported losing a total of $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, according to June data announced by the Federal Trade Commission this summer.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Matthias Balk/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098963\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Phone and text scams are getting more sophisticated. Americans reported losing a total of $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, according to June data announced by the Federal Trade Commission this summer.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Matthias Balk/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And while scams take all forms — \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/sf-better-business-bureau-warns-customers-of-cat-22413539.php\">pretending to be local San Francisco businesses\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/34935-bbb-scam-alert-dont-be-fooled-by-free-gas-and-grocery-card-postcards\">fake gas gift cards\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095536/after-the-18000-scam-how-can-bay-area-renters-protect-themselves\">rent schemes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-romance-scams\">catfishing\u003c/a> and even impersonating \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">KQED \u003cem>Forum \u003c/em>host Mina Kim\u003c/a> — the ones that fall directly into your lap are usually through phone calls and text messages. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And while scams take all forms — \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/sf-better-business-bureau-warns-customers-of-cat-22413539.php\">pretending to be local San Francisco businesses\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/34935-bbb-scam-alert-dont-be-fooled-by-free-gas-and-grocery-card-postcards\">fake gas gift cards\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095536/after-the-18000-scam-how-can-bay-area-renters-protect-themselves\">rent schemes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-romance-scams\">catfishing\u003c/a> and even impersonating \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">KQED \u003cem>Forum \u003c/em>host Mina Kim\u003c/a> — the ones that fall directly into your lap are usually through phone calls and text messages. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is compounded by the fact that your phone’s caller ID capabilities may not always flag a spam call — and scammers can find a way to make it appear as if they are calling from \u003ca href=\"https://www.calwater.com/help/protecting-yourself-against-utility-scams/\">a verified organization or agency\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This is compounded by the fact that your phone’s caller ID capabilities may not always flag a spam call — and scammers can find a way to make it appear as if they are calling from \u003ca href=\"https://www.calwater.com/help/protecting-yourself-against-utility-scams/\">a verified organization or agency\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In fact, the problem has become \u003cem>so\u003c/em> widespread that California now has its own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069507/sick-of-scam-calls-and-texts-you-can-now-request-to-remove-your-details-from-data-brokers\">“Delete Request and Opt-out Platform” (DROP) form\u003c/a>, which allows residents to scrub their info from data brokers — a major way scammers obtain your contact information — in order to lessen the amount of scam calls and texts.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In fact, the problem has become \u003cem>so\u003c/em> widespread that California now has its own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069507/sick-of-scam-calls-and-texts-you-can-now-request-to-remove-your-details-from-data-brokers\">“Delete Request and Opt-out Platform” (DROP) form\u003c/a>, which allows residents to scrub their info from data brokers — a major way scammers obtain your contact information — in order to lessen the amount of scam calls and texts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While a scam may feel obvious in hindsight, it can be hard to think calmly in the heat of the moment, especially since scammers often fake emergencies or apply pressure to spur people to act in panic. And the ability of scammers to persuade and convince their targets has only gotten worse with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">the rise of generative AI.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While a scam may feel obvious in hindsight, it can be hard to think calmly in the heat of the moment, especially since scammers often fake emergencies or apply pressure to spur people to act in panic. And the ability of scammers to persuade and convince their targets has only gotten worse with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">the rise of generative AI.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One silver lining: Scams often follow the same kinds of patterns and playbooks — and knowing about them could help you and your family learn to detect a scam even faster.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>One silver lining: Scams often follow the same kinds of patterns and playbooks — and knowing about them could help you and your family learn to detect a scam even faster.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Read on to learn about common forms of phone- and text-based scams in the Bay Area and California, as well as the red flags to look out for if you do receive a potentially enticing message. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Read on to learn about common forms of phone- and text-based scams in the Bay Area and California, as well as the red flags to look out for if you do receive a potentially enticing message. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Task scams",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Task scams\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Task scams\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The most common scams in the Bay Area have been “task scams,” Galvan said: when someone receives an offer — often through text — to do seemingly simple, repetitive actions online, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/all/scamstudies/jobscams/employment-scams-2026-update\">liking YouTube videos\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There are so many different versions of this scam, and it doesn’t target one individual,” she said, explaining that the age range of people impacted by the scam varies from early 20s to late 60s. “It attracts consumers that are looking for a job.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The kind of job being offered promises “flexible hours, the ability to work from home, super high earnings — and you only have to work an hour and a half a day, and you make $500, with the option of making extra money if you decide to work over the weekend,” Galvan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sometimes these scammers will even provide some initial payment to build some trust. But these so-called opportunities can lead to major consequences. One person reported to the BBB lost $17,000 after buying equipment to work from home, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A major red flag, Galvan said, is recognizing when the salary may be too high for the task. People should also never pay to apply for a job. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Don’t let anyone deposit money into your personal bank account if you haven’t had a job interview or received an offer letter, she said. You should also never make any suggested purchases with gift cards or cryptocurrency, especially since the latter is “not regulated by the government,” Galvan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A person may get a text message, a DM through social media or a platform like WhatsApp and Telegram offering a position related to their field, “but then the salary is just above average for the job itself,” Galvan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Keep in mind: Anyone can create a website, but a way to look into who is \u003cem>running \u003c/em>a website is by visiting \u003ca href=\"https://www.whois.com/\">Whois.com\u003c/a>. If the website is public, you’ll be able to see who created it, when it was created and when the domain expired. For example, if the website was created just a few days ago and is offering several jobs, it may not be a legitimate business, Galvan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While you should insist on a formal interview by phone or video, generative AI has unfortunately been a major tool in these scams, allowing fraudsters to produce voices and videos to mimic recruiters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It might feel incredibly discouraging to make sure everyone you are talking to is real — something KQED’s internet \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/reel/Dc9KDXSDP26/\">podcast Close All Tabs\u003c/a> even touches on in an episode about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086839/how-to-prove-youre-not-ai\">how difficult it is to prove \u003cem>you \u003c/em>are not AI\u003c/a>. But that’s why doing the research beforehand is vital, Galvan said, “to make sure that you’re actually talking to a real person.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM.jpg\" alt=\"A woman walks past a Wells Fargo ATM in Pasadena on September 28, 2016. California Treasurer John Chiang said the state will suspend several banking relationships with Wells Fargo to sanction the firm following allegations of 'fleecing its customers.'\" class=\"wp-image-11108212\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-400x247.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-1180x730.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-960x594.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman walks past a Wells Fargo ATM in Pasadena.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Frederic J Brown/AFP-Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM.jpg\" alt=\"A woman walks past a Wells Fargo ATM in Pasadena on September 28, 2016. California Treasurer John Chiang said the state will suspend several banking relationships with Wells Fargo to sanction the firm following allegations of 'fleecing its customers.'\" class=\"wp-image-11108212\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman walks past a Wells Fargo ATM in Pasadena.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Frederic J Brown/AFP-Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Galvan said here it’s good to have a connection with your local bank and make sure you know if you’ve even opted in to receive text messages from them — because otherwise, getting out-of-the-blue texts from your bank should raise your suspicions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Galvan said here it’s good to have a connection with your local bank and make sure you know if you’ve even opted in to receive text messages from them — because otherwise, getting out-of-the-blue texts from your bank should raise your suspicions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After hanging up, she said people should be sure to call the number on the back of your bank card, as opposed to the first result on a Google search, since a scammer could potentially buy an ad and place a fraudulent phone number. Don’t call any numbers you’re given in a message purporting to be from your bank either, as these may be scam numbers too. Only through this official phone number to your bank can you confirm if the message you got was valid.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After hanging up, she said people should be sure to call the number on the back of your bank card, as opposed to the first result on a Google search, since a scammer could potentially buy an ad and place a fraudulent phone number. Don’t call any numbers you’re given in a message purporting to be from your bank either, as these may be scam numbers too. Only through this official phone number to your bank can you confirm if the message you got was valid.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s up to us to do that little extra step,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s up to us to do that little extra step,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "The red flags: Unexpected texts from your bank, requests for personal information, including your PIN"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: Unexpected texts from your bank, requests for personal information, including your PIN\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: Unexpected texts from your bank, requests for personal information, including your PIN\u003c/h3>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "IRS scams",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IRS scams\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IRS scams\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What is more stressful than a call from the bank? A call from the Internal Revenue Service, which handles taxes in the United States. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>What is more stressful than a call from the bank? A call from the Internal Revenue Service, which handles taxes in the United States. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The IRS has a page dedicated to \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-scams/recognize-tax-scams-and-fraud\">the common reasons\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen-tax-scams-for-2026-irs-reminds-taxpayers-to-watch-out-for-dangerous-threats\">impersonators use\u003c/a> when contacting unsuspecting targets, including W-2 form fraud and unclaimed tax refunds. Some people have also received fake calls about apparent back taxes owed, with the scammer claiming to be from the IRS or \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/tax-season-phone-scams-and-taxpayer-id-theft\">“Tax Resolution Oversight Department.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The IRS has a page dedicated to \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-scams/recognize-tax-scams-and-fraud\">the common reasons\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen-tax-scams-for-2026-irs-reminds-taxpayers-to-watch-out-for-dangerous-threats\">impersonators use\u003c/a> when contacting unsuspecting targets, including W-2 form fraud and unclaimed tax refunds. Some people have also received fake calls about apparent back taxes owed, with the scammer claiming to be from the IRS or \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/tax-season-phone-scams-and-taxpayer-id-theft\">“Tax Resolution Oversight Department.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12035739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12035739\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But you should know: The IRS primarily contacts people through letters the first time — which \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-irs-notice-or-letter\">you can verify online or by calling the IRS’s hotline at 800-829-1040\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But you should know: The IRS primarily contacts people through letters the first time — which \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-irs-notice-or-letter\">you can verify online or by calling the IRS’s hotline at 800-829-1040\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Keep in mind — like your bank, the IRS only \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/how-to-know-its-the-irs\">texts\u003c/a> you when you opt in to receive those texts. According to the agency, there \u003cem>are \u003c/em>some cases where they use automated phone messages, but these calls will “direct you to IRS.gov to securely manage your account, make payments or resolve an issue,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/how-to-know-its-the-irs\">the IRS website read\u003c/a>. “The messages don’t share specific details.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Keep in mind — like your bank, the IRS only \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/how-to-know-its-the-irs\">texts\u003c/a> you when you opt in to receive those texts. According to the agency, there \u003cem>are \u003c/em>some cases where they use automated phone messages, but these calls will “direct you to IRS.gov to securely manage your account, make payments or resolve an issue,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/how-to-know-its-the-irs\">the IRS website read\u003c/a>. “The messages don’t share specific details.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/tax-season-phone-scams-and-taxpayer-id-theft\">the FCC\u003c/a>, people should never give personal details over the phone like PINs, passwords and credit card information. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/tax-season-phone-scams-and-taxpayer-id-theft\">the FCC\u003c/a>, people should never give personal details over the phone like PINs, passwords and credit card information. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS, ask for a reference number. Then the person should hang up and call the IRS again, but only using one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/let-us-help-you\">the official IRS phone numbers\u003c/a> listed on its government website, to see if the call was real. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS, ask for a reference number. Then the person should hang up and call the IRS again, but only using one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/let-us-help-you\">the official IRS phone numbers\u003c/a> listed on its government website, to see if the call was real. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"text": "The red flags: Unexpected texts from the IRS, attempts to panic you with talk of “back taxes” owed or similar, a live caller wanting financial information including your PIN"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: Unexpected texts from the IRS, attempts to panic you with talk of “back taxes” owed or similar, a live caller wanting financial information including your PIN\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: Unexpected texts from the IRS, attempts to panic you with talk of “back taxes” owed or similar, a live caller wanting financial information including your PIN\u003c/h3>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Emergency call scams",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emergency call scams\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emergency call scams\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This particularly alarming type of scam has continued to \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/grandparent/\">grab headlines\u003c/a> for the past few years: Someone impersonating a loved one in text messages or even a phone call, desperately asking a parent or a grandparent to wire them money due to some emergency.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This particularly alarming type of scam has continued to \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/grandparent/\">grab headlines\u003c/a> for the past few years: Someone impersonating a loved one in text messages or even a phone call, desperately asking a parent or a grandparent to wire them money due to some emergency.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A common example is the young person — usually college-aged — saying they’re traveling for vacation (for example, for spring break) and getting arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border, Galvan said. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.nyc.gov/site/dca/consumers/artificial-intelligence-scam-tips.page\">AI has only made it easier\u003c/a> for scammers to impersonate someone’s voice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A common example is the young person — usually college-aged — saying they’re traveling for vacation (for example, for spring break) and getting arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border, Galvan said. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.nyc.gov/site/dca/consumers/artificial-intelligence-scam-tips.page\">AI has only made it easier\u003c/a> for scammers to impersonate someone’s voice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It sounds like the person,” she said. “It sounds legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It sounds like the person,” she said. “It sounds legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“It doesn’t matter your education level. It doesn’t matter what you look like. Scammers will target anyone,” said Alma Galvan, the San Francisco Bay Area communications director for the Better Business Bureau.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098969\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“It doesn’t matter your education level. It doesn’t matter what you look like. Scammers will target anyone,” said Alma Galvan, the San Francisco Bay Area communications director for the Better Business Bureau.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Galvan suggested families have a code word that the scammer wouldn’t be able to guess. If the person over the phone is able to provide the code word, then the person knows it’s potentially real.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Galvan suggested families have a code word that the scammer wouldn’t be able to guess. If the person over the phone is able to provide the code word, then the person knows it’s potentially real.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A key part of this scam’s playbook: creating a sense of emergency with the need to send money immediately. The Federal Communications Commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/grandparent-scams-get-more-sophisticated\">recommended that the person\u003c/a> receiving the call should, after hanging up, try calling the intended person using the number saved in their contacts to see if they truly were the one on the call.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>A key part of this scam’s playbook: creating a sense of emergency with the need to send money immediately. The Federal Communications Commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/grandparent-scams-get-more-sophisticated\">recommended that the person\u003c/a> receiving the call should, after hanging up, try calling the intended person using the number saved in their contacts to see if they truly were the one on the call.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "The red flags: A dramatic, panic-inducing story of some emergency, an urgent request for money (for example, to post bail), the person using an unrecognized number "
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: A dramatic, panic-inducing story of some emergency, an urgent request for money (for example, to post bail), the person using an unrecognized number \u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: A dramatic, panic-inducing story of some emergency, an urgent request for money (for example, to post bail), the person using an unrecognized number \u003c/h3>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Mail delivery scams",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mail delivery scams\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mail delivery scams\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A common way this plays out: You receive a text alert from an unknown number prompting you to click a link — because “your” package from a company like USPS, Amazon or FedEx has been misplaced or needs a pick-up. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A common way this plays out: You receive a text alert from an unknown number prompting you to click a link — because “your” package from a company like USPS, Amazon or FedEx has been misplaced or needs a pick-up. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve all transitioned into buying things online,” Galvan said. Because of this, she said it’s key to remember “what you’re ordering, where it’s coming from and who’s going to deliver it for you.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’ve all transitioned into buying things online,” Galvan said. Because of this, she said it’s key to remember “what you’re ordering, where it’s coming from and who’s going to deliver it for you.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When receiving these texts, she said to be wary of \u003ca href=\"https://www.du.edu/it/services/security/5-url-warning-signs\">suspicious links in the text\u003c/a> — for example, links that were generated by URL-shortening websites like \u003ca href=\"http://bit.ly\">bit.ly\u003c/a>, which can be used to mask the true online destination. These links may be seeking personal information input from you — or even be malicious software.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When receiving these texts, she said to be wary of \u003ca href=\"https://www.du.edu/it/services/security/5-url-warning-signs\">suspicious links in the text\u003c/a> — for example, links that were generated by URL-shortening websites like \u003ca href=\"http://bit.ly\">bit.ly\u003c/a>, which can be used to mask the true online destination. These links may be seeking personal information input from you — or even be malicious software.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098971\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A United States Postal Service (USPS) delivery van is parked on a street in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Aug. 21, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Charles-McClintock Wilson/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098971\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A United States Postal Service (USPS) delivery van is parked on a street in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Aug. 21, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Charles-McClintock Wilson/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Keep in mind that if you don’t have \u003ca href=\"https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/recognizing-and-avoiding-spyware\">spyware\u003c/a> [protection], it just takes one click for you to get a virus on your computer. Same thing with your phone,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Keep in mind that if you don’t have \u003ca href=\"https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/recognizing-and-avoiding-spyware\">spyware\u003c/a> [protection], it just takes one click for you to get a virus on your computer. Same thing with your phone,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Phones tend to have protection come with them, she said, but it’s important to make sure that your software — like an iPhone’s iOS — is up-to-date. For more tips, KQED has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070405/how-to-protect-your-information-online-in-2026\">a thorough guide on digital hygiene and security\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Phones tend to have protection come with them, she said, but it’s important to make sure that your software — like an iPhone’s iOS — is up-to-date. For more tips, KQED has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070405/how-to-protect-your-information-online-in-2026\">a thorough guide on digital hygiene and security\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Admittedly, when it comes to packages and deliveries, it can be hard to know what is a scam text and what is a simple text alert that you signed up for. But California has \u003ca href=\"https://www.business.com/articles/text-message-laws/\">laws\u003c/a> that require people to opt in to receive various forms of text messages. So if you don’t remember signing up for text alerts, that could be a potential red flag. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Admittedly, when it comes to packages and deliveries, it can be hard to know what is a scam text and what is a simple text alert that you signed up for. But California has \u003ca href=\"https://www.business.com/articles/text-message-laws/\">laws\u003c/a> that require people to opt in to receive various forms of text messages. So if you don’t remember signing up for text alerts, that could be a potential red flag. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerBlocks": []
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "The red flags: “Delivery updates” you weren’t expecting, being urged to click a link"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: “Delivery updates” you weren’t expecting, being urged to click a link\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: “Delivery updates” you weren’t expecting, being urged to click a link\u003c/h3>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Other common phone and text scams in the Bay Area",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other common phone and text scams in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other common phone and text scams in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, these scams are just the tip of the iceberg of the type of texts and calls a person can receive. Luckily, there are major tools online to help you look up past scams and see if they match a call, text or business you’re suspicious about. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, these scams are just the tip of the iceberg of the type of texts and calls a person can receive. Luckily, there are major tools online to help you look up past scams and see if they match a call, text or business you’re suspicious about. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The BBB has a thorough \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/lookupscam\">Scam Tracker\u003c/a> database with a list of scams reported by consumers, complete with descriptions of who they were reached by, who they thought they were talking to and even how much they lost. The American Association of Retired Persons also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/tracking-map/\">a scam map.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The BBB has a thorough \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/lookupscam\">Scam Tracker\u003c/a> database with a list of scams reported by consumers, complete with descriptions of who they were reached by, who they thought they were talking to and even how much they lost. The American Association of Retired Persons also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/tracking-map/\">a scam map.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other scams may involve people impersonating:\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Other scams may involve people impersonating:\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "The California Department of Public Health"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The California Department of Public Health\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The California Department of Public Health\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state’s health agency warns that scammers are calling to ask for financial and sensitive information, pretending to represent CDPH. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state’s health agency warns that scammers are calling to ask for financial and sensitive information, pretending to represent CDPH. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/contact_us.aspx\">According to the agency\u003c/a>, legitimate calls focus on public health matters like disease contact tracing. They “will never involve requests for sensitive financial or non-health-related information, such as someone’s Social Security number or credit card details,” CDPH said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/contact_us.aspx\">According to the agency\u003c/a>, legitimate calls focus on public health matters like disease contact tracing. They “will never involve requests for sensitive financial or non-health-related information, such as someone’s Social Security number or credit card details,” CDPH said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/ap_19032839240667-c3ea9c8607ab8c46c7dcbc486a7c0f917e3d5a08-e1549984154270.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11725572\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man walks past a PG&E sign.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/ap_19032839240667-c3ea9c8607ab8c46c7dcbc486a7c0f917e3d5a08-e1549984154270.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11725572\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man walks past a PG&E sign.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Utility agencies "
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Utility agencies\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Utility agencies\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>West Sacramento sent out a warning early this year about \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/CityofWestSacramento/posts/a-postcard-claiming-to-be-a-public-utility-notice-from-a-private-entity-called-c/1326817099482868/\">a postcard falsely requiring residents to enroll in a “program\u003c/a>” that would allow them to receive funds for utility upgrades. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>West Sacramento sent out a warning early this year about \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/CityofWestSacramento/posts/a-postcard-claiming-to-be-a-public-utility-notice-from-a-private-entity-called-c/1326817099482868/\">a postcard falsely requiring residents to enroll in a “program\u003c/a>” that would allow them to receive funds for utility upgrades. \u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other utility scams may call to ask people to pay their bills by using \u003ca href=\"https://www.santaclaraca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/45479/\">a prepaid credit card, gift card, or third-party payment app\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Other utility scams may call to ask people to pay their bills by using \u003ca href=\"https://www.santaclaraca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/45479/\">a prepaid credit card, gift card, or third-party payment app\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re unsure about your utility account, be sure to call your county’s services division or PG&E directly. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you’re unsure about your utility account, be sure to call your county’s services division or PG&E directly. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "A radio or TV opportunity "
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A radio or TV opportunity\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A radio or TV opportunity\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Creatives are being increasingly targeted by scammers posing as the hosts of radio or TV shows, offering them the chance to talk about their work on-air — as soon as they make some kind of donation or payment. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Creatives are being increasingly targeted by scammers posing as the hosts of radio or TV shows, offering them the chance to talk about their work on-air — as soon as they make some kind of donation or payment. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Authors have even received messages pretending to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">KQED Forum host Mina Kim\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>, \u003c/strong>inviting them on our call-in show to talk about their book (for $200). \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Authors have even received messages pretending to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">KQED Forum host Mina Kim\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>, \u003c/strong>inviting them on our call-in show to talk about their book (for $200). \u003c/p>\n"
],
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED will never charge people to be on \u003cem>Forum,\u003c/em> and producers are the ones who directly connect with authors and publishers. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>KQED will never charge people to be on \u003cem>Forum,\u003c/em> and producers are the ones who directly connect with authors and publishers. \u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "So you got scammed. Now what?",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So you got scammed. Now what?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So you got scammed. Now what?\u003c/h2>\n"
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},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Report it ASAP"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Report it ASAP\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Report it ASAP\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You may feel overwhelmed or even embarrassed after realizing that you fell into a scam, Galvan said — and that’s natural. However, she said that \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/reportscam\">reporting it to places like the BBB\u003c/a> offers the chance to help people around you avoid the same scam by making the information public.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You may feel overwhelmed or even embarrassed after realizing that you fell into a scam, Galvan said — and that’s natural. However, she said that \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/reportscam\">reporting it to places like the BBB\u003c/a> offers the chance to help people around you avoid the same scam by making the information public.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We want to make it as universal as possible and as easy-to-use tool for the public, so that we can alert the consumers about what’s happening in our area and then hopefully get them to be looked into by law enforcement or by government,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We want to make it as universal as possible and as easy-to-use tool for the public, so that we can alert the consumers about what’s happening in our area and then hopefully get them to be looked into by law enforcement or by government,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069528\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Many agencies also provide the next steps to take after facing a scam, whether it includes personal identity theft, a loss of funds or compromised accounts. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rain Star/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069528\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Many agencies also provide the next steps to take after facing a scam, whether it includes personal identity theft, a loss of funds or compromised accounts. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rain Star/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, the BBB is a nonprofit, and they don’t have the “power to shut down anyone,” Galvan said. Nonetheless, the group works closely with local government agencies, which \u003cem>can \u003c/em>then investigate the company and the scam.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, the BBB is a nonprofit, and they don’t have the “power to shut down anyone,” Galvan said. Nonetheless, the group works closely with local government agencies, which \u003cem>can \u003c/em>then investigate the company and the scam.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052217/immigration-lawyers-bay-area-common-scams-notario-fraud\">immigration-based scams\u003c/a> have also become common, she said that the BBB is not a government agency and does not verify the residency status of anyone reporting this kind of scam. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052217/immigration-lawyers-bay-area-common-scams-notario-fraud\">immigration-based scams\u003c/a> have also become common, she said that the BBB is not a government agency and does not verify the residency status of anyone reporting this kind of scam. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>People can also report potential scams to other sites and organizations including:\u003c/p>\n",
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"The FTC’s Report Fraud website",
"Internet Crime Complaint Center"
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null,
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null,
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115002234203-Unwanted-Calls-Texts-Phone\">The FCC: Unwanted Calls/Texts\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115002234203-Unwanted-Calls-Texts-Phone\">The FCC: Unwanted Calls/Texts\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Local authorities like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090715/outside-lands-ticket-pass-friday-saturday-sunday-lineup-resale-scams-2026\">the police\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Local authorities like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090715/outside-lands-ticket-pass-friday-saturday-sunday-lineup-resale-scams-2026\">the police\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company\">California Attorney General’s office\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company\">California Attorney General’s office\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The organization that is being impersonated (for example, the IRS has \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/report-fraud/report-fake-irs-treasury-or-tax-related-emails-and-messages\">a guide on how to contact the agency\u003c/a> if you run into an IRS-based scam — national agencies can be \u003ca href=\"https://www.usa.gov/agency-index\">found on the federal government’s website\u003c/a>, or find a state-based agency on \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/fraud/subprograms-and-info\">the California Department of Social Services website\u003c/a>)\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>The organization that is being impersonated (for example, the IRS has \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/report-fraud/report-fake-irs-treasury-or-tax-related-emails-and-messages\">a guide on how to contact the agency\u003c/a> if you run into an IRS-based scam — national agencies can be \u003ca href=\"https://www.usa.gov/agency-index\">found on the federal government’s website\u003c/a>, or find a state-based agency on \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/fraud/subprograms-and-info\">the California Department of Social Services website\u003c/a>)\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/customer-service/scams.html\">PG&E Scams\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/customer-service/scams.html\">PG&E Scams\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/\">FTC’s Report Fraud website\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/\">FTC’s Report Fraud website\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ic3.gov/\">Internet Crime Complaint Center\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ic3.gov/\">Internet Crime Complaint Center\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "Seek support"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seek support\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many agencies also provide the next steps to take after facing a scam, whether it includes personal identity theft, a loss of funds or compromised accounts. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Many agencies also provide the next steps to take after facing a scam, whether it includes personal identity theft, a loss of funds or compromised accounts. \u003c/p>\n"
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"BBB Scam Survival Toolkit and the BBB Scam Prevention Guide"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-scams/if-you-were-scammed\">IRS: If You Were Scammed\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-scams/if-you-were-scammed\">IRS: If You Were Scammed\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/consumers\">California Attorney General’s page on consumer protection\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/consumers\">California Attorney General’s page on consumer protection\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/idtheft/facts/how-to-registry\">California Identity Theft Registry\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/idtheft/facts/how-to-registry\">California Identity Theft Registry\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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{
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"attrs": [],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed\">FTC Consumer Advice\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed\">FTC Consumer Advice\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://scamsurvivaltoolkit.bbbmarketplacetrust.org/\">BBB Scam Survival Toolkit\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/all/scam-prevention\">BBB Scam Prevention Guide\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://scamsurvivaltoolkit.bbbmarketplacetrust.org/\">BBB Scam Survival Toolkit\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/all/scam-prevention\">BBB Scam Prevention Guide\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"excerpt": "Phone and text scams are getting more sophisticated. Here are some common ones in the Bay and the country, along with tips on how to keep a lookout for them. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>If you’ve had the nagging feeling that scam calls and messages have gotten worse over the last few years, you’re actually correct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Americans reported losing a total of $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-data-show-people-reported-losing-3-point-5-billion-imposter-scams-2025\">June data\u003c/a> announced by the Federal Trade Commission this summer — nearly three times the amount reported in 2020. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Imposter scams and other types of fraud through social media, email and other platforms have become a ubiquitous issue impacting people across the country. According to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/poll-scams-law-enforcement-social-media-389f8d824b89fa434c297729f2aaf56d\">a poll and investigation\u003c/a> by the \u003cem>Associated Press\u003c/em> and the University of Chicago, almost every American has been \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/scams-online-scams-ai-internet-safety-phishing-fraud-34517de3546d604e20c9d78d3dc5af4f\">“targeted by scammers in some way.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It can happen to anyone,” said Alma Galvan, the San Francisco Bay Area communications director for the Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit that supports consumers and businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t matter your education level,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what you look like. Scammers will target anyone.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098963\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Phone and text scams are getting more sophisticated. Americans reported losing a total of $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, according to June data announced by the Federal Trade Commission this summer. (Matthias Balk/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And while scams take all forms — \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/sf-better-business-bureau-warns-customers-of-cat-22413539.php\">pretending to be local San Francisco businesses\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/34935-bbb-scam-alert-dont-be-fooled-by-free-gas-and-grocery-card-postcards\">fake gas gift cards\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095536/after-the-18000-scam-how-can-bay-area-renters-protect-themselves\">rent schemes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-romance-scams\">catfishing\u003c/a> and even impersonating \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">KQED \u003cem>Forum \u003c/em>host Mina Kim\u003c/a> — the ones that fall directly into your lap are usually through phone calls and text messages. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is compounded by the fact that your phone’s caller ID capabilities may not always flag a spam call — and scammers can find a way to make it appear as if they are calling from \u003ca href=\"https://www.calwater.com/help/protecting-yourself-against-utility-scams/\">a verified organization or agency\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In fact, the problem has become \u003cem>so\u003c/em> widespread that California now has its own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069507/sick-of-scam-calls-and-texts-you-can-now-request-to-remove-your-details-from-data-brokers\">“Delete Request and Opt-out Platform” (DROP) form\u003c/a>, which allows residents to scrub their info from data brokers — a major way scammers obtain your contact information — in order to lessen the amount of scam calls and texts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While a scam may feel obvious in hindsight, it can be hard to think calmly in the heat of the moment, especially since scammers often fake emergencies or apply pressure to spur people to act in panic. And the ability of scammers to persuade and convince their targets has only gotten worse with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">the rise of generative AI.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One silver lining: Scams often follow the same kinds of patterns and playbooks — and knowing about them could help you and your family learn to detect a scam even faster.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Read on to learn about common forms of phone- and text-based scams in the Bay Area and California, as well as the red flags to look out for if you do receive a potentially enticing message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Task scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The most common scams in the Bay Area have been “task scams,” Galvan said: when someone receives an offer — often through text — to do seemingly simple, repetitive actions online, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/all/scamstudies/jobscams/employment-scams-2026-update\">liking YouTube videos\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are so many different versions of this scam, and it doesn’t target one individual,” she said, explaining that the age range of people impacted by the scam varies from early 20s to late 60s. “It attracts consumers that are looking for a job.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The kind of job being offered promises “flexible hours, the ability to work from home, super high earnings — and you only have to work an hour and a half a day, and you make $500, with the option of making extra money if you decide to work over the weekend,” Galvan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sometimes these scammers will even provide some initial payment to build some trust. But these so-called opportunities can lead to major consequences. One person reported to the BBB lost $17,000 after buying equipment to work from home, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The scammers “instructed him to purchase gift cards to pay for the equipment,” saying it was for “security measures and protocol that the company had,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A major red flag, Galvan said, is recognizing when the salary may be too high for the task. People should also never pay to apply for a job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Don’t let anyone deposit money into your personal bank account if you haven’t had a job interview or received an offer letter, she said. You should also never make any suggested purchases with gift cards or cryptocurrency, especially since the latter is “not regulated by the government,” Galvan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: A job offer with aspects — high salary, flexibility, simplicity — that seem too good to be true, a demand to purchase equipment or pay to apply\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Employment scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In another employment-based scam, targets will receive a fake job offer — purporting to be from a legitimate business in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A person may get a text message, a DM through social media or a platform like WhatsApp and Telegram offering a position related to their field, “but then the salary is just above average for the job itself,” Galvan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said that people should go to the company’s website and verify if the position is indeed real — and even try calling the company to also verify the job listing and the identity of the person conducting the interview.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep in mind: Anyone can create a website, but a way to look into who is \u003cem>running \u003c/em>a website is by visiting \u003ca href=\"https://www.whois.com/\">Whois.com\u003c/a>. If the website is public, you’ll be able to see who created it, when it was created and when the domain expired. For example, if the website was created just a few days ago and is offering several jobs, it may not be a legitimate business, Galvan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While you should insist on a formal interview by phone or video, generative AI has unfortunately been a major tool in these scams, allowing fraudsters to produce voices and videos to mimic recruiters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It might feel incredibly discouraging to make sure everyone you are talking to is real — something KQED’s internet \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/reel/Dc9KDXSDP26/\">podcast Close All Tabs\u003c/a> even touches on in an episode about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086839/how-to-prove-youre-not-ai\">how difficult it is to prove \u003cem>you \u003c/em>are not AI\u003c/a>. But that’s why doing the research beforehand is vital, Galvan said, “to make sure that you’re actually talking to a real person.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: High salaries, well-known companies, a job website that was only recently created, a suspicious video interview\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bank scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-data-show-people-reported-losing-3-point-5-billion-imposter-scams-2025\">the FTC\u003c/a>, the most costly type of impersonation scams come from a fake security alert, often from someone purporting to represent your real bank.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People are convinced to move money to “protect” it, with their losses often limited only by their available funds,” per \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-data-show-people-reported-losing-3-point-5-billion-imposter-scams-2025\">the FTC\u003c/a>. Callers may also ask for a person’s card number, a PIN or the last four digits of their Social Security number.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1187\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM.jpg\" alt=\"A woman walks past a Wells Fargo ATM in Pasadena on September 28, 2016. California Treasurer John Chiang said the state will suspend several banking relationships with Wells Fargo to sanction the firm following allegations of 'fleecing its customers.'\" class=\"wp-image-11108212\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-400x247.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-1180x730.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/WellsFargoATM-960x594.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman walks past a Wells Fargo ATM in Pasadena. (Frederic J Brown/AFP-Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Galvan said here it’s good to have a connection with your local bank and make sure you know if you’ve even opted in to receive text messages from them — because otherwise, getting out-of-the-blue texts from your bank should raise your suspicions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After hanging up, she said people should be sure to call the number on the back of your bank card, as opposed to the first result on a Google search, since a scammer could potentially buy an ad and place a fraudulent phone number. Don’t call any numbers you’re given in a message purporting to be from your bank either, as these may be scam numbers too. Only through this official phone number to your bank can you confirm if the message you got was valid.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s up to us to do that little extra step,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: Unexpected texts from your bank, requests for personal information, including your PIN\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IRS scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What is more stressful than a call from the bank? A call from the Internal Revenue Service, which handles taxes in the United States. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The IRS has a page dedicated to \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-scams/recognize-tax-scams-and-fraud\">the common reasons\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen-tax-scams-for-2026-irs-reminds-taxpayers-to-watch-out-for-dangerous-threats\">impersonators use\u003c/a> when contacting unsuspecting targets, including W-2 form fraud and unclaimed tax refunds. Some people have also received fake calls about apparent back taxes owed, with the scammer claiming to be from the IRS or \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/tax-season-phone-scams-and-taxpayer-id-theft\">“Tax Resolution Oversight Department.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12035739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, D.C. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But you should know: The IRS primarily contacts people through letters the first time — which \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-irs-notice-or-letter\">you can verify online or by calling the IRS’s hotline at 800-829-1040\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep in mind — like your bank, the IRS only \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/how-to-know-its-the-irs\">texts\u003c/a> you when you opt in to receive those texts. According to the agency, there \u003cem>are \u003c/em>some cases where they use automated phone messages, but these calls will “direct you to IRS.gov to securely manage your account, make payments or resolve an issue,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/how-to-know-its-the-irs\">the IRS website read\u003c/a>. “The messages don’t share specific details.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/tax-season-phone-scams-and-taxpayer-id-theft\">the FCC\u003c/a>, people should never give personal details over the phone like PINs, passwords and credit card information. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS, ask for a reference number. Then the person should hang up and call the IRS again, but only using one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/let-us-help-you\">the official IRS phone numbers\u003c/a> listed on its government website, to see if the call was real. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: Unexpected texts from the IRS, attempts to panic you with talk of “back taxes” owed or similar, a live caller wanting financial information including your PIN\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emergency call scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This particularly alarming type of scam has continued to \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/grandparent/\">grab headlines\u003c/a> for the past few years: Someone impersonating a loved one in text messages or even a phone call, desperately asking a parent or a grandparent to wire them money due to some emergency.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A common example is the young person — usually college-aged — saying they’re traveling for vacation (for example, for spring break) and getting arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border, Galvan said. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.nyc.gov/site/dca/consumers/artificial-intelligence-scam-tips.page\">AI has only made it easier\u003c/a> for scammers to impersonate someone’s voice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It sounds like the person,” she said. “It sounds legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/PhoneGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">“It doesn’t matter your education level. It doesn’t matter what you look like. Scammers will target anyone,” said Alma Galvan, the San Francisco Bay Area communications director for the Better Business Bureau. (Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Galvan suggested families have a code word that the scammer wouldn’t be able to guess. If the person over the phone is able to provide the code word, then the person knows it’s potentially real.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A key part of this scam’s playbook: creating a sense of emergency with the need to send money immediately. The Federal Communications Commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/grandparent-scams-get-more-sophisticated\">recommended that the person\u003c/a> receiving the call should, after hanging up, try calling the intended person using the number saved in their contacts to see if they truly were the one on the call.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: A dramatic, panic-inducing story of some emergency, an urgent request for money (for example, to post bail), the person using an unrecognized number \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mail delivery scams\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A common way this plays out: You receive a text alert from an unknown number prompting you to click a link — because “your” package from a company like USPS, Amazon or FedEx has been misplaced or needs a pick-up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve all transitioned into buying things online,” Galvan said. Because of this, she said it’s key to remember “what you’re ordering, where it’s coming from and who’s going to deliver it for you.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When receiving these texts, she said to be wary of \u003ca href=\"https://www.du.edu/it/services/security/5-url-warning-signs\">suspicious links in the text\u003c/a> — for example, links that were generated by URL-shortening websites like \u003ca href=\"http://bit.ly\">bit.ly\u003c/a>, which can be used to mask the true online destination. These links may be seeking personal information input from you — or even be malicious software.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098971\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/MailTruckGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A United States Postal Service (USPS) delivery van is parked on a street in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Aug. 21, 2026. (Charles-McClintock Wilson/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Keep in mind that if you don’t have \u003ca href=\"https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/recognizing-and-avoiding-spyware\">spyware\u003c/a> [protection], it just takes one click for you to get a virus on your computer. Same thing with your phone,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Phones tend to have protection come with them, she said, but it’s important to make sure that your software — like an iPhone’s iOS — is up-to-date. For more tips, KQED has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070405/how-to-protect-your-information-online-in-2026\">a thorough guide on digital hygiene and security\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Admittedly, when it comes to packages and deliveries, it can be hard to know what is a scam text and what is a simple text alert that you signed up for. But California has \u003ca href=\"https://www.business.com/articles/text-message-laws/\">laws\u003c/a> that require people to opt in to receive various forms of text messages. So if you don’t remember signing up for text alerts, that could be a potential red flag. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The red flags: “Delivery updates” you weren’t expecting, being urged to click a link\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other common phone and text scams in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, these scams are just the tip of the iceberg of the type of texts and calls a person can receive. Luckily, there are major tools online to help you look up past scams and see if they match a call, text or business you’re suspicious about. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The BBB has a thorough \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/lookupscam\">Scam Tracker\u003c/a> database with a list of scams reported by consumers, complete with descriptions of who they were reached by, who they thought they were talking to and even how much they lost. The American Association of Retired Persons also has \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/tracking-map/\">a scam map.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other scams may involve people impersonating:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The California Department of Public Health\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s health agency warns that scammers are calling to ask for financial and sensitive information, pretending to represent CDPH. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/contact_us.aspx\">According to the agency\u003c/a>, legitimate calls focus on public health matters like disease contact tracing. They “will never involve requests for sensitive financial or non-health-related information, such as someone’s Social Security number or credit card details,” CDPH said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1438\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/ap_19032839240667-c3ea9c8607ab8c46c7dcbc486a7c0f917e3d5a08-e1549984154270.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11725572\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A man walks past a PG&E sign. (Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Utility agencies\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>West Sacramento sent out a warning early this year about \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/CityofWestSacramento/posts/a-postcard-claiming-to-be-a-public-utility-notice-from-a-private-entity-called-c/1326817099482868/\">a postcard falsely requiring residents to enroll in a “program\u003c/a>” that would allow them to receive funds for utility upgrades. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other utility scams may call to ask people to pay their bills by using \u003ca href=\"https://www.santaclaraca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/45479/\">a prepaid credit card, gift card, or third-party payment app\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re unsure about your utility account, be sure to call your county’s services division or PG&E directly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A radio or TV opportunity\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Creatives are being increasingly targeted by scammers posing as the hosts of radio or TV shows, offering them the chance to talk about their work on-air — as soon as they make some kind of donation or payment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Authors have even received messages pretending to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913708/scammers-pretended-to-be-forums-mina-kim-heres-why\">KQED Forum host Mina Kim\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>, \u003c/strong>inviting them on our call-in show to talk about their book (for $200). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED will never charge people to be on \u003cem>Forum,\u003c/em> and producers are the ones who directly connect with authors and publishers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So you got scammed. Now what?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Report it ASAP\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You may feel overwhelmed or even embarrassed after realizing that you fell into a scam, Galvan said — and that’s natural. However, she said that \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/reportscam\">reporting it to places like the BBB\u003c/a> offers the chance to help people around you avoid the same scam by making the information public.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want to make it as universal as possible and as easy-to-use tool for the public, so that we can alert the consumers about what’s happening in our area and then hopefully get them to be looked into by law enforcement or by government,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069528\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Many agencies also provide the next steps to take after facing a scam, whether it includes personal identity theft, a loss of funds or compromised accounts. (Rain Star/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the BBB is a nonprofit, and they don’t have the “power to shut down anyone,” Galvan said. Nonetheless, the group works closely with local government agencies, which \u003cem>can \u003c/em>then investigate the company and the scam.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052217/immigration-lawyers-bay-area-common-scams-notario-fraud\">immigration-based scams\u003c/a> have also become common, she said that the BBB is not a government agency and does not verify the residency status of anyone reporting this kind of scam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People can also report potential scams to other sites and organizations including:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115002234203-Unwanted-Calls-Texts-Phone\">The FCC: Unwanted Calls/Texts\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Local authorities like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090715/outside-lands-ticket-pass-friday-saturday-sunday-lineup-resale-scams-2026\">the police\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company\">California Attorney General’s office\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The organization that is being impersonated (for example, the IRS has \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/report-fraud/report-fake-irs-treasury-or-tax-related-emails-and-messages\">a guide on how to contact the agency\u003c/a> if you run into an IRS-based scam — national agencies can be \u003ca href=\"https://www.usa.gov/agency-index\">found on the federal government’s website\u003c/a>, or find a state-based agency on \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/fraud/subprograms-and-info\">the California Department of Social Services website\u003c/a>)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/customer-service/scams.html\">PG&E Scams\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/\">FTC’s Report Fraud website\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ic3.gov/\">Internet Crime Complaint Center\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seek support\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many agencies also provide the next steps to take after facing a scam, whether it includes personal identity theft, a loss of funds or compromised accounts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some resources include:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/help/tax-scams/if-you-were-scammed\">IRS: If You Were Scammed\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/consumers\">California Attorney General’s page on consumer protection\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/idtheft/facts/how-to-registry\">California Identity Theft Registry\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed\">FTC Consumer Advice\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://scamsurvivaltoolkit.bbbmarketplacetrust.org/\">BBB Scam Survival Toolkit\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bbb.org/all/scam-prevention\">BBB Scam Prevention Guide\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "a-new-anthropic-model-seeks-to-test-how-ai-could-impact-the-us-economy",
"title": "A New Anthropic Model Seeks to Test How AI Could Impact the US Economy",
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"headTitle": "A New Anthropic Model Seeks to Test How AI Could Impact the US Economy | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Will \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/artificial-intelligence\">artificial intelligence\u003c/a> light a fire under the U.S. economy in the coming years? That’s been a big question in the field of economics, and now Anthropic — the company behind the popular Claude AI assistant — is taking a stab at helping people find their own answers. The company has created \u003ca href=\"https://www.anthropic.com/institute/econ-scenarios\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an interactive tool\u003c/a> that lets users test their assumptions about how productive — or disruptive — the AI boom might be.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one scenario, artificial intelligence provides a gentle boost to the economy, lifting growth rates with little effect on workers. At the other extreme, GDP soars, but so does unemployment, with nearly 14% of workers losing their jobs to AI and less than half of them finding new ones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The different outcomes depend on how capable and flexible the technology is, how quickly it’s adopted, whether it supports or replaces workers, and whether displaced workers find new work to do.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the modest change scenario, AI is a small technology. The economy continues on a ‘normal’ path with AI making changes around the margins,” Anthropic experts write in an \u003ca href=\"https://www-cdn.anthropic.com/files/4zrzovbb/website/cf58f84d46a4a76bf5a5b039ac695fba6b80041c.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accompanying blog post\u003c/a>. “In the extreme scenario, AI transforms the economy. The macroeconomic consequences go well beyond any event in history, both in terms of magnitudes and in terms of the speed at which change happens.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Authors of the Anthropic study do not offer a prediction of which outcome is more likely. In general, they say, AI experts tend to project a more rapid spread of the technology while economists tend to be more cautious.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark is somewhere in the middle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think the technology will keep developing at a very, very fast and sustained rate, but diffusion of the technology will likely be more challenging than people think,” Clark told NPR. “So it will get really, really good. But it will make its way into the economy more slowly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI’s impact on economy is uncertain\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A survey by Anthropic of nearly 11,000 people found that the public’s expectations of AI are also mixed. The average survey respondent projects a significant boost in productivity and economic growth but also a substantial disruption to workers in AI-sensitive fields.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A major determinant of AI’s impact will be how quickly it spreads through the economy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2233287472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12079282\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2233287472.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2233287472-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2233287472-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Salesforce Tower is seen reflected in the windows of 500 Howard St., where AI firm Anthropic subleased Slack’s office, in downtown San Francisco, California, on Oct. 19, 2023. (Loren Elliott for The Washington Post via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the AI can do amazing things but nobody uses it, then it’s not going to have an economic impact,” says Anton Korinek, Anthropic’s head of transformative AI economic studies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While rapid adoption of the technology could be more disruptive, it could also produce much faster economic growth. In Anthropic’s extreme case, GDP grows at more than seven times its current pace. That could produce a lot of additional tax revenue to support workers who are hurt by AI.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you end up with this level of GDP growth, you have moves available to you as a [government] policymaker that are unimaginable today,” Clark says. “Policymakers should get ready to spend.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In the modest change scenario, AI is a small technology. The economy continues on a ‘normal’ path with AI making changes around the margins,” Anthropic experts write in an \u003ca href=\"https://www-cdn.anthropic.com/files/4zrzovbb/website/cf58f84d46a4a76bf5a5b039ac695fba6b80041c.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accompanying blog post\u003c/a>. “In the extreme scenario, AI transforms the economy. The macroeconomic consequences go well beyond any event in history, both in terms of magnitudes and in terms of the speed at which change happens.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Authors of the Anthropic study do not offer a prediction of which outcome is more likely. In general, they say, AI experts tend to project a more rapid spread of the technology while economists tend to be more cautious.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark is somewhere in the middle.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think the technology will keep developing at a very, very fast and sustained rate, but diffusion of the technology will likely be more challenging than people think,” Clark told NPR. “So it will get really, really good. But it will make its way into the economy more slowly.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A survey by Anthropic of nearly 11,000 people found that the public’s expectations of AI are also mixed. The average survey respondent projects a significant boost in productivity and economic growth but also a substantial disruption to workers in AI-sensitive fields.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Will \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/artificial-intelligence\">artificial intelligence\u003c/a> light a fire under the U.S. economy in the coming years? That’s been a big question in the field of economics, and now Anthropic — the company behind the popular Claude AI assistant — is taking a stab at helping people find their own answers. The company has created \u003ca href=\"https://www.anthropic.com/institute/econ-scenarios\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an interactive tool\u003c/a> that lets users test their assumptions about how productive — or disruptive — the AI boom might be.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one scenario, artificial intelligence provides a gentle boost to the economy, lifting growth rates with little effect on workers. At the other extreme, GDP soars, but so does unemployment, with nearly 14% of workers losing their jobs to AI and less than half of them finding new ones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The different outcomes depend on how capable and flexible the technology is, how quickly it’s adopted, whether it supports or replaces workers, and whether displaced workers find new work to do.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the modest change scenario, AI is a small technology. The economy continues on a ‘normal’ path with AI making changes around the margins,” Anthropic experts write in an \u003ca href=\"https://www-cdn.anthropic.com/files/4zrzovbb/website/cf58f84d46a4a76bf5a5b039ac695fba6b80041c.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accompanying blog post\u003c/a>. “In the extreme scenario, AI transforms the economy. The macroeconomic consequences go well beyond any event in history, both in terms of magnitudes and in terms of the speed at which change happens.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Authors of the Anthropic study do not offer a prediction of which outcome is more likely. In general, they say, AI experts tend to project a more rapid spread of the technology while economists tend to be more cautious.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark is somewhere in the middle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think the technology will keep developing at a very, very fast and sustained rate, but diffusion of the technology will likely be more challenging than people think,” Clark told NPR. “So it will get really, really good. But it will make its way into the economy more slowly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI’s impact on economy is uncertain\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A survey by Anthropic of nearly 11,000 people found that the public’s expectations of AI are also mixed. The average survey respondent projects a significant boost in productivity and economic growth but also a substantial disruption to workers in AI-sensitive fields.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A major determinant of AI’s impact will be how quickly it spreads through the economy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2233287472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12079282\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2233287472.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2233287472-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2233287472-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Salesforce Tower is seen reflected in the windows of 500 Howard St., where AI firm Anthropic subleased Slack’s office, in downtown San Francisco, California, on Oct. 19, 2023. (Loren Elliott for The Washington Post via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the AI can do amazing things but nobody uses it, then it’s not going to have an economic impact,” says Anton Korinek, Anthropic’s head of transformative AI economic studies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While rapid adoption of the technology could be more disruptive, it could also produce much faster economic growth. In Anthropic’s extreme case, GDP grows at more than seven times its current pace. That could produce a lot of additional tax revenue to support workers who are hurt by AI.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you end up with this level of GDP growth, you have moves available to you as a [government] policymaker that are unimaginable today,” Clark says. “Policymakers should get ready to spend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "for-these-millennial-fountain-pen-fans-community-is-the-real-collectible",
"title": "For These Millennial Fountain Pen Fans, Community Is the Real Collectible",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Angelique Ramsey of Long Beach owns about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992300/finding-your-people-meetups-hobbies-making-friends-bay-area\">25 fountain pens\u003c/a>. Her favorite is the Benu Euphoria, a glittering pen with a custom “architect” nib, a specialty grind that changes the shape of the line as you move the pen across the page.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was looking for something that wasn’t a throwaway,” said Ramsey, 38. “I like that intentionality of sitting down and writing a letter, having something that’s a possession that you take care of. And so, you know, you can go overboard with it, but you don’t have to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In this era of incessant, instant communication, fountain pens seem like a novelty from another, analog era. Perhaps this is exactly why millennials especially are flocking to events like the \u003ca href=\"https://sanfranciscopenshow.com\">S.F. Pen Show\u003c/a> at the end of August, to rub shoulders with an estimated 5,000 people in various stages of vintage writing instrument obsession at the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel in Millbrae.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though the San Francisco show isn’t the biggest in the country — that distinction belongs to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcpenshow.com\">Washington, D.C., Fountain Pen Supershow\u003c/a> — the S.F. Pen Show has become a major gathering for the Pacific Rim pen community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097876\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-2-KQED.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-2-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Angelique Ramsey, Tracy Velasquez and Jennifer Harford attend the S.F. Pen Show in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 28, 2026. Ramsey and Velasquez said they were primarily focused on drawing Harford, new to fountain pens, deeper into the obsession. (Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12097620\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00087_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097620\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00087_TV-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00087_TV-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00087_TV-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pens on display at Michael’s Fat Boy pen booth at the San Francisco International Pen Show at The Westin San Francisco Airport in Millbrae on Aug. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12097599\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00313_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097599\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00313_TV-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00313_TV-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00313_TV-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clare Coco holds up a pen made from abalone shells at the San Francisco International Pen Show at The Westin San Francisco Airport in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Patrick Yandell, 31, manages U.S. business for the pen manufacturer OMAS, founded a century ago in Bologna, Italy. Like many vintage pen brands, OMAS has had a complicated corporate history. LVMH bought the company from the founder’s heirs in 2000. After subsequent ownership changes and a period of dormancy, the brand was revived by descendants of the founder, Armando Simoni. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yandell says most people own digital devices to accomplish most of the practical tasks that used to be accomplished with pen and paper. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can still find the sober black and navy blue pens similar to what your parents and grandparents wrote with, to be sure. But the display cases at the Pen Show are filled with iridescent resin, glitter and breathtakingly elaborate Japanese lacquerwork. The taste today is for pens — and accessories — that deliver maximum delight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fountain pens cost anywhere from a few dollars for something like a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gouletpens.com/products/platinum-preppy-fountain-pen-violet\">Platinum Preppy\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.executivepensdirect.com/en-us/blogs/fun-stuff/the-ten-most-expensive-pens-in-the-world\">millions of dollars\u003c/a>, depending on a pen’s brand, craftsmanship, rarity and the precious materials involved. Your mileage will vary depending on your taste and bank account balance. That said, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a good time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What we’re seeing now is a lot of people who came to fountain pens, not out of any practical sense whatsoever, but just as a hobby,” said Yandell, who owns more than 200 pens himself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s part of a whole ecosystem that’s arisen.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Traditional OMAS pens are still on offer, and newer models are made with materials and techniques that evoke the company’s hundred-year history. The old world is still there — it just has more glitter, to accommodate the fact that a growing number of the people doing the buying and selling are in their 30s and 40s.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That sparkle caught the eye of Gardena-resident Tracy Velasquez, who traveled to the Pen Show with Ramsey and another friend, Jennifer Harford. Velasquez has nearly 100 pens in her collection. Her favorite is also a Benu Euphoria, a gift from her husband called Vodka on the Rocks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The resin body is striking, made from a silver luminescent resin and featuring multicolored holographic sparkles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I really like collecting things that are shiny,” Velasquez said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In contrast with her friends Ramsey and Velasquez, 38-year-old Harford of Berkeley owned exactly one: a Pilot fountain pen widely celebrated as an entry-level favorite. That was her entry down the rabbit hole that is fountain pen collecting, one her friends watch with affectionate excitement. They traveled north just to see her eyes agog at the crowds and the vast array of pens on display at the S.F. Pen Show.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097875\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-1-KQED.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-1-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A display case of Ogivas at the S.F. Pen Show in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 28, 2026, showcases materials and techniques that evoke the hundred-year history of Italian pen maker OMAS. The old world is still there. It just has more glitter. (Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“My fiancé bought me my first pen and ink, and so he was kind of the one to push me into it,” she said. “And once I had that start, then I was like, I see what the hype is.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.capenshow.com/\">California Pen Show\u003c/a>, held near Los Angeles each February, also has a particularly strong West Coast presence, but if the presence of Southern Californians at the Westin was any indication, the two shows complement each other as much as they compete. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s true for Fernanda Izidorio, who lives in Los Angeles and owns about 40 pens. She said the trip north is as much about community as it is machinery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Izidorio is a member of the Greater Los Angeles Metro Pen & Ink Group, or Glampig, which has a presence on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/glampig_club/\">Instagram\u003c/a> and Discord, as well as IRL groups that meet in L.A. and Orange counties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00109_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097574\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00109_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00109_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00109_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Michael Hochstetler hovers a magnifying glass over a fountain pen at Michael’s Fat Boy pen booth at the San Francisco International Pen Show at The Westin San Francisco Airport in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"12097877\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097877\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-3-KQED.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-3-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fernanda Izidorio is a member of the Greater Los Angeles Metro Pen & Ink Group, or Glampig, which has presence on Instagram and Discord, as well as IRL groups that meet in L.A. and Orange counties. “I actually really like meeting people in person,” Izidorio said. (Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12097596\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00237_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097596\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00237_TV-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00237_TV-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00237_TV-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees browse at the San Francisco International Pen Show at The Westin San Francisco Airport in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I actually really like meeting people in person,” Izidorio said. “It is, in a way, online. We get to contact each other, communicate through Discord. But then we actually meet in person and try pens. That’s very fun.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are careers in this universe beyond manufacturing and retail. Nik Pang, 43, for instance, is a \u003ca href=\"https://entropy.ink\">professional calligrapher\u003c/a> who repairs and sells vintage pens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pang and his wife have imposed a hard “cap” on his personal collection: 700 pens and pen-like objects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 500 of them, he said, aren’t particularly useful for writing, but he’s interested in the history of the technology. His wife once asked him a morbidly useful question: If their house were burning, and he had time to save just a few pens, which ones would he take?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of them are family heirlooms. His grandfather’s fountain pen was a Parker Duofold, commemorating 30 years on the police force. His father’s was a Parker 75, used while earning his doctorate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s part of what makes the fountain-pen revival so multifaceted. The appeal is craftsmanship, as well as beauty, style and the pleasure of finding a community that draws in people from multiple generations, across the globe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Angelique Ramsey of Long Beach owns about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992300/finding-your-people-meetups-hobbies-making-friends-bay-area\">25 fountain pens\u003c/a>. Her favorite is the Benu Euphoria, a glittering pen with a custom “architect” nib, a specialty grind that changes the shape of the line as you move the pen across the page.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was looking for something that wasn’t a throwaway,” said Ramsey, 38. “I like that intentionality of sitting down and writing a letter, having something that’s a possession that you take care of. And so, you know, you can go overboard with it, but you don’t have to.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I was looking for something that wasn’t a throwaway,” said Ramsey, 38. “I like that intentionality of sitting down and writing a letter, having something that’s a possession that you take care of. And so, you know, you can go overboard with it, but you don’t have to.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In this era of incessant, instant communication, fountain pens seem like a novelty from another, analog era. Perhaps this is exactly why millennials especially are flocking to events like the \u003ca href=\"https://sanfranciscopenshow.com\">S.F. Pen Show\u003c/a> at the end of August, to rub shoulders with an estimated 5,000 people in various stages of vintage writing instrument obsession at the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel in Millbrae.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In this era of incessant, instant communication, fountain pens seem like a novelty from another, analog era. Perhaps this is exactly why millennials especially are flocking to events like the \u003ca href=\"https://sanfranciscopenshow.com\">S.F. Pen Show\u003c/a> at the end of August, to rub shoulders with an estimated 5,000 people in various stages of vintage writing instrument obsession at the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel in Millbrae.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Though the San Francisco show isn’t the biggest in the country — that distinction belongs to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcpenshow.com\">Washington, D.C., Fountain Pen Supershow\u003c/a> — the S.F. Pen Show has become a major gathering for the Pacific Rim pen community.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Though the San Francisco show isn’t the biggest in the country — that distinction belongs to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcpenshow.com\">Washington, D.C., Fountain Pen Supershow\u003c/a> — the S.F. Pen Show has become a major gathering for the Pacific Rim pen community.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097876\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Angelique Ramsey, Tracy Velasquez and Jennifer Harford attend the S.F. Pen Show in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 28, 2026. Ramsey and Velasquez said they were primarily focused on drawing Harford, new to fountain pens, deeper into the obsession.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Patrick Yandell, 31, manages U.S. business for the pen manufacturer OMAS, founded a century ago in Bologna, Italy. Like many vintage pen brands, OMAS has had a complicated corporate history. LVMH bought the company from the founder’s heirs in 2000. After subsequent ownership changes and a period of dormancy, the brand was revived by descendants of the founder, Armando Simoni. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yandell says most people own digital devices to accomplish most of the practical tasks that used to be accomplished with pen and paper. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can still find the sober black and navy blue pens similar to what your parents and grandparents wrote with, to be sure. But the display cases at the Pen Show are filled with iridescent resin, glitter and breathtakingly elaborate Japanese lacquerwork. The taste today is for pens — and accessories — that deliver maximum delight. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You can still find the sober black and navy blue pens similar to what your parents and grandparents wrote with, to be sure. But the display cases at the Pen Show are filled with iridescent resin, glitter and breathtakingly elaborate Japanese lacquerwork. The taste today is for pens — and accessories — that deliver maximum delight. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fountain pens cost anywhere from a few dollars for something like a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gouletpens.com/products/platinum-preppy-fountain-pen-violet\">Platinum Preppy\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.executivepensdirect.com/en-us/blogs/fun-stuff/the-ten-most-expensive-pens-in-the-world\">millions of dollars\u003c/a>, depending on a pen’s brand, craftsmanship, rarity and the precious materials involved. Your mileage will vary depending on your taste and bank account balance. That said, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a good time.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Fountain pens cost anywhere from a few dollars for something like a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gouletpens.com/products/platinum-preppy-fountain-pen-violet\">Platinum Preppy\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.executivepensdirect.com/en-us/blogs/fun-stuff/the-ten-most-expensive-pens-in-the-world\">millions of dollars\u003c/a>, depending on a pen’s brand, craftsmanship, rarity and the precious materials involved. Your mileage will vary depending on your taste and bank account balance. That said, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a good time.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What we’re seeing now is a lot of people who came to fountain pens, not out of any practical sense whatsoever, but just as a hobby,” said Yandell, who owns more than 200 pens himself. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Traditional OMAS pens are still on offer, and newer models are made with materials and techniques that evoke the company’s hundred-year history. The old world is still there — it just has more glitter, to accommodate the fact that a growing number of the people doing the buying and selling are in their 30s and 40s.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Traditional OMAS pens are still on offer, and newer models are made with materials and techniques that evoke the company’s hundred-year history. The old world is still there — it just has more glitter, to accommodate the fact that a growing number of the people doing the buying and selling are in their 30s and 40s.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That sparkle caught the eye of Gardena-resident Tracy Velasquez, who traveled to the Pen Show with Ramsey and another friend, Jennifer Harford. Velasquez has nearly 100 pens in her collection. Her favorite is also a Benu Euphoria, a gift from her husband called Vodka on the Rocks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That sparkle caught the eye of Gardena-resident Tracy Velasquez, who traveled to the Pen Show with Ramsey and another friend, Jennifer Harford. Velasquez has nearly 100 pens in her collection. Her favorite is also a Benu Euphoria, a gift from her husband called Vodka on the Rocks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The resin body is striking, made from a silver luminescent resin and featuring multicolored holographic sparkles. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I really like collecting things that are shiny,” Velasquez said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In contrast with her friends Ramsey and Velasquez, 38-year-old Harford of Berkeley owned exactly one: a Pilot fountain pen widely celebrated as an entry-level favorite. That was her entry down the rabbit hole that is fountain pen collecting, one her friends watch with affectionate excitement. They traveled north just to see her eyes agog at the crowds and the vast array of pens on display at the S.F. Pen Show.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In contrast with her friends Ramsey and Velasquez, 38-year-old Harford of Berkeley owned exactly one: a Pilot fountain pen widely celebrated as an entry-level favorite. That was her entry down the rabbit hole that is fountain pen collecting, one her friends watch with affectionate excitement. They traveled north just to see her eyes agog at the crowds and the vast array of pens on display at the S.F. Pen Show.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097875\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A display case of Ogivas at the S.F. Pen Show in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 28, 2026, showcases materials and techniques that evoke the hundred-year history of Italian pen maker OMAS. The old world is still there. It just has more glitter.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My fiancé bought me my first pen and ink, and so he was kind of the one to push me into it,” she said. “And once I had that start, then I was like, I see what the hype is.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.capenshow.com/\">California Pen Show\u003c/a>, held near Los Angeles each February, also has a particularly strong West Coast presence, but if the presence of Southern Californians at the Westin was any indication, the two shows complement each other as much as they compete. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s true for Fernanda Izidorio, who lives in Los Angeles and owns about 40 pens. She said the trip north is as much about community as it is machinery.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Izidorio is a member of the Greater Los Angeles Metro Pen & Ink Group, or Glampig, which has a presence on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/glampig_club/\">Instagram\u003c/a> and Discord, as well as IRL groups that meet in L.A. and Orange counties. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097877\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fernanda Izidorio is a member of the Greater Los Angeles Metro Pen & Ink Group, or Glampig, which has presence on Instagram and Discord, as well as IRL groups that meet in L.A. and Orange counties. “I actually really like meeting people in person,” Izidorio said.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I actually really like meeting people in person,” Izidorio said. “It is, in a way, online. We get to contact each other, communicate through Discord. But then we actually meet in person and try pens. That’s very fun.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are careers in this universe beyond manufacturing and retail. Nik Pang, 43, for instance, is a \u003ca href=\"https://entropy.ink\">professional calligrapher\u003c/a> who repairs and sells vintage pens.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pang and his wife have imposed a hard “cap” on his personal collection: 700 pens and pen-like objects. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About 500 of them, he said, aren’t particularly useful for writing, but he’s interested in the history of the technology. His wife once asked him a morbidly useful question: If their house were burning, and he had time to save just a few pens, which ones would he take?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>About 500 of them, he said, aren’t particularly useful for writing, but he’s interested in the history of the technology. His wife once asked him a morbidly useful question: If their house were burning, and he had time to save just a few pens, which ones would he take?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two of them are family heirlooms. His grandfather’s fountain pen was a Parker Duofold, commemorating 30 years on the police force. His father’s was a Parker 75, used while earning his doctorate.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Two of them are family heirlooms. His grandfather’s fountain pen was a Parker Duofold, commemorating 30 years on the police force. His father’s was a Parker 75, used while earning his doctorate.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s part of what makes the fountain-pen revival so multifaceted. The appeal is craftsmanship, as well as beauty, style and the pleasure of finding a community that draws in people from multiple generations, across the globe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Around 5,000 people gathered in San Francisco in August for an international fountain pen show. Many collectors who grew up digital are remaking the culture, online and IRL.",
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"title": "For These Millennial Fountain Pen Fans, Community Is the Real Collectible | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Angelique Ramsey of Long Beach owns about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992300/finding-your-people-meetups-hobbies-making-friends-bay-area\">25 fountain pens\u003c/a>. Her favorite is the Benu Euphoria, a glittering pen with a custom “architect” nib, a specialty grind that changes the shape of the line as you move the pen across the page.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was looking for something that wasn’t a throwaway,” said Ramsey, 38. “I like that intentionality of sitting down and writing a letter, having something that’s a possession that you take care of. And so, you know, you can go overboard with it, but you don’t have to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In this era of incessant, instant communication, fountain pens seem like a novelty from another, analog era. Perhaps this is exactly why millennials especially are flocking to events like the \u003ca href=\"https://sanfranciscopenshow.com\">S.F. Pen Show\u003c/a> at the end of August, to rub shoulders with an estimated 5,000 people in various stages of vintage writing instrument obsession at the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel in Millbrae.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though the San Francisco show isn’t the biggest in the country — that distinction belongs to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcpenshow.com\">Washington, D.C., Fountain Pen Supershow\u003c/a> — the S.F. Pen Show has become a major gathering for the Pacific Rim pen community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097876\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-2-KQED.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-2-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Angelique Ramsey, Tracy Velasquez and Jennifer Harford attend the S.F. Pen Show in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 28, 2026. Ramsey and Velasquez said they were primarily focused on drawing Harford, new to fountain pens, deeper into the obsession. (Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12097620\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00087_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097620\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00087_TV-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00087_TV-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00087_TV-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pens on display at Michael’s Fat Boy pen booth at the San Francisco International Pen Show at The Westin San Francisco Airport in Millbrae on Aug. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12097599\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00313_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097599\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00313_TV-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00313_TV-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00313_TV-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clare Coco holds up a pen made from abalone shells at the San Francisco International Pen Show at The Westin San Francisco Airport in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Patrick Yandell, 31, manages U.S. business for the pen manufacturer OMAS, founded a century ago in Bologna, Italy. Like many vintage pen brands, OMAS has had a complicated corporate history. LVMH bought the company from the founder’s heirs in 2000. After subsequent ownership changes and a period of dormancy, the brand was revived by descendants of the founder, Armando Simoni. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yandell says most people own digital devices to accomplish most of the practical tasks that used to be accomplished with pen and paper. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can still find the sober black and navy blue pens similar to what your parents and grandparents wrote with, to be sure. But the display cases at the Pen Show are filled with iridescent resin, glitter and breathtakingly elaborate Japanese lacquerwork. The taste today is for pens — and accessories — that deliver maximum delight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fountain pens cost anywhere from a few dollars for something like a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gouletpens.com/products/platinum-preppy-fountain-pen-violet\">Platinum Preppy\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.executivepensdirect.com/en-us/blogs/fun-stuff/the-ten-most-expensive-pens-in-the-world\">millions of dollars\u003c/a>, depending on a pen’s brand, craftsmanship, rarity and the precious materials involved. Your mileage will vary depending on your taste and bank account balance. That said, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a good time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What we’re seeing now is a lot of people who came to fountain pens, not out of any practical sense whatsoever, but just as a hobby,” said Yandell, who owns more than 200 pens himself. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s part of a whole ecosystem that’s arisen.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Traditional OMAS pens are still on offer, and newer models are made with materials and techniques that evoke the company’s hundred-year history. The old world is still there — it just has more glitter, to accommodate the fact that a growing number of the people doing the buying and selling are in their 30s and 40s.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That sparkle caught the eye of Gardena-resident Tracy Velasquez, who traveled to the Pen Show with Ramsey and another friend, Jennifer Harford. Velasquez has nearly 100 pens in her collection. Her favorite is also a Benu Euphoria, a gift from her husband called Vodka on the Rocks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The resin body is striking, made from a silver luminescent resin and featuring multicolored holographic sparkles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I really like collecting things that are shiny,” Velasquez said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In contrast with her friends Ramsey and Velasquez, 38-year-old Harford of Berkeley owned exactly one: a Pilot fountain pen widely celebrated as an entry-level favorite. That was her entry down the rabbit hole that is fountain pen collecting, one her friends watch with affectionate excitement. They traveled north just to see her eyes agog at the crowds and the vast array of pens on display at the S.F. Pen Show.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097875\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-1-KQED.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-1-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A display case of Ogivas at the S.F. Pen Show in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 28, 2026, showcases materials and techniques that evoke the hundred-year history of Italian pen maker OMAS. The old world is still there. It just has more glitter. (Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“My fiancé bought me my first pen and ink, and so he was kind of the one to push me into it,” she said. “And once I had that start, then I was like, I see what the hype is.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.capenshow.com/\">California Pen Show\u003c/a>, held near Los Angeles each February, also has a particularly strong West Coast presence, but if the presence of Southern Californians at the Westin was any indication, the two shows complement each other as much as they compete. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s true for Fernanda Izidorio, who lives in Los Angeles and owns about 40 pens. She said the trip north is as much about community as it is machinery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Izidorio is a member of the Greater Los Angeles Metro Pen & Ink Group, or Glampig, which has a presence on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/glampig_club/\">Instagram\u003c/a> and Discord, as well as IRL groups that meet in L.A. and Orange counties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00109_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097574\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00109_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00109_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00109_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Michael Hochstetler hovers a magnifying glass over a fountain pen at Michael’s Fat Boy pen booth at the San Francisco International Pen Show at The Westin San Francisco Airport in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"12097877\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097877\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-3-KQED.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/RainingFountainPens-RM-3-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fernanda Izidorio is a member of the Greater Los Angeles Metro Pen & Ink Group, or Glampig, which has presence on Instagram and Discord, as well as IRL groups that meet in L.A. and Orange counties. “I actually really like meeting people in person,” Izidorio said. (Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12097596\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00237_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097596\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00237_TV-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00237_TV-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00237_TV-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees browse at the San Francisco International Pen Show at The Westin San Francisco Airport in Millbrae, California, on Aug. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I actually really like meeting people in person,” Izidorio said. “It is, in a way, online. We get to contact each other, communicate through Discord. But then we actually meet in person and try pens. That’s very fun.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are careers in this universe beyond manufacturing and retail. Nik Pang, 43, for instance, is a \u003ca href=\"https://entropy.ink\">professional calligrapher\u003c/a> who repairs and sells vintage pens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pang and his wife have imposed a hard “cap” on his personal collection: 700 pens and pen-like objects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 500 of them, he said, aren’t particularly useful for writing, but he’s interested in the history of the technology. His wife once asked him a morbidly useful question: If their house were burning, and he had time to save just a few pens, which ones would he take?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of them are family heirlooms. His grandfather’s fountain pen was a Parker Duofold, commemorating 30 years on the police force. His father’s was a Parker 75, used while earning his doctorate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s part of what makes the fountain-pen revival so multifaceted. The appeal is craftsmanship, as well as beauty, style and the pleasure of finding a community that draws in people from multiple generations, across the globe.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-demands-less-plastic-in-packaging-manufacturers-say-youll-pay-more-for-stuff",
"title": "California Demands Less Plastic in Packaging. Manufacturers Say You’ll Pay More for Stuff",
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"headTitle": "California Demands Less Plastic in Packaging. Manufacturers Say You’ll Pay More for Stuff | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than two dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> Assembly Democrats and one state senator sent a letter Wednesday to legislative leaders asking them to delay fees under SB 54, the state’s landmark plastic reduction law, for two years — an eleventh-hour push as the Legislature hurtles toward the end of session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter, addressed to Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, was signed by 23 Assemblymembers and Sen. Melissa Hurtado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It asks lawmakers to pause fee assessment and collection this year and next, commit to a “reform package” next session, and increase legislative oversight of the program going forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The request lands amid a broader fight over how the plastics law is rolling out. Little by little California is demanding that the packages you pick up at your doorstep or at the store contain less plastic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027813\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027813\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A worker sorts plastics at Ridwell’s processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four years ago aims to phase out 25% of non-recyclable, non-compostable plastic by 2032.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To get there, the state tasked a nonprofit, the Circular Action Alliance, with drafting a plan to meet the state goals. The group estimated the work would cost $17.2 billion over five years – and is asking for a three-year exemption from the source-reduction deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as the state moves to implement the law, questions are mounting over how the organization calculates the fees producers — and eventually consumers — will pay, and how much oversight the group actually faces.[aside postID=science_2001611 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/ClimateSolutionsGetty.jpg']Industry groups say the price tag for complying with the law could be tens of billions of dollars higher than California originally estimated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An industry-commissioned study found the law could cost consumers three times what the state projected — between $683 and $948 a year, rather than $190.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means groceries, shampoo bottles and other consumer goods packed in plastic could cost a little more as the law takes effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, which oversees implementation, declined an interview but said in a written statement that the law puts consumers first and pushes producers to design packaging with recycling in mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Californians are facing rising costs and pollution from increasingly complex packaging that wasn’t designed for the recycling systems local governments, ratepayers, and the state developed and funded over the past four decades,” said CalRecycle director Zoe Heller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The law’s rollout is a dial, not a switch, giving producers flexibility to redesign packaging, invest in recycling systems, reduce single-use plastics, and make adjustments along the way,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Watching the watchers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Circular Action Alliance published its fee schedule in June, spelling out what each producer owes into the system. The fees could add up to more than $10 million for some businesses, according to the Dairy Institute of California. The Dairy Institute is a trade association that represents milk processors and dairy product manufacturers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But unlike a state agency, the Circular Action Alliance answers to almost no one, said Katie Davey, executive director of the Dairy Institute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The alliance] does not have to go through an audit by the state auditor. They’re not subject to the (California open government law) Brown Act. They’re not subject to public records requests. The Legislature does not approve their budget and does not approve how many employees they need, or how many fees they can charge,” Davey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12011992\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12011992\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Recology, hundreds of tons of recycling is loaded onto conveyor belts and nonrecyclable materials are separated by hand. \u003ccite>(Juan Carlos Lara/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As a private nonprofit, Circular Action Alliance indeed is not subject to the Brown Act or public-records law — but records it submits to CalRecycle or other government entities may be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalRecycle must approve its fee schedule and implementation plan, and has the authority to audit the organization’s performance, said CalRecycle spokesperson Lance Klug, who added that the plastics law includes provisions to ensure the group’s budget and fees are appropriate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance’s role “is not to set California policy,” said its spokesperson, Larine Urbina. “Our role is to implement the framework established by SB 54 under CalRecycle’s oversight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Davey said the gap extends to enforcement. Businesses that fall short will face so-called \u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/64260ed078c36925b1cf3385/t/6a2ffce95c73742ee3a1dc97/1781529833493/10_Eco-Modulation_CAA_CA_Plan_20260615.pdf\">malus fees,\u003c/a> which fund bonuses for those that comply. But the Circular Action Alliance hasn’t said what those fees will be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shane Gusman, a lobbyist for the Teamsters, which represents hundreds of thousands of California workers, raised similar concerns. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>They’re a wholly independent nonprofit organization that has no oversight. That’s part of the problem.” The union backed the plastics law hoping it would boost jobs; Guzman now says the fees could affect workers too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the alliance published its fee schedule, Davey and a coalition of industry leaders — including the California Restaurant Association, the California League of Food Producers, the American Forest and Paper Association and the Print Creative Alliance — commissioned a study disputing CalRecycle’s numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers sort plastics at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>It found CalRecycle’s 2025 estimate of $21 billion in implementation costs, or $190 a year per California household, rests on “idealized assumptions that fail to capture real-world costs and complications the regulations will create.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study puts the number somewhere between $35 and $58 billion, rising after the implementation period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Klug of CalRecycle said the agency’s earlier reports were just estimates. “The actual costs will be determined by producer choices,” he said. “These costs, for example, will reflect the infrastructure needed to recycle materials that producers are choosing to use.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Agriculture groups push back\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The biggest hurdle for producers is cutting plastic use 25% by 2032 — which state regulators say will require redesigning packaging and shifting toward reusable products, such as dishes at restaurants and paper-based packaging for produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Business groups say they support the state’s goals but call the timeline unworkable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Food safety is one sticking point: alternatives like paper-based containers for berries are less breathable and spoil faster, while heavier glass or cardboard adds transportation costs, said Casey Creamer, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11320553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11320553\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Driscoll's, the largest berry producer in the world, now grows about the same quantity of raspberries and strawberries in Mexico as it does in California. Many American producers have recently expanded their production to Mexico.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1494\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-800x598.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1020x762.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1920x1434.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1180x881.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-960x717.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-240x179.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-375x280.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-520x388.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Driscoll’s, the largest berry producer in the world, now grows about the same quantity of raspberries and strawberries in Mexico as it does in California. Many American producers have recently expanded their production to Mexico. \u003ccite>(Mike Mozart/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We just don’t want to force something out and not be able to deliver a fresh, healthy commodity, or create a situation that has more significant or adverse environmental concerns just because we look at plastics and packaging in a silo,” Creamer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmental groups oppose any pause.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of us pay for plastic pollution through higher garbage bills and clean-ups of polluted beaches and waterways, not to mention the damage to our environment and our health,”said Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat representing coastal Los Angeles County who authored the law, said it’s time plastic producers are held accountable for the waste they produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This 11th-hour Hail Mary is only trying to maintain status quo and avoid due responsibility, throwing years of good-faith negotiations, and affordability and sustainability improvements out the window,” he said in a statement about producers’ efforts to pause implementation of the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Businesses pass costs to consumers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Whether the plastics law is actually driving up grocery prices yet is hard to pin down. Creamer said businesses may already be factoring the organization’s planned fees into their prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal data show grocery prices dipped slightly in July from June, though prices have climbed year over year and that rate is accelerating, said Richard Volpe, a consumer-price expert at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Neither the USDA nor the Bureau of Labor Statistics has released August figures, and no data yet isolates the state plastics law’s effect from broader inflation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Volpe said retailers, who run on thin margins, will eventually pass costs on to consumers — but probably not right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12015784\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12015784\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-800x560.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1020x714.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1536x1075.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1920x1344.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raw Farm raw milk containers are displayed on a shelf at a grocery store on Nov. 25, 2024, in San Anselmo, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It will not happen overnight,” he said. “And it will still be relatively small, mostly on the order of pennies on the dollar.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry groups warn it will add up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If someone’s even on the cusp of food insecurity and they’re looking at $1,000 more a year, that’s pushing them over the food cliff,” said Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the California Grocers Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Teamsters, which backed the plastics law hoping it would boost jobs, now worry the fees could affect workers too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law “has been morphed into something that is going to cost California consumers a substantial amount of money at a time when I don’t know if we need to spend thousands more on groceries,” said Gusman, the Teamsters lobbyist. “That also has an impact on the workforce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/08/plastics-law-producer-responsibility-consumer/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than two dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> Assembly Democrats and one state senator sent a letter Wednesday to legislative leaders asking them to delay fees under SB 54, the state’s landmark plastic reduction law, for two years — an eleventh-hour push as the Legislature hurtles toward the end of session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter, addressed to Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, was signed by 23 Assemblymembers and Sen. Melissa Hurtado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It asks lawmakers to pause fee assessment and collection this year and next, commit to a “reform package” next session, and increase legislative oversight of the program going forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The request lands amid a broader fight over how the plastics law is rolling out. Little by little California is demanding that the packages you pick up at your doorstep or at the store contain less plastic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027813\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027813\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A worker sorts plastics at Ridwell’s processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four years ago aims to phase out 25% of non-recyclable, non-compostable plastic by 2032.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To get there, the state tasked a nonprofit, the Circular Action Alliance, with drafting a plan to meet the state goals. The group estimated the work would cost $17.2 billion over five years – and is asking for a three-year exemption from the source-reduction deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as the state moves to implement the law, questions are mounting over how the organization calculates the fees producers — and eventually consumers — will pay, and how much oversight the group actually faces.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Industry groups say the price tag for complying with the law could be tens of billions of dollars higher than California originally estimated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An industry-commissioned study found the law could cost consumers three times what the state projected — between $683 and $948 a year, rather than $190.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means groceries, shampoo bottles and other consumer goods packed in plastic could cost a little more as the law takes effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, which oversees implementation, declined an interview but said in a written statement that the law puts consumers first and pushes producers to design packaging with recycling in mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Californians are facing rising costs and pollution from increasingly complex packaging that wasn’t designed for the recycling systems local governments, ratepayers, and the state developed and funded over the past four decades,” said CalRecycle director Zoe Heller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The law’s rollout is a dial, not a switch, giving producers flexibility to redesign packaging, invest in recycling systems, reduce single-use plastics, and make adjustments along the way,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Watching the watchers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Circular Action Alliance published its fee schedule in June, spelling out what each producer owes into the system. The fees could add up to more than $10 million for some businesses, according to the Dairy Institute of California. The Dairy Institute is a trade association that represents milk processors and dairy product manufacturers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But unlike a state agency, the Circular Action Alliance answers to almost no one, said Katie Davey, executive director of the Dairy Institute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The alliance] does not have to go through an audit by the state auditor. They’re not subject to the (California open government law) Brown Act. They’re not subject to public records requests. The Legislature does not approve their budget and does not approve how many employees they need, or how many fees they can charge,” Davey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12011992\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12011992\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Recology, hundreds of tons of recycling is loaded onto conveyor belts and nonrecyclable materials are separated by hand. \u003ccite>(Juan Carlos Lara/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As a private nonprofit, Circular Action Alliance indeed is not subject to the Brown Act or public-records law — but records it submits to CalRecycle or other government entities may be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalRecycle must approve its fee schedule and implementation plan, and has the authority to audit the organization’s performance, said CalRecycle spokesperson Lance Klug, who added that the plastics law includes provisions to ensure the group’s budget and fees are appropriate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance’s role “is not to set California policy,” said its spokesperson, Larine Urbina. “Our role is to implement the framework established by SB 54 under CalRecycle’s oversight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Davey said the gap extends to enforcement. Businesses that fall short will face so-called \u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/64260ed078c36925b1cf3385/t/6a2ffce95c73742ee3a1dc97/1781529833493/10_Eco-Modulation_CAA_CA_Plan_20260615.pdf\">malus fees,\u003c/a> which fund bonuses for those that comply. But the Circular Action Alliance hasn’t said what those fees will be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shane Gusman, a lobbyist for the Teamsters, which represents hundreds of thousands of California workers, raised similar concerns. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>They’re a wholly independent nonprofit organization that has no oversight. That’s part of the problem.” The union backed the plastics law hoping it would boost jobs; Guzman now says the fees could affect workers too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the alliance published its fee schedule, Davey and a coalition of industry leaders — including the California Restaurant Association, the California League of Food Producers, the American Forest and Paper Association and the Print Creative Alliance — commissioned a study disputing CalRecycle’s numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers sort plastics at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>It found CalRecycle’s 2025 estimate of $21 billion in implementation costs, or $190 a year per California household, rests on “idealized assumptions that fail to capture real-world costs and complications the regulations will create.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study puts the number somewhere between $35 and $58 billion, rising after the implementation period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Klug of CalRecycle said the agency’s earlier reports were just estimates. “The actual costs will be determined by producer choices,” he said. “These costs, for example, will reflect the infrastructure needed to recycle materials that producers are choosing to use.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Agriculture groups push back\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The biggest hurdle for producers is cutting plastic use 25% by 2032 — which state regulators say will require redesigning packaging and shifting toward reusable products, such as dishes at restaurants and paper-based packaging for produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Business groups say they support the state’s goals but call the timeline unworkable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Food safety is one sticking point: alternatives like paper-based containers for berries are less breathable and spoil faster, while heavier glass or cardboard adds transportation costs, said Casey Creamer, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11320553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11320553\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Driscoll's, the largest berry producer in the world, now grows about the same quantity of raspberries and strawberries in Mexico as it does in California. Many American producers have recently expanded their production to Mexico.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1494\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-800x598.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1020x762.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1920x1434.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1180x881.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-960x717.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-240x179.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-375x280.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-520x388.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Driscoll’s, the largest berry producer in the world, now grows about the same quantity of raspberries and strawberries in Mexico as it does in California. Many American producers have recently expanded their production to Mexico. \u003ccite>(Mike Mozart/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We just don’t want to force something out and not be able to deliver a fresh, healthy commodity, or create a situation that has more significant or adverse environmental concerns just because we look at plastics and packaging in a silo,” Creamer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmental groups oppose any pause.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of us pay for plastic pollution through higher garbage bills and clean-ups of polluted beaches and waterways, not to mention the damage to our environment and our health,”said Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat representing coastal Los Angeles County who authored the law, said it’s time plastic producers are held accountable for the waste they produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This 11th-hour Hail Mary is only trying to maintain status quo and avoid due responsibility, throwing years of good-faith negotiations, and affordability and sustainability improvements out the window,” he said in a statement about producers’ efforts to pause implementation of the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Businesses pass costs to consumers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Whether the plastics law is actually driving up grocery prices yet is hard to pin down. Creamer said businesses may already be factoring the organization’s planned fees into their prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal data show grocery prices dipped slightly in July from June, though prices have climbed year over year and that rate is accelerating, said Richard Volpe, a consumer-price expert at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Neither the USDA nor the Bureau of Labor Statistics has released August figures, and no data yet isolates the state plastics law’s effect from broader inflation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Volpe said retailers, who run on thin margins, will eventually pass costs on to consumers — but probably not right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12015784\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12015784\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-800x560.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1020x714.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1536x1075.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1920x1344.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raw Farm raw milk containers are displayed on a shelf at a grocery store on Nov. 25, 2024, in San Anselmo, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It will not happen overnight,” he said. “And it will still be relatively small, mostly on the order of pennies on the dollar.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry groups warn it will add up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If someone’s even on the cusp of food insecurity and they’re looking at $1,000 more a year, that’s pushing them over the food cliff,” said Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the California Grocers Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Teamsters, which backed the plastics law hoping it would boost jobs, now worry the fees could affect workers too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law “has been morphed into something that is going to cost California consumers a substantial amount of money at a time when I don’t know if we need to spend thousands more on groceries,” said Gusman, the Teamsters lobbyist. “That also has an impact on the workforce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/08/plastics-law-producer-responsibility-consumer/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-leaders-eying-more-multifamily-homes-in-single-family-neighborhoods",
"title": "San José Leaders Eying More Multifamily Homes in Single-Family Neighborhoods",
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"headTitle": "San José Leaders Eying More Multifamily Homes in Single-Family Neighborhoods | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The San José City Council this week signaled support for big shifts in single-family home neighborhoods Tuesday that could eventually allow for much denser housing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">large swaths of the city\u003c/a> that have long been shielded from major change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported making it easier for affordable housing to be built on public or quasi-public lands such as schools and churches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "City leaders are considering allowing more density in single-family neighborhoods, which make up the bulk of the city’s residential space.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The San José City Council this week signaled support for big shifts in single-family home neighborhoods Tuesday that could eventually allow for much denser housing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">large swaths of the city\u003c/a> that have long been shielded from major change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported making it easier for affordable housing to be built on public or quasi-public lands such as schools and churches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "california-food-banks-brace-for-slow-moving-avalanche-of-snap-cuts",
"title": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts",
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"headTitle": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "An already strained network of food banks across California is bracing for even greater need due to federal food assistance cuts. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-craft-liquor-delivery-is-about-to-go-away-thanks-to-big-money-lobbying",
"title": "California Craft Liquor Delivery Is About to Go Away, Thanks to Big Money Lobbying",
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"headTitle": "California Craft Liquor Delivery Is About to Go Away, Thanks to Big Money Lobbying | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For six years, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">Californians\u003c/a> have been able to shake up a craft cocktail at home using alcohol delivered to their doorstep. Now, it’s last call for the distillery deliveries, unless lawmakers intervene by the end of this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s unlikely, thanks to opposition from California’s wine industry, Teamsters union truck drivers and corporate alcohol wholesalers and distributors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The influential, well-funded groups lobbied the Legislature behind closed doors this year to block legislation that would have made permanent pandemic-era rules that allowed craft distillers to ship spirits directly to their customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the pandemic lockdowns, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that allowed craft distillers to ship spirits to their customers’ homes. In the years since, lawmakers passed temporary laws allowing craft distillers — defined as those that produce up to 150,000 gallons a year — to keep shipping their spirits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The latest extension expires Dec. 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t have a lot of hope that we’re going to be able to salvage this,” said Folsom Republican Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/josh-hoover-165420\">Josh Hoover\u003c/a>. He tried unsuccessfully this year to amend one of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2211\">his bills\u003c/a> to let small distillers continue shipping directly to their customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094388\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094388\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_11_CM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_11_CM.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_11_CM-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_11_CM-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bottles of spirits produced by Dry Diggins Distillery in El Dorado Hills on Aug. 4, 2026. \u003ccite>(Fred Greaves for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The groups blocking Hoover’s proposal have spent more than $1 million lobbying the Legislature and state government this year. They have donated at least 11 times that much to California politicians and their campaigns over the years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The craft distillers, who have spent a fraction as much on state politics, say all that spending from the opposition, particularly from corporate liquor distributors, appears to have paid off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They went directly to legislators’ offices and basically torpedoed any effort we came up with,” said Cris Steller, acting executive director of the California Distillers Association and the owner of Amador and Dry Diggings Distillery in El Dorado Hills, a family-run business that makes whiskey, brandy, vodka and gin.[aside postID=forum_2010101914751 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2022/04/California-drought.jpg']The fight is about more than whether Californians can have a bottle of whiskey or gin delivered. It illustrates how decisions are made in Sacramento, where wealthy and powerful interests can shape or kill policy in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2024/09/california-secret-negotiations-public-transparency/\">secret negotiations\u003c/a> with lawmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Politicians, in turn, benefit when proposals die quietly because they don’t have to explain their decisions to voters. Opponents insist they aren’t using the political system to crush competitors as national \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-06-11-2026/card/alcohol-industry-s-pain-could-get-worse-before-it-gets-better-po9xhV3IQmLntTOd8v18?eafs_enabled=false\">alcohol sales slump\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, representatives of the major alcohol wholesalers and distributors that stock shelves at liquor retailers say they oppose the proposal because it primarily benefits out-of-state companies and weakens safeguards that include preventing alcohol deliveries to minors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teamsters lobbyist Matt Broad said the labor group’s truck drivers aren’t opposed to allowing craft distillers to ship their product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They just want them to use established shipping companies that have actual employees, including those that employ Teamsters, such as UPS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those companies have standards to ensure legal delivery, Broad said. When they employ drivers rather than use contractors, the companies — not the drivers — bear legal liability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087150\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087150\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260610_LodiWine_GC-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260610_LodiWine_GC-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260610_LodiWine_GC-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260610_LodiWine_GC-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bruce Fry, left, and his daughter Mohrgan Fry, right, examine grape clusters at their ranch Mohr-Fry Ranches, a six-generation family farming operation since 1855, in Lodi on June 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Federal law preempts California from mandating hiring unionized truck drivers, Broad said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are absolutely not opposed to the little guys being able to ship directly to consumers, and in fact, we have a track record of supporting the proposal but with meaningful guardrails that protect our members and protect the public,” he told CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California wine industry, which has been allowed to ship bottles directly to customers in California for decades, isn’t necessarily opposed either. But its representative says wine sellers are leery of giving little alcohol sellers delivery rights when big liquor companies deserve the same. Wineries of any size can ship to their customers in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Big booze, big labor spend big\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Postal Service prohibits most alcohol shipments to homes, but California allows certain types of alcohol sellers to use private shipping companies. Breweries are prohibited from shipping directly to California customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hoover hoped his \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2211\">Assembly Bill 2211\u003c/a>, a proposal to give craft distillers the ability to offer tastings and sell spirits at locations other than their distilleries, could be amended to give craft distillers a permanent direct-to-consumer provision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It has advanced through the Legislature without formal opposition or any lawmaker voting against it, according to CalMatters’ \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/\">Digital Democracy database\u003c/a>. The measure is pending before the full Senate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094389\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094389\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_17_CM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_17_CM.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_17_CM-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_17_CM-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cris Steller, owner of Dry Diggins Distillery, talks about the various products that are made in his distillery. \u003ccite>( Fred Greaves for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There may be no formal opposition, but reports filed with the California secretary of state show an extensive behind-the-scenes lobbying effort aimed at preventing any changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least six groups, including some of the biggest national alcohol distributors, have reported lobbying on Hoover’s bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reports show those groups spent more than $1 million on lobbying this year. State ethics laws only require entities to report the total amount they spent lobbying the government in a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re not required to report how much they spent on specific legislation, so it’s unclear how much they spent trying to influence lawmakers as they considered AB 2211 and its never-published direct-shipping amendment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those groups, along with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Wine Institute, have given at least $11 million to both Democrats and Republicans in California since 2000, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115\">according to Digital Democracy\u003c/a>, including at least $738,000 \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176&year%5B%5D=2026&year%5B%5D=2025\">since 2025\u003c/a>, the start of the current two-year legislative session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By comparison, California’s craft distillers reported spending $54,000 on lobbying this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094390\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094390\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_13_CM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_13_CM.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_13_CM-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_13_CM-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bottles are filled with whiskey in the bottling area of Dry Diggins Distillery in El Dorado Hills on Aug. 4, 2026. \u003ccite>(Fred Greaves for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#giver%5B%5D=oid--21811&giver%5B%5D=oid--21812\">They reported just three donations\u003c/a> to lawmakers in the past decade, according to Digital Democracy. One was a $42 bottle of whiskey in 2022 to former Napa Democratic Sen. Bill Dodd, who now lobbies on behalf of the craft distillery industry. In 2023, Assembly Speaker \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041\">Robert Rivas\u003c/a> received $215 in tequila. Democratic Assemblymember-turned U.S. Rep. Adam Gray received a $1,300 campaign donation in 2016.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hoover said he has been trying since last year to add language to his bill that would allow craft distillers to permanently keep shipping. He succeeded last year in getting the extension that expires Dec. 31, but this year he’s been unable to overcome the opposition to expanding the tasting room measure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m always open to figuring this out, if there’s a way that we can make this work. … but I don’t have a lot of hope that this bill is going to preserve those provisions this year,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With less than a month left before the Legislature finishes for the year on Aug. 31, Democratic leaders would likely need to sign off on changes to Hoover’s tasting room measure. They’ve offered little indication they intend to intervene for craft distillers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rivas, who’s received at least \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#receiver%5B%5D=pid-165041&giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176\">$108,000\u003c/a> in donations over the years from opponents of Hoover’s unpublished proposal, declined CalMatters’ request for an interview. Senate President Pro Tem \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/monique-limon-13069\">Monique Limón\u003c/a>, who’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#receiver%5B%5D=pid-13069&giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176\">received at least $33,000\u003c/a>, responded to an interview request with an emailed statement saying she is aware of the pending deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12020596\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12020596\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A giant welcome sign is seen in Napa Valley, California, on Oct. 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This bill will continue to work its way through the legislative process as intended,” it said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democratic Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/susan-rubio-165042\">Susan Rubio\u003c/a> and her sister, Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/blanca-rubio-100932\">Blanca Rubio\u003c/a>, oversee the committees that regulate California’s alcohol industry. When Hoover’s measure passed through their committees, the chairs could have allowed Hoover to add the direct-to-consumer amendment. They did not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Susan Rubio has received at \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#receiver%5B%5D=pid-165042&giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176\">least $65,000\u003c/a> in donations from the groups blocking the direct-shipping proposal, according to Digital Democracy. Blanca Rubio has received \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#receiver%5B%5D=pid-100932&giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176\">at least $129,000\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Rubio’s spokesperson, Giovanni Ruiz Reyes, responded to interview requests with emailed statements. The first said “conversations between stakeholders are ongoing” and that she “looks forward” to reviewing potential legislation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ruiz Reyes said in a second statement Thursday that she’s supported four previous extensions of the craft distiller shipping policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is currently no bill or amendment before the committee seeking another extension,” Ruiz Reyes said. “Accordingly, it would be inaccurate to suggest that Senator Rubio or the committee has blocked or refused to hear an extension when no such proposal is currently before the committee.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Rubio didn’t return interview requests.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Fewer Americans are drinking\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The liquor industry is facing a nationwide decline as more \u003ca href=\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx\">Americans cut back on drinking\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In that difficult business climate, corporate liquor wholesalers and distribution companies lobbied “to obliterate competition,” said Dodd, the former state senator from wine country lobbying on behalf of craft distillers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We oppose any effort to make DTC (direct to consumer) permanent,” the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, the California Beer & Beverage Distributors and the California Family Beer Distributors wrote in a joint statement to CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029167\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029167\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/IMG_1518-scaled-e1740760488516.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wine industry leaders, particularly grape growers, say California is still at a disadvantage when it comes to competing with the world’s other wine regions, like Spain, France, Italy, Chile and Argentina. \u003ccite>(Saul Gonzalez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Craft distilleries’ direct shipping “was always meant to be temporary pandemic relief, and it’s expiring exactly as designed, six years later” said the groups, which represent local and national companies that move many of America’s best-known beer, wine and liquor brands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They argue that after the law expires, spirits can still be delivered to customers through services such as DoorDash. DoorDash is listed as a member of the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers of America on its website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The groups’ representative, Kevin Luckey, declined an interview request.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steve Gross, president and CEO of the Wine Institute, said the wine industry has worked hard over the decades to have large and small wine sellers treated equally under California and national alcohol distribution laws.[aside postID=news_12087134 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260610_LodiWine_GC-8-KQED.jpg']He said it would undermine his industry’s efforts if small distillers get delivery rights in California when large ones don’t have them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have the option to go in and try and fight for a bill that we and others could also support,” Gross said. “They’ve chosen not to because those larger distillers are not their members.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Wine Institute is a lobbying group that represents more than 700 large and small wine sellers, including one of the world’s largest, Modesto-based Gallo Winery. Craft distillers say they’ve tried to work with the groups blocking their bill to address their concerns, but they have gotten nowhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, Steller, the El Dorado Hills distiller, has already started pulling back on shipping bottles to his customers because the Legislature won’t budge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to keep putting money into a program that’s going to get yanked,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-craft-distillery-deliveries-lobbying/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For six years, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">Californians\u003c/a> have been able to shake up a craft cocktail at home using alcohol delivered to their doorstep. Now, it’s last call for the distillery deliveries, unless lawmakers intervene by the end of this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s unlikely, thanks to opposition from California’s wine industry, Teamsters union truck drivers and corporate alcohol wholesalers and distributors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The influential, well-funded groups lobbied the Legislature behind closed doors this year to block legislation that would have made permanent pandemic-era rules that allowed craft distillers to ship spirits directly to their customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the pandemic lockdowns, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that allowed craft distillers to ship spirits to their customers’ homes. In the years since, lawmakers passed temporary laws allowing craft distillers — defined as those that produce up to 150,000 gallons a year — to keep shipping their spirits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The latest extension expires Dec. 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t have a lot of hope that we’re going to be able to salvage this,” said Folsom Republican Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/josh-hoover-165420\">Josh Hoover\u003c/a>. He tried unsuccessfully this year to amend one of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2211\">his bills\u003c/a> to let small distillers continue shipping directly to their customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094388\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094388\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_11_CM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_11_CM.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_11_CM-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_11_CM-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bottles of spirits produced by Dry Diggins Distillery in El Dorado Hills on Aug. 4, 2026. \u003ccite>(Fred Greaves for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The groups blocking Hoover’s proposal have spent more than $1 million lobbying the Legislature and state government this year. They have donated at least 11 times that much to California politicians and their campaigns over the years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The craft distillers, who have spent a fraction as much on state politics, say all that spending from the opposition, particularly from corporate liquor distributors, appears to have paid off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They went directly to legislators’ offices and basically torpedoed any effort we came up with,” said Cris Steller, acting executive director of the California Distillers Association and the owner of Amador and Dry Diggings Distillery in El Dorado Hills, a family-run business that makes whiskey, brandy, vodka and gin.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The fight is about more than whether Californians can have a bottle of whiskey or gin delivered. It illustrates how decisions are made in Sacramento, where wealthy and powerful interests can shape or kill policy in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2024/09/california-secret-negotiations-public-transparency/\">secret negotiations\u003c/a> with lawmakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Politicians, in turn, benefit when proposals die quietly because they don’t have to explain their decisions to voters. Opponents insist they aren’t using the political system to crush competitors as national \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-06-11-2026/card/alcohol-industry-s-pain-could-get-worse-before-it-gets-better-po9xhV3IQmLntTOd8v18?eafs_enabled=false\">alcohol sales slump\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, representatives of the major alcohol wholesalers and distributors that stock shelves at liquor retailers say they oppose the proposal because it primarily benefits out-of-state companies and weakens safeguards that include preventing alcohol deliveries to minors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teamsters lobbyist Matt Broad said the labor group’s truck drivers aren’t opposed to allowing craft distillers to ship their product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They just want them to use established shipping companies that have actual employees, including those that employ Teamsters, such as UPS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those companies have standards to ensure legal delivery, Broad said. When they employ drivers rather than use contractors, the companies — not the drivers — bear legal liability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087150\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087150\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260610_LodiWine_GC-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260610_LodiWine_GC-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260610_LodiWine_GC-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260610_LodiWine_GC-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bruce Fry, left, and his daughter Mohrgan Fry, right, examine grape clusters at their ranch Mohr-Fry Ranches, a six-generation family farming operation since 1855, in Lodi on June 10, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Federal law preempts California from mandating hiring unionized truck drivers, Broad said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are absolutely not opposed to the little guys being able to ship directly to consumers, and in fact, we have a track record of supporting the proposal but with meaningful guardrails that protect our members and protect the public,” he told CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California wine industry, which has been allowed to ship bottles directly to customers in California for decades, isn’t necessarily opposed either. But its representative says wine sellers are leery of giving little alcohol sellers delivery rights when big liquor companies deserve the same. Wineries of any size can ship to their customers in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Big booze, big labor spend big\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Postal Service prohibits most alcohol shipments to homes, but California allows certain types of alcohol sellers to use private shipping companies. Breweries are prohibited from shipping directly to California customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hoover hoped his \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2211\">Assembly Bill 2211\u003c/a>, a proposal to give craft distillers the ability to offer tastings and sell spirits at locations other than their distilleries, could be amended to give craft distillers a permanent direct-to-consumer provision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It has advanced through the Legislature without formal opposition or any lawmaker voting against it, according to CalMatters’ \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/\">Digital Democracy database\u003c/a>. The measure is pending before the full Senate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094389\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094389\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_17_CM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_17_CM.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_17_CM-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_17_CM-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cris Steller, owner of Dry Diggins Distillery, talks about the various products that are made in his distillery. \u003ccite>( Fred Greaves for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There may be no formal opposition, but reports filed with the California secretary of state show an extensive behind-the-scenes lobbying effort aimed at preventing any changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least six groups, including some of the biggest national alcohol distributors, have reported lobbying on Hoover’s bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reports show those groups spent more than $1 million on lobbying this year. State ethics laws only require entities to report the total amount they spent lobbying the government in a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re not required to report how much they spent on specific legislation, so it’s unclear how much they spent trying to influence lawmakers as they considered AB 2211 and its never-published direct-shipping amendment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those groups, along with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Wine Institute, have given at least $11 million to both Democrats and Republicans in California since 2000, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115\">according to Digital Democracy\u003c/a>, including at least $738,000 \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176&year%5B%5D=2026&year%5B%5D=2025\">since 2025\u003c/a>, the start of the current two-year legislative session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By comparison, California’s craft distillers reported spending $54,000 on lobbying this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094390\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094390\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_13_CM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_13_CM.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_13_CM-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/080426_drinks-by-mail_FG_13_CM-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bottles are filled with whiskey in the bottling area of Dry Diggins Distillery in El Dorado Hills on Aug. 4, 2026. \u003ccite>(Fred Greaves for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#giver%5B%5D=oid--21811&giver%5B%5D=oid--21812\">They reported just three donations\u003c/a> to lawmakers in the past decade, according to Digital Democracy. One was a $42 bottle of whiskey in 2022 to former Napa Democratic Sen. Bill Dodd, who now lobbies on behalf of the craft distillery industry. In 2023, Assembly Speaker \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041\">Robert Rivas\u003c/a> received $215 in tequila. Democratic Assemblymember-turned U.S. Rep. Adam Gray received a $1,300 campaign donation in 2016.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hoover said he has been trying since last year to add language to his bill that would allow craft distillers to permanently keep shipping. He succeeded last year in getting the extension that expires Dec. 31, but this year he’s been unable to overcome the opposition to expanding the tasting room measure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m always open to figuring this out, if there’s a way that we can make this work. … but I don’t have a lot of hope that this bill is going to preserve those provisions this year,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With less than a month left before the Legislature finishes for the year on Aug. 31, Democratic leaders would likely need to sign off on changes to Hoover’s tasting room measure. They’ve offered little indication they intend to intervene for craft distillers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rivas, who’s received at least \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#receiver%5B%5D=pid-165041&giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176\">$108,000\u003c/a> in donations over the years from opponents of Hoover’s unpublished proposal, declined CalMatters’ request for an interview. Senate President Pro Tem \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/monique-limon-13069\">Monique Limón\u003c/a>, who’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#receiver%5B%5D=pid-13069&giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176\">received at least $33,000\u003c/a>, responded to an interview request with an emailed statement saying she is aware of the pending deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12020596\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12020596\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/NapaCountyWineCountryGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A giant welcome sign is seen in Napa Valley, California, on Oct. 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This bill will continue to work its way through the legislative process as intended,” it said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democratic Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/susan-rubio-165042\">Susan Rubio\u003c/a> and her sister, Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/blanca-rubio-100932\">Blanca Rubio\u003c/a>, oversee the committees that regulate California’s alcohol industry. When Hoover’s measure passed through their committees, the chairs could have allowed Hoover to add the direct-to-consumer amendment. They did not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Susan Rubio has received at \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#receiver%5B%5D=pid-165042&giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176\">least $65,000\u003c/a> in donations from the groups blocking the direct-shipping proposal, according to Digital Democracy. Blanca Rubio has received \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/financials#receiver%5B%5D=pid-100932&giver%5B%5D=oid--3042&giver%5B%5D=oid--10867&giver%5B%5D=oid--12807&giver%5B%5D=oid--4150&giver%5B%5D=oid--2053&giver%5B%5D=oid--3104&giver%5B%5D=oid--15115&giver%5B%5D=oid--15176\">at least $129,000\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Rubio’s spokesperson, Giovanni Ruiz Reyes, responded to interview requests with emailed statements. The first said “conversations between stakeholders are ongoing” and that she “looks forward” to reviewing potential legislation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ruiz Reyes said in a second statement Thursday that she’s supported four previous extensions of the craft distiller shipping policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is currently no bill or amendment before the committee seeking another extension,” Ruiz Reyes said. “Accordingly, it would be inaccurate to suggest that Senator Rubio or the committee has blocked or refused to hear an extension when no such proposal is currently before the committee.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Rubio didn’t return interview requests.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Fewer Americans are drinking\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The liquor industry is facing a nationwide decline as more \u003ca href=\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx\">Americans cut back on drinking\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In that difficult business climate, corporate liquor wholesalers and distribution companies lobbied “to obliterate competition,” said Dodd, the former state senator from wine country lobbying on behalf of craft distillers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We oppose any effort to make DTC (direct to consumer) permanent,” the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, the California Beer & Beverage Distributors and the California Family Beer Distributors wrote in a joint statement to CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029167\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029167\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/IMG_1518-scaled-e1740760488516.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wine industry leaders, particularly grape growers, say California is still at a disadvantage when it comes to competing with the world’s other wine regions, like Spain, France, Italy, Chile and Argentina. \u003ccite>(Saul Gonzalez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Craft distilleries’ direct shipping “was always meant to be temporary pandemic relief, and it’s expiring exactly as designed, six years later” said the groups, which represent local and national companies that move many of America’s best-known beer, wine and liquor brands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They argue that after the law expires, spirits can still be delivered to customers through services such as DoorDash. DoorDash is listed as a member of the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers of America on its website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The groups’ representative, Kevin Luckey, declined an interview request.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steve Gross, president and CEO of the Wine Institute, said the wine industry has worked hard over the decades to have large and small wine sellers treated equally under California and national alcohol distribution laws.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>He said it would undermine his industry’s efforts if small distillers get delivery rights in California when large ones don’t have them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have the option to go in and try and fight for a bill that we and others could also support,” Gross said. “They’ve chosen not to because those larger distillers are not their members.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Wine Institute is a lobbying group that represents more than 700 large and small wine sellers, including one of the world’s largest, Modesto-based Gallo Winery. Craft distillers say they’ve tried to work with the groups blocking their bill to address their concerns, but they have gotten nowhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, Steller, the El Dorado Hills distiller, has already started pulling back on shipping bottles to his customers because the Legislature won’t budge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to keep putting money into a program that’s going to get yanked,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-craft-distillery-deliveries-lobbying/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Randy’s Donuts Opens in Santa Clara, Across From Stan’s Donuts",
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"headTitle": "Randy’s Donuts Opens in Santa Clara, Across From Stan’s Donuts | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>A hot and fresh battle is cooking in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara\">Santa Clara\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People are calling it doughnut wars. Dueling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13967902/eizels-bakery-pop-up-donuts-san-jose\">doughnuts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Randy’s Donuts, the famed doughnut shop started in Inglewood in Southern California and known for its iconic 32-foot doughnut-shaped rooftop sign, has expanded into Northern California, with a grand opening event held for its first Bay Area franchise on Friday in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071882/7-things-to-know-about-the-complicated-relationship-between-santa-clara-and-the-49ers\">Santa Clara\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mood was celebratory at Randy’s at 2595 Homestead Road, with hundreds of customers lining up in the early morning hours to partake in the festivities, which included some free samples, swag giveaways and music, under the shadow of an inflatable giant doughnut. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093476\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Doughnuts are seen in the glass display case at Randy’s Donuts in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The bright orange shop is offering about 50 varieties of handmade doughnuts, including classic glazed raised, chocolate or maple Long Johns, and other spins such as mango Tajin and matcha tea, while some have toppings like Oreos, Fruity Pebbles, and s’mores. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ausaf Masud, one of three co-owners of the new franchise under a company called Sweet Rings LLC, said his partners hope to open about five total Randy’s locations across the Bay Area in due time, and the opening on Friday was a good start. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The line is across two blocks right now. I think we have 400 people right now waiting in the line,” Masud said. “It’s amazing to see the love.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it’s the location of Randy’s that has caused a yeast-like raising of eyebrows among armies of local doughnut eaters. It’s just across the street from Stan’s Donuts, a Santa Clara staple opened in 1959, still run by the family of the original founder. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093478\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093478\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shawn Lemelle and his aunt Sheila Lemelle proudly display their Randy’s Donuts purchase during a grand opening event at the brand’s new location in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093473\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Customers flood the new Randy’s Donuts location in Santa Clara during a grand opening event on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cash-only establishment also makes its doughnuts by hand, many of which are formed right in front of a large plate-glass window in view of customers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their most popular offering is a raised glazed, along with their rotating selection of buttermilk doughnuts and old-fashioneds. The shop offers counter service for those who have a little time to sit and enjoy a pillowy pastry and a coffee on site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The shop is regularly bustling, and often has a line that starts along the wall inside and wends its way down the shopping center sidewalk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On this particular Friday, a very popular day for the business typically, owner Julie Clark said the line was four to five times as long as usual. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s so heartwarming; it’s overwhelming, actually. And it just makes us so happy as a staff and as a business to see all the regulars, and we’ve seen so many today, as well as new people that we’re getting all the time,” Clark said. “It’s just been the biggest blessing. We are so fortunate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093472\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Julie Clark, the owner of Stan’s Donuts in Santa Clara, poses for a photo in front of her shop and a long line of customers on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Clark said her shop’s menu is a bit smaller on purpose. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re old school. We stick to the classics,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some longtime customers of Stan’s showed up on Friday just to ensure the shop was busy on the day of Randy’s grand opening. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>James Stewart lives nearby and said he comes to Stan’s about once a week, and has been a customer for about 40 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s just kind of a more mom-and-pop shop. I think Randy’s choosing that location was strategic, so I’m here to support Stan’s,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said he hopes people will try out Stan’s and Randy’s to make a comparison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Stan’s will win every time,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Masud, of Randy’s, insisted he wasn’t trying to start a doughnut standoff. He said he and his partners chose the location for the size of its kitchen, as they plan to make doughnuts for future locations at the Santa Clara shop, and its drive-thru, which is planned to open later this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Masud even said he and his family live in the area and have been fans of Stan’s before getting into the doughnut business themselves. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s nothing against anyone. It’s a business. You know, once in a while you do get competitors,” he said. “It’s just like Shell and Chevron having stations next to each other.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps no one was more excited than Avery St. Lawrence, who said she loves waking up early, waiting in lines and sweet things. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She just moved to Santa Clara a week ago from Michigan, and plans to attend \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084071/bay-areas-first-medical-school-in-over-100-years-could-open-in-2030\">Santa Clara University\u003c/a> School of Law soon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Friday morning, she waited in two long lines to try both Randy’s and Stan’s for the first time, and did a taste test. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This feels a lot fluffier,” she said outside of Stan’s, holding one of their glazed raised doughnuts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Avery St. Lawrence makes doughnut decisions while ordering at her doughnut order during a grand opening event at Randy’s Donuts in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>One bite later: “This one is better. This one’s way better.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mark Kelegian, the CEO of Randy’s Donuts brand, said the company is not targeting Stan’s or its customers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No, that’s all manufactured. There’s no doughnut war,” he said. “The fact that there’s a doughnut shop across the street or a block away or two blocks away, there always is…There’s generally enough business for everyone.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said many people might initially find out about Randy’s because of its giant doughnut sign, which was prominently featured in the \u003cem>Iron Man 2\u003c/em> movie and other media, but they come back for the brand’s sweet treats. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093543\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-10_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093543\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-10_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-10_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-10_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Stan’s Donuts employee forms doughnuts in the front window of the shop during a busy Friday morning in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093471\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093471\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-1-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-1-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-1-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rowena Chu and her son Zachary Bacher eat glazed doughnuts at the counter of crowded Stan’s Donuts in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our doughnuts are unique, and we think they’re the best in the world,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some customers on Friday said there is room in their hearts for doughnuts from both operations, and were celebrating the increasing number of purveyors in town. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just doughnuts,” Crystal Camarena, of Sunnyvale, said. “Be happy, eat doughnuts, all the doughnuts.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A hot and fresh battle is cooking in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara\">Santa Clara\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>People are calling it doughnut wars. Dueling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13967902/eizels-bakery-pop-up-donuts-san-jose\">doughnuts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>People are calling it doughnut wars. Dueling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13967902/eizels-bakery-pop-up-donuts-san-jose\">doughnuts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Randy’s Donuts, the famed doughnut shop started in Inglewood in Southern California and known for its iconic 32-foot doughnut-shaped rooftop sign, has expanded into Northern California, with a grand opening event held for its first Bay Area franchise on Friday in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071882/7-things-to-know-about-the-complicated-relationship-between-santa-clara-and-the-49ers\">Santa Clara\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mood was celebratory at Randy’s at 2595 Homestead Road, with hundreds of customers lining up in the early morning hours to partake in the festivities, which included some free samples, swag giveaways and music, under the shadow of an inflatable giant doughnut. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The mood was celebratory at Randy’s at 2595 Homestead Road, with hundreds of customers lining up in the early morning hours to partake in the festivities, which included some free samples, swag giveaways and music, under the shadow of an inflatable giant doughnut. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093476\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Doughnuts are seen in the glass display case at Randy’s Donuts in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bright orange shop is offering about 50 varieties of handmade doughnuts, including classic glazed raised, chocolate or maple Long Johns, and other spins such as mango Tajin and matcha tea, while some have toppings like Oreos, Fruity Pebbles, and s’mores. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bright orange shop is offering about 50 varieties of handmade doughnuts, including classic glazed raised, chocolate or maple Long Johns, and other spins such as mango Tajin and matcha tea, while some have toppings like Oreos, Fruity Pebbles, and s’mores. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ausaf Masud, one of three co-owners of the new franchise under a company called Sweet Rings LLC, said his partners hope to open about five total Randy’s locations across the Bay Area in due time, and the opening on Friday was a good start. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The line is across two blocks right now. I think we have 400 people right now waiting in the line,” Masud said. “It’s amazing to see the love.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But it’s the location of Randy’s that has caused a yeast-like raising of eyebrows among armies of local doughnut eaters. It’s just across the street from Stan’s Donuts, a Santa Clara staple opened in 1959, still run by the family of the original founder. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cash-only establishment also makes its doughnuts by hand, many of which are formed right in front of a large plate-glass window in view of customers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Their most popular offering is a raised glazed, along with their rotating selection of buttermilk doughnuts and old-fashioneds. The shop offers counter service for those who have a little time to sit and enjoy a pillowy pastry and a coffee on site. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On this particular Friday, a very popular day for the business typically, owner Julie Clark said the line was four to five times as long as usual. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s so heartwarming; it’s overwhelming, actually. And it just makes us so happy as a staff and as a business to see all the regulars, and we’ve seen so many today, as well as new people that we’re getting all the time,” Clark said. “It’s just been the biggest blessing. We are so fortunate.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Clark said her shop’s menu is a bit smaller on purpose. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re old school. We stick to the classics,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some longtime customers of Stan’s showed up on Friday just to ensure the shop was busy on the day of Randy’s grand opening. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>James Stewart lives nearby and said he comes to Stan’s about once a week, and has been a customer for about 40 years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s just kind of a more mom-and-pop shop. I think Randy’s choosing that location was strategic, so I’m here to support Stan’s,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said he hopes people will try out Stan’s and Randy’s to make a comparison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Stan’s will win every time,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Masud, of Randy’s, insisted he wasn’t trying to start a doughnut standoff. He said he and his partners chose the location for the size of its kitchen, as they plan to make doughnuts for future locations at the Santa Clara shop, and its drive-thru, which is planned to open later this year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Masud even said he and his family live in the area and have been fans of Stan’s before getting into the doughnut business themselves. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s nothing against anyone. It’s a business. You know, once in a while you do get competitors,” he said. “It’s just like Shell and Chevron having stations next to each other.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Perhaps no one was more excited than Avery St. Lawrence, who said she loves waking up early, waiting in lines and sweet things. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She just moved to Santa Clara a week ago from Michigan, and plans to attend \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084071/bay-areas-first-medical-school-in-over-100-years-could-open-in-2030\">Santa Clara University\u003c/a> School of Law soon. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Friday morning, she waited in two long lines to try both Randy’s and Stan’s for the first time, and did a taste test. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This feels a lot fluffier,” she said outside of Stan’s, holding one of their glazed raised doughnuts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Avery St. Lawrence makes doughnut decisions while ordering at her doughnut order during a grand opening event at Randy’s Donuts in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One bite later: “This one is better. This one’s way better.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mark Kelegian, the CEO of Randy’s Donuts brand, said the company is not targeting Stan’s or its customers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“No, that’s all manufactured. There’s no doughnut war,” he said. “The fact that there’s a doughnut shop across the street or a block away or two blocks away, there always is…There’s generally enough business for everyone.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said many people might initially find out about Randy’s because of its giant doughnut sign, which was prominently featured in the \u003cem>Iron Man 2\u003c/em> movie and other media, but they come back for the brand’s sweet treats. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s just doughnuts,” Crystal Camarena, of Sunnyvale, said. “Be happy, eat doughnuts, all the doughnuts.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A hot and fresh battle is cooking in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara\">Santa Clara\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People are calling it doughnut wars. Dueling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13967902/eizels-bakery-pop-up-donuts-san-jose\">doughnuts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Randy’s Donuts, the famed doughnut shop started in Inglewood in Southern California and known for its iconic 32-foot doughnut-shaped rooftop sign, has expanded into Northern California, with a grand opening event held for its first Bay Area franchise on Friday in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071882/7-things-to-know-about-the-complicated-relationship-between-santa-clara-and-the-49ers\">Santa Clara\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mood was celebratory at Randy’s at 2595 Homestead Road, with hundreds of customers lining up in the early morning hours to partake in the festivities, which included some free samples, swag giveaways and music, under the shadow of an inflatable giant doughnut. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093476\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Doughnuts are seen in the glass display case at Randy’s Donuts in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The bright orange shop is offering about 50 varieties of handmade doughnuts, including classic glazed raised, chocolate or maple Long Johns, and other spins such as mango Tajin and matcha tea, while some have toppings like Oreos, Fruity Pebbles, and s’mores. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ausaf Masud, one of three co-owners of the new franchise under a company called Sweet Rings LLC, said his partners hope to open about five total Randy’s locations across the Bay Area in due time, and the opening on Friday was a good start. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The line is across two blocks right now. I think we have 400 people right now waiting in the line,” Masud said. “It’s amazing to see the love.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it’s the location of Randy’s that has caused a yeast-like raising of eyebrows among armies of local doughnut eaters. It’s just across the street from Stan’s Donuts, a Santa Clara staple opened in 1959, still run by the family of the original founder. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093478\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093478\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shawn Lemelle and his aunt Sheila Lemelle proudly display their Randy’s Donuts purchase during a grand opening event at the brand’s new location in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093473\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Customers flood the new Randy’s Donuts location in Santa Clara during a grand opening event on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cash-only establishment also makes its doughnuts by hand, many of which are formed right in front of a large plate-glass window in view of customers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their most popular offering is a raised glazed, along with their rotating selection of buttermilk doughnuts and old-fashioneds. The shop offers counter service for those who have a little time to sit and enjoy a pillowy pastry and a coffee on site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The shop is regularly bustling, and often has a line that starts along the wall inside and wends its way down the shopping center sidewalk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On this particular Friday, a very popular day for the business typically, owner Julie Clark said the line was four to five times as long as usual. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s so heartwarming; it’s overwhelming, actually. And it just makes us so happy as a staff and as a business to see all the regulars, and we’ve seen so many today, as well as new people that we’re getting all the time,” Clark said. “It’s just been the biggest blessing. We are so fortunate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093472\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Julie Clark, the owner of Stan’s Donuts in Santa Clara, poses for a photo in front of her shop and a long line of customers on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Clark said her shop’s menu is a bit smaller on purpose. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re old school. We stick to the classics,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some longtime customers of Stan’s showed up on Friday just to ensure the shop was busy on the day of Randy’s grand opening. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>James Stewart lives nearby and said he comes to Stan’s about once a week, and has been a customer for about 40 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s just kind of a more mom-and-pop shop. I think Randy’s choosing that location was strategic, so I’m here to support Stan’s,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said he hopes people will try out Stan’s and Randy’s to make a comparison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Stan’s will win every time,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Masud, of Randy’s, insisted he wasn’t trying to start a doughnut standoff. He said he and his partners chose the location for the size of its kitchen, as they plan to make doughnuts for future locations at the Santa Clara shop, and its drive-thru, which is planned to open later this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Masud even said he and his family live in the area and have been fans of Stan’s before getting into the doughnut business themselves. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s nothing against anyone. It’s a business. You know, once in a while you do get competitors,” he said. “It’s just like Shell and Chevron having stations next to each other.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps no one was more excited than Avery St. Lawrence, who said she loves waking up early, waiting in lines and sweet things. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She just moved to Santa Clara a week ago from Michigan, and plans to attend \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084071/bay-areas-first-medical-school-in-over-100-years-could-open-in-2030\">Santa Clara University\u003c/a> School of Law soon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Friday morning, she waited in two long lines to try both Randy’s and Stan’s for the first time, and did a taste test. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This feels a lot fluffier,” she said outside of Stan’s, holding one of their glazed raised doughnuts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Avery St. Lawrence makes doughnut decisions while ordering at her doughnut order during a grand opening event at Randy’s Donuts in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>One bite later: “This one is better. This one’s way better.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mark Kelegian, the CEO of Randy’s Donuts brand, said the company is not targeting Stan’s or its customers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No, that’s all manufactured. There’s no doughnut war,” he said. “The fact that there’s a doughnut shop across the street or a block away or two blocks away, there always is…There’s generally enough business for everyone.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said many people might initially find out about Randy’s because of its giant doughnut sign, which was prominently featured in the \u003cem>Iron Man 2\u003c/em> movie and other media, but they come back for the brand’s sweet treats. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093543\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-10_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093543\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-10_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-10_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-10_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Stan’s Donuts employee forms doughnuts in the front window of the shop during a busy Friday morning in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12093471\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093471\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-1-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-1-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260731-RANDYSDONUTS-JG-1-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rowena Chu and her son Zachary Bacher eat glazed doughnuts at the counter of crowded Stan’s Donuts in Santa Clara on July 31, 2026. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our doughnuts are unique, and we think they’re the best in the world,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some customers on Friday said there is room in their hearts for doughnuts from both operations, and were celebrating the increasing number of purveyors in town. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just doughnuts,” Crystal Camarena, of Sunnyvale, said. “Be happy, eat doughnuts, all the doughnuts.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "too-old-for-silicon-valley-think-again-ai-is-changing-the-math",
"title": "Too Old for Silicon Valley? Think Again. AI Is Changing the Math",
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"headTitle": "Too Old for Silicon Valley? Think Again. AI Is Changing the Math | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Longtime tech worker Ben Kovitz grew up far from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/siliconvalley\">Silicon Valley\u003c/a> — in Appleton, Wisconsin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If fewer than 26 inches of snow fell in a night, they wouldn’t close school, because they had the plows to clear those streets by morning,” Kovitz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jobs pulled him to sunny California first in the 1980s, where he spent about 15 years in tech. His first full-time programming job was at a small company in Encino called Information Management Systems, where he learned, as he puts it, “most of what I know.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps his most prestigious gig was at Palm, Inc., the consumer electronics and software pioneer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The perks weren’t as lavish as at Google during the “glory days” of Silicon Valley employment, but there was a ping pong table, and the cafeteria was “fantastic,” which meant a lot to the young foodie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He eventually pivoted to academia, feeling he could be “paid to indulge my curiosity and teach, which are two things that I would do all the time if I could,” pursued a Ph.D. in cognitive science and computer science at Indiana University, and became a\u003ca href=\"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/3045066\"> computer science professor\u003c/a> at Cal Poly Humboldt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088445\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088445\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00297_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00297_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00297_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00297_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ben Kovitz poses for a portrait at his place of work at Impulse Labs in San Francisco on June 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ / KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But when Kovitz decided last year to return to full-time work in Silicon Valley, he discovered a labor market \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084655/after-meta-layoffs-newsom-signs-ai-order-to-protect-workers-and-jobs\">dramatically reshaped\u003c/a> by artificial intelligence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’d reinvented himself before. The question was whether the industry would let him do it again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It turns out, yes. For all of Silicon Valley’s recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11939910/a-layoff-spree-at-bay-area-tech-companies\">mass layoffs\u003c/a> and historic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201503250643/older-and-out-of-work-in-silicon-valley\">ageism\u003c/a>, experienced engineers like Kovitz who can confidently work with AI may have a better chance of riding tech’s next wave than the news headlines suggest. But to survive the brutal hiring gauntlet, they just might need to invest in help — both human and AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is the market leaning in favor of experience?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Overall, tech jobs are surging. Online employment marketplace ZipRecruiter, which tracks job postings in IT and computer science, reports they were up 16.7% year-over-year nationally in May.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that rosy picture looks different depending on your experience level. The share of senior-level job postings has risen to 43.1%, up from 38.8% a year ago. At the same time, the share of entry-level job postings has fallen slightly, from 8.1% to 7.4%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A key challenge within this job market is a distinct preference for senior or highly-skilled talent over entry-level hires,” ZipRecruiter labor economist Nicole Bachaud wrote to KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10987745\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10987745 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/06/gettyimages-186125057-e35bb49a8d56f4c7fe56263444f7b0703ecaede7-e1465833964313.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">LinkedIn logos are displayed on laptop computers \u003ccite>(Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg-Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That’s not great news for newly minted college graduates, but it is a hopeful sign for Kovitz and others with decades of experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, more than a quarter of employers now ask for AI skills. That’s nearly double the share a year ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This surge is primarily fueled by businesses expanding their AI integrations, products, and services, creating high demand for workers to implement and deploy these new tools,” Bachaud wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fastest-growing roles in software engineering aren’t traditional coding jobs, according to Kory Kantenga, head of economics for the Americas at LinkedIn. They’re positions like “forward-deployed engineer,” a title \u003ca href=\"https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/forward-deployed-engineers\">pioneered\u003c/a> by companies like Palantir to describe engineers who embed directly with clients to install, customize and troubleshoot AI tools on-site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LinkedIn has seen an 18-fold increase in such roles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those are the roles that we see have a lot of momentum,” Kantenga said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How Ben Did It\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While shy about sharing his exact age, Kovitz will say he’s old enough “to have watched\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/history/apollo-16-launches-to-the-moon/\"> moon shots\u003c/a> on television” as a boy in the early 1970s, and to have programmed computers with \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG2M4ttzBnY\">punch cards\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s also old enough to know the Silicon Valley job market is vastly different from the one he learned to navigate at the start of his career. Today, AI defines not only the jobs, but the job search as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Applicants use AI to fire off applications while employers use AI to screen them. The impacts are especially acute in Silicon Valley, where the internet has turned many job openings into a worldwide competition with thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085049/even-some-tech-workers-cant-afford-to-stay-when-the-bay-is-this-expensive\">well-qualified applicants\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11985952\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11985952 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24134775174210-scaled-e1770337042768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Michael Dwyer/Associated Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I watched a friend struggle for a year after he finished his master’s degree,” he said, “and filling out applications every single day, hours a day. It took him a year to get a job.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kovitz decided he needed to pay for professional help to reduce the strength and duration of the struggle ahead of him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Reducing that by a few months and also reducing the sheer pain of it, that is easily worth it,” Kovitz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He signed up with two companies that offer job search support:\u003ca href=\"https://www.applypass.com\"> ApplyPass\u003c/a> and Resume Wizard 101, which has recently rebranded to \u003ca href=\"https://careerlander.com\">Career Lander\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Resume Wizard assigned Kovitz a “reverse recruiter” who sent him new prospects daily, including many that Kovitz might never have considered on his own. The recruiter then filled out about 100 applications a month on his behalf.[aside postID=news_12089434 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CAT-%E2%80%94-The-Bay-Feed-Drop.img_.png']ApplyPass used an AI agent to fire off applications at industrial volume — 400 a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given the volume of “cold applications” coming at employers, it’s essential job seekers — or agents acting on their behalf — reach out to the relevant person at the company who has some influence over the hiring process, according to Neil Bhatt, Career Lander’s founder and CEO. “The conversion rate (from application to interview) skyrockets when you actually do some sort of networking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kovitz said Resume Wizard 101’s human touch led to a higher rate of employer responses. But ApplyPass isn’t solely automated. The company provided a coach to help navigate “some of the weird things they do in software engineering interviews today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After every interview, Kovitz shared how he responded to certain questions, and the ApplyPass coach suggested alternative approaches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We talked about what went right and what went badly,” Kovitz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These services aren’t cheap. ApplyPass’s auto-apply plans range from free to about $199 a month, while Resume Wizard 101’s human-run packages range from roughly $300 for a single résumé revision to $10,000 for full ‘career search management.’\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088446\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088446\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00353_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00353_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00353_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00353_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ben Kovitz poses for a portrait at his place of work at Impulse Labs in San Francisco on June 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ / KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But senior software engineers in San Francisco earn a median total compensation north of $270,000 a year, according to Glassdoor, so Kovitz figured the math was likely to pencil out for him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was also surprised to find some prospective employers that want proof a software engineer can work with AI. “Go at it with AI,” he was instructed in one memorable interview. “Just throw everything you’ve got at it. Let’s see how you do it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was new to Kovitz, but he dove in with gusto. “I blasted out 2,000 lines of code and solved the problem,” Kovitz said. “But I also saw that the solution wasn’t that great.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kovitz said he thinks getting useful work out of an AI coding agent takes judgment that only comes with experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a senior engineer, Kovitz argued, he was able to look at those 2,000 machine-generated lines of code, recognize their shortcomings, and then know what to do about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of what you do with AI is you work out a plan, a little conversation with the AI, because if you just tell the AI ‘Do this thing,’ with no plan, it is going to make a gigantic mess, and you are going to spend a week debugging it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Effective prompts require understanding the code and what the company wants from it at a granular level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You need to know how all kinds of things can go wrong. Junior programmers don’t have that. They haven’t seen the development of code over a long period of time,” Kovitz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really a game of marketing at the end of the day,” said Bhatt at Career Lander. He said any employer is going to choose the person who can best explain how they use their experience to help this company. “The better job you’re doing at articulating how you can solve their problems, the easier it becomes to land that position.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a survey of 400 engineering leaders in the \u003ca href=\"https://karat.com/engineering-interview-trends-2026/\">U.S., India and China\u003c/a> by Karat, a company that runs technical interviews for hire, 73% said a strong engineer is worth at least three times their total compensation, something they specifically attributed to AI’s impact on productivity. The same survey found that AI is widening the gap between strong and weaker engineers.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>So where did Ben land?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Kovitz landed a job after a six-month hunt — slightly less than average for the information sector, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat32.htm\">Bureau of Labor Statistics\u003c/a>, which tracks tech workers as part of that larger group. After submitting what he estimates was around 3,000 job applications, Kovitz got a software engineering job at\u003ca href=\"https://www.impulselabs.com/the-difference?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23532288434&gbraid=0AAAAA9ieg0kwGUYoidiYsGrH1-yL_JMGl&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlqTRBhCBARIsANrkrxht1bbHUuOgRW2K2gBHBaZH3ZkB4H3XN_j9DNhIQ9zIVy-CdAhvtWEaAjBKEALw_wcB\"> Impulse Labs\u003c/a>, a San Francisco company that makes \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/impulse-cooktop-review/\">high-end induction stoves\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s happy with the job and turned other offers down to take it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their engineering culture makes quality paramount even as they move fast,” Kovitz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, as a foodie, Kovitz loves sitting with a stovetop next to his desk for hands-on testing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088888\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12088888 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-Too-Old-for-a-New-Job-in-Silicon-Valley-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-Too-Old-for-a-New-Job-in-Silicon-Valley-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-Too-Old-for-a-New-Job-in-Silicon-Valley-01-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-Too-Old-for-a-New-Job-in-Silicon-Valley-01-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An induction stovetop in the kitchen at San Francisco-based Impulse Labs. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Ben Kovitz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Does he work with AI on the new job?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yes. Most of the day, every day,” he said, for a wide variety of things that would otherwise take him much longer. They range from finding the relevant parts of a large program to work on, to writing small bits of code in a language he doesn’t know well, to reviewing code for errors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“AI is both amazing when it works well, and amazingly unreliable, so I have to keep a close eye on it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s glad the job hunt is finally in his rearview mirror, but Kovitz is philosophical about the effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While it was grueling, it was also a great adventure,” he said. “I learned all kinds of stuff about industries that I’d never known anything about before.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he applied for a job with a robotaxi company, he taught himself the basics of motion planning, the math behind how a self-driving car navigates. For another set of interviews, he picked up some basics about satellites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kovitz’s facility with math and science, not to mention his natural curiosity and enthusiasm for intellectual challenges, gave him the kind of career flexibility only the most elite coders have enjoyed in recent decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090182\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090182\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260619-benkovitz00441_TV_qed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260619-benkovitz00441_TV_qed-2.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260619-benkovitz00441_TV_qed-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260619-benkovitz00441_TV_qed-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ben Kovitz poses for a portrait at his place of work at Impulse Labs in San Francisco on June 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ / KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But he also maintained a positive attitude by consciously framing the search as a good thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was an exciting learning experience,” Kovitz said. “It was part of life’s adventure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His advice for others still looking?\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>Get help if you can afford it.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Treat the search like an eight-hour job and knock off afterward, so the rejection doesn’t grind you down: “You need to protect your morale.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Don’t go into job interviews with an attitude of desperation. “I’m not there to get the job,” Kovitz said. “I’m there to find out if I want the job.” He added, “It’s wise to be fussy,” and hold out for an employer “that has a culture that you like, where the work is meaningful to you.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Treat this as a numbers game: “You know, you are probably going to roll the dice 50 or 100, 150 times before you actually get a good [position].”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, as the saying goes: “There are plenty of perfectly good jobs out there for lots of people.”\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdk3i2DjzVyovGlneUjqudUOXk1699l6Ea-xE4ZgFEi2ApRIQ/viewform?usp=dialog\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Now that AI can do a lot of the work of junior programmers, Silicon Valley employers want engineers who can confidently direct it. For one experienced engineer, that shift was an opening.\r\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Longtime tech worker Ben Kovitz grew up far from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/siliconvalley\">Silicon Valley\u003c/a> — in Appleton, Wisconsin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If fewer than 26 inches of snow fell in a night, they wouldn’t close school, because they had the plows to clear those streets by morning,” Kovitz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jobs pulled him to sunny California first in the 1980s, where he spent about 15 years in tech. His first full-time programming job was at a small company in Encino called Information Management Systems, where he learned, as he puts it, “most of what I know.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps his most prestigious gig was at Palm, Inc., the consumer electronics and software pioneer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The perks weren’t as lavish as at Google during the “glory days” of Silicon Valley employment, but there was a ping pong table, and the cafeteria was “fantastic,” which meant a lot to the young foodie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He eventually pivoted to academia, feeling he could be “paid to indulge my curiosity and teach, which are two things that I would do all the time if I could,” pursued a Ph.D. in cognitive science and computer science at Indiana University, and became a\u003ca href=\"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/3045066\"> computer science professor\u003c/a> at Cal Poly Humboldt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088445\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088445\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00297_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00297_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00297_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00297_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ben Kovitz poses for a portrait at his place of work at Impulse Labs in San Francisco on June 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ / KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But when Kovitz decided last year to return to full-time work in Silicon Valley, he discovered a labor market \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084655/after-meta-layoffs-newsom-signs-ai-order-to-protect-workers-and-jobs\">dramatically reshaped\u003c/a> by artificial intelligence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’d reinvented himself before. The question was whether the industry would let him do it again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It turns out, yes. For all of Silicon Valley’s recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11939910/a-layoff-spree-at-bay-area-tech-companies\">mass layoffs\u003c/a> and historic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201503250643/older-and-out-of-work-in-silicon-valley\">ageism\u003c/a>, experienced engineers like Kovitz who can confidently work with AI may have a better chance of riding tech’s next wave than the news headlines suggest. But to survive the brutal hiring gauntlet, they just might need to invest in help — both human and AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is the market leaning in favor of experience?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Overall, tech jobs are surging. Online employment marketplace ZipRecruiter, which tracks job postings in IT and computer science, reports they were up 16.7% year-over-year nationally in May.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that rosy picture looks different depending on your experience level. The share of senior-level job postings has risen to 43.1%, up from 38.8% a year ago. At the same time, the share of entry-level job postings has fallen slightly, from 8.1% to 7.4%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A key challenge within this job market is a distinct preference for senior or highly-skilled talent over entry-level hires,” ZipRecruiter labor economist Nicole Bachaud wrote to KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10987745\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10987745 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/06/gettyimages-186125057-e35bb49a8d56f4c7fe56263444f7b0703ecaede7-e1465833964313.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">LinkedIn logos are displayed on laptop computers \u003ccite>(Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg-Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That’s not great news for newly minted college graduates, but it is a hopeful sign for Kovitz and others with decades of experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, more than a quarter of employers now ask for AI skills. That’s nearly double the share a year ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This surge is primarily fueled by businesses expanding their AI integrations, products, and services, creating high demand for workers to implement and deploy these new tools,” Bachaud wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fastest-growing roles in software engineering aren’t traditional coding jobs, according to Kory Kantenga, head of economics for the Americas at LinkedIn. They’re positions like “forward-deployed engineer,” a title \u003ca href=\"https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/forward-deployed-engineers\">pioneered\u003c/a> by companies like Palantir to describe engineers who embed directly with clients to install, customize and troubleshoot AI tools on-site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LinkedIn has seen an 18-fold increase in such roles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those are the roles that we see have a lot of momentum,” Kantenga said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How Ben Did It\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While shy about sharing his exact age, Kovitz will say he’s old enough “to have watched\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/history/apollo-16-launches-to-the-moon/\"> moon shots\u003c/a> on television” as a boy in the early 1970s, and to have programmed computers with \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG2M4ttzBnY\">punch cards\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s also old enough to know the Silicon Valley job market is vastly different from the one he learned to navigate at the start of his career. Today, AI defines not only the jobs, but the job search as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Applicants use AI to fire off applications while employers use AI to screen them. The impacts are especially acute in Silicon Valley, where the internet has turned many job openings into a worldwide competition with thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085049/even-some-tech-workers-cant-afford-to-stay-when-the-bay-is-this-expensive\">well-qualified applicants\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11985952\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11985952 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24134775174210-scaled-e1770337042768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Michael Dwyer/Associated Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I watched a friend struggle for a year after he finished his master’s degree,” he said, “and filling out applications every single day, hours a day. It took him a year to get a job.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kovitz decided he needed to pay for professional help to reduce the strength and duration of the struggle ahead of him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Reducing that by a few months and also reducing the sheer pain of it, that is easily worth it,” Kovitz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He signed up with two companies that offer job search support:\u003ca href=\"https://www.applypass.com\"> ApplyPass\u003c/a> and Resume Wizard 101, which has recently rebranded to \u003ca href=\"https://careerlander.com\">Career Lander\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Resume Wizard assigned Kovitz a “reverse recruiter” who sent him new prospects daily, including many that Kovitz might never have considered on his own. The recruiter then filled out about 100 applications a month on his behalf.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>ApplyPass used an AI agent to fire off applications at industrial volume — 400 a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given the volume of “cold applications” coming at employers, it’s essential job seekers — or agents acting on their behalf — reach out to the relevant person at the company who has some influence over the hiring process, according to Neil Bhatt, Career Lander’s founder and CEO. “The conversion rate (from application to interview) skyrockets when you actually do some sort of networking.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kovitz said Resume Wizard 101’s human touch led to a higher rate of employer responses. But ApplyPass isn’t solely automated. The company provided a coach to help navigate “some of the weird things they do in software engineering interviews today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After every interview, Kovitz shared how he responded to certain questions, and the ApplyPass coach suggested alternative approaches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We talked about what went right and what went badly,” Kovitz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These services aren’t cheap. ApplyPass’s auto-apply plans range from free to about $199 a month, while Resume Wizard 101’s human-run packages range from roughly $300 for a single résumé revision to $10,000 for full ‘career search management.’\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088446\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12088446\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00353_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00353_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00353_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260619-benkovitz00353_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ben Kovitz poses for a portrait at his place of work at Impulse Labs in San Francisco on June 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ / KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But senior software engineers in San Francisco earn a median total compensation north of $270,000 a year, according to Glassdoor, so Kovitz figured the math was likely to pencil out for him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was also surprised to find some prospective employers that want proof a software engineer can work with AI. “Go at it with AI,” he was instructed in one memorable interview. “Just throw everything you’ve got at it. Let’s see how you do it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was new to Kovitz, but he dove in with gusto. “I blasted out 2,000 lines of code and solved the problem,” Kovitz said. “But I also saw that the solution wasn’t that great.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kovitz said he thinks getting useful work out of an AI coding agent takes judgment that only comes with experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a senior engineer, Kovitz argued, he was able to look at those 2,000 machine-generated lines of code, recognize their shortcomings, and then know what to do about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of what you do with AI is you work out a plan, a little conversation with the AI, because if you just tell the AI ‘Do this thing,’ with no plan, it is going to make a gigantic mess, and you are going to spend a week debugging it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Effective prompts require understanding the code and what the company wants from it at a granular level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You need to know how all kinds of things can go wrong. Junior programmers don’t have that. They haven’t seen the development of code over a long period of time,” Kovitz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really a game of marketing at the end of the day,” said Bhatt at Career Lander. He said any employer is going to choose the person who can best explain how they use their experience to help this company. “The better job you’re doing at articulating how you can solve their problems, the easier it becomes to land that position.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a survey of 400 engineering leaders in the \u003ca href=\"https://karat.com/engineering-interview-trends-2026/\">U.S., India and China\u003c/a> by Karat, a company that runs technical interviews for hire, 73% said a strong engineer is worth at least three times their total compensation, something they specifically attributed to AI’s impact on productivity. The same survey found that AI is widening the gap between strong and weaker engineers.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>So where did Ben land?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Kovitz landed a job after a six-month hunt — slightly less than average for the information sector, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat32.htm\">Bureau of Labor Statistics\u003c/a>, which tracks tech workers as part of that larger group. After submitting what he estimates was around 3,000 job applications, Kovitz got a software engineering job at\u003ca href=\"https://www.impulselabs.com/the-difference?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23532288434&gbraid=0AAAAA9ieg0kwGUYoidiYsGrH1-yL_JMGl&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlqTRBhCBARIsANrkrxht1bbHUuOgRW2K2gBHBaZH3ZkB4H3XN_j9DNhIQ9zIVy-CdAhvtWEaAjBKEALw_wcB\"> Impulse Labs\u003c/a>, a San Francisco company that makes \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/impulse-cooktop-review/\">high-end induction stoves\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s happy with the job and turned other offers down to take it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their engineering culture makes quality paramount even as they move fast,” Kovitz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, as a foodie, Kovitz loves sitting with a stovetop next to his desk for hands-on testing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12088888\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12088888 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-Too-Old-for-a-New-Job-in-Silicon-Valley-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-Too-Old-for-a-New-Job-in-Silicon-Valley-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-Too-Old-for-a-New-Job-in-Silicon-Valley-01-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260625-Too-Old-for-a-New-Job-in-Silicon-Valley-01-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An induction stovetop in the kitchen at San Francisco-based Impulse Labs. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Ben Kovitz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Does he work with AI on the new job?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yes. Most of the day, every day,” he said, for a wide variety of things that would otherwise take him much longer. They range from finding the relevant parts of a large program to work on, to writing small bits of code in a language he doesn’t know well, to reviewing code for errors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“AI is both amazing when it works well, and amazingly unreliable, so I have to keep a close eye on it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s glad the job hunt is finally in his rearview mirror, but Kovitz is philosophical about the effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While it was grueling, it was also a great adventure,” he said. “I learned all kinds of stuff about industries that I’d never known anything about before.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he applied for a job with a robotaxi company, he taught himself the basics of motion planning, the math behind how a self-driving car navigates. For another set of interviews, he picked up some basics about satellites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kovitz’s facility with math and science, not to mention his natural curiosity and enthusiasm for intellectual challenges, gave him the kind of career flexibility only the most elite coders have enjoyed in recent decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090182\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090182\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260619-benkovitz00441_TV_qed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260619-benkovitz00441_TV_qed-2.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260619-benkovitz00441_TV_qed-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260619-benkovitz00441_TV_qed-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ben Kovitz poses for a portrait at his place of work at Impulse Labs in San Francisco on June 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ / KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But he also maintained a positive attitude by consciously framing the search as a good thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was an exciting learning experience,” Kovitz said. “It was part of life’s adventure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His advice for others still looking?\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>Get help if you can afford it.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Treat the search like an eight-hour job and knock off afterward, so the rejection doesn’t grind you down: “You need to protect your morale.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Don’t go into job interviews with an attitude of desperation. “I’m not there to get the job,” Kovitz said. “I’m there to find out if I want the job.” He added, “It’s wise to be fussy,” and hold out for an employer “that has a culture that you like, where the work is meaningful to you.”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Treat this as a numbers game: “You know, you are probably going to roll the dice 50 or 100, 150 times before you actually get a good [position].”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, as the saying goes: “There are plenty of perfectly good jobs out there for lots of people.”\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdk3i2DjzVyovGlneUjqudUOXk1699l6Ea-xE4ZgFEi2ApRIQ/viewform?usp=dialog?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdk3i2DjzVyovGlneUjqudUOXk1699l6Ea-xE4ZgFEi2ApRIQ/viewform?usp=dialog'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "remember-your-moms-tanda-young-latinos-are-giving-it-a-tech-savvy-twist-2",
"title": "Remember Your Mom’s ‘Tanda’? Young Latinos Are Giving It a Tech-Savvy Twist",
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"headTitle": "Remember Your Mom’s ‘Tanda’? Young Latinos Are Giving It a Tech-Savvy Twist | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the span of four months, Juan Carrillo’s life got flipped around. He lost two family members in January: a brother and a nephew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of his grief, the 49-year-old Fresno resident and his family were staring down funeral bills, each costing more than $10,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everything has done a complete 360-degree turn; you just don’t see it coming, and you don’t even know where else to find the money to make your regular payments,” Carrillo said in Spanish. “In one way or another, we had to help our families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a result of the unexpected expenses, he fell behind on rent and utility payments, even though he was working three jobs — as a DJ, an Uber driver and as a construction worker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Carrillo got a boon at just the right time: in January, he received $900 in his bank account, which helped his family cover some of the funeral expenses. That was thanks to his tanda, a community-based lending circle, in which members contribute small amounts of money regularly — in his case, $150 each month — and take turns receiving a lump-sum payout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s how we help each other,” Carrillo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090543\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090543\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo stands for a portrait at his home in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to contribute to funeral expenses for two of his family members because of it. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A tanda is a centuries-old financial system widely used across Latin America that functions as a community-based savings-and-lending circle. The system relies on trust among its members — usually small groups of six to 10 — and has historically operated in cash, similar to an interest-free savings plan or an informal loan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, however, tandas are becoming more modernized, with apps and other tech tools drawing in younger generations of Latinos. And as California’s cost of living continues to increase, more people are turning to tandas as a way to get out of a tight spot, to save money and build credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is very expensive to live in these areas,” said Mariel Hernandez, a spokesperson for Bay Area nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.missionassetfund.org/\">Mission Asset Fund\u003c/a>. “California’s affordability crisis has made predatory lending more dangerous and more tempting at the same time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her organization partnered with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.elfus.org/\">Education and Leadership Foundation\u003c/a>, based in Fresno, more than three years ago to expand access to these traditional lending circles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090555\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090555\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo displays his delivery driver badge in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to buy new tires for his car with a loan from the tanda. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both nonprofits use the model as a way to help communities build savings and access small, no-interest loans through structured, community-based programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda, a professor of Chicano studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the origins of tandas go back centuries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not new,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said. “There’s multi-thousand-year-old roots of communal labor in Mexico, there’s 1,000-year-old roots in Asia of communal work and communal savings and lending.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hinojosa-Ojeda said tandas made their way to California in the 19th century, when immigrants from China and Mexico brought the collective savings practices to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090556\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A new tire on delivery driver Juan Carrillo’s car in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to buy new tires for his car with a loan from the tanda. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Traditionally, participants knew each other; they were family members, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Trust is essential within the tanda because a person is less likely to take the money and never return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the systems operated by the Education and Leadership Foundation and Mission Asset Fund, participants are strangers, and they no longer operate with cash. Instead, they use an app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the organizations are able to guarantee funding if a person drops out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The concept is very similar,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said. “People join, and then they agree to deposit money into a fund that’s controlled by a trusted body.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090546\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090546\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Community Engagement Coordinator Carmen Cardenas shows the “MyMAF” portal on her phone at the Education and Leadership Foundation office in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. MyMAF is a model by Mission Asset Fund that helps community members build their savings, credit, and access small loans. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hernandez said community members turn to tandas for any number of reasons, including household emergencies or securing a down payment for a home or for rent. She uses tandas herself and said she’s received $1,200 that helped cover the tuition costs of her master’s degree, as well as her Bay Area apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It can be for buying back-to-school supplies, sending money to family abroad, sometimes it’s even covering quinceañeras,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When 24-year-old David Medina was feeling the pressure of the holiday season late last year, he realized he didn’t have enough money to buy gifts for his family.[aside postID=news_12084761 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_1522.jpg']“And then I remembered, ‘Wait, I’m about to get my money from the tanda.’ That money can go straight into my Christmas shopping,” Medina said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had been paying $100 a month and received $1,000 just before the holidays. The timing helped turn a stressful situation into a manageable one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That money that I didn’t know I had put aside, I had it, and it worked perfectly,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the extra cash, Medina was able to buy gifts: toys, new clothes, household items, and food. It helped his family enjoy a more comfortable Christmas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carmen Cardenas, the community engagement coordinator for Education and Leadership Foundation, joined a tanda to celebrate her 24th birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I received the loan, I wasn’t wanting to go into credit card debt for my birthday celebration, so I saved the money that I got from the lending circle to put it towards that,” Cardenas said. “I was able to use that money and then keep paying it back as the lending circle went on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She makes it a priority to participate in tandas whenever the opportunity arises, viewing them as an important way to manage her finances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090547\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090547\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Community Engagement Coordinator Carmen Cardenas stands for a portrait at the Education and Leadership Foundation (ELF) office in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Cardenas assists ELF community members with signing up for tandas, also known as lending circles, and has made use of them for her own expenses. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Through the Mission Asset Fund app — which is now available through partnerships in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York and Washington — Cardenas is instantly alerted whenever a scheduled payment is processed, allowing her to track when money has been automatically withdrawn from her bank account.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Medina has grown to love tandas — not just because he can save money along the way, but also because he’s actively building and strengthening his credit score through the Mission Asset Fund’s app, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“After college, I didn’t really build my credit,” Medina said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After receiving his last payout, he signed up for another tanda and is set to collect $750 later this year — again with the ability to track and access his payments instantly from his devices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090548\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090548\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo prays at an altar honoring his brother and nephew in his home in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo was able to contribute to funeral expenses for his brother and nephew after joining a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The ability to build credit scores also interested Carrillo, not for himself, but for his 18- and 20-year-old sons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In this country, you move forward with credit; without credit, you don’t,” Carrillo said. “Everything relies on credit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’d be tempting to lean on credit to keep up with California’s rising costs, but Carrillo said the tandas have helped him manage it. And, when tragedy struck, the tanda was there with quick cash and zero debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thank God because it arrived at a time [of need],” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the span of four months, Juan Carrillo’s life got flipped around. He lost two family members in January: a brother and a nephew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of his grief, the 49-year-old Fresno resident and his family were staring down funeral bills, each costing more than $10,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everything has done a complete 360-degree turn; you just don’t see it coming, and you don’t even know where else to find the money to make your regular payments,” Carrillo said in Spanish. “In one way or another, we had to help our families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a result of the unexpected expenses, he fell behind on rent and utility payments, even though he was working three jobs — as a DJ, an Uber driver and as a construction worker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Carrillo got a boon at just the right time: in January, he received $900 in his bank account, which helped his family cover some of the funeral expenses. That was thanks to his tanda, a community-based lending circle, in which members contribute small amounts of money regularly — in his case, $150 each month — and take turns receiving a lump-sum payout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s how we help each other,” Carrillo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090543\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090543\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo stands for a portrait at his home in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to contribute to funeral expenses for two of his family members because of it. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A tanda is a centuries-old financial system widely used across Latin America that functions as a community-based savings-and-lending circle. The system relies on trust among its members — usually small groups of six to 10 — and has historically operated in cash, similar to an interest-free savings plan or an informal loan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, however, tandas are becoming more modernized, with apps and other tech tools drawing in younger generations of Latinos. And as California’s cost of living continues to increase, more people are turning to tandas as a way to get out of a tight spot, to save money and build credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is very expensive to live in these areas,” said Mariel Hernandez, a spokesperson for Bay Area nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.missionassetfund.org/\">Mission Asset Fund\u003c/a>. “California’s affordability crisis has made predatory lending more dangerous and more tempting at the same time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her organization partnered with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.elfus.org/\">Education and Leadership Foundation\u003c/a>, based in Fresno, more than three years ago to expand access to these traditional lending circles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090555\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090555\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo displays his delivery driver badge in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to buy new tires for his car with a loan from the tanda. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both nonprofits use the model as a way to help communities build savings and access small, no-interest loans through structured, community-based programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda, a professor of Chicano studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the origins of tandas go back centuries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not new,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said. “There’s multi-thousand-year-old roots of communal labor in Mexico, there’s 1,000-year-old roots in Asia of communal work and communal savings and lending.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hinojosa-Ojeda said tandas made their way to California in the 19th century, when immigrants from China and Mexico brought the collective savings practices to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090556\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A new tire on delivery driver Juan Carrillo’s car in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to buy new tires for his car with a loan from the tanda. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Traditionally, participants knew each other; they were family members, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Trust is essential within the tanda because a person is less likely to take the money and never return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the systems operated by the Education and Leadership Foundation and Mission Asset Fund, participants are strangers, and they no longer operate with cash. Instead, they use an app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the organizations are able to guarantee funding if a person drops out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The concept is very similar,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said. “People join, and then they agree to deposit money into a fund that’s controlled by a trusted body.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090546\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090546\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Community Engagement Coordinator Carmen Cardenas shows the “MyMAF” portal on her phone at the Education and Leadership Foundation office in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. MyMAF is a model by Mission Asset Fund that helps community members build their savings, credit, and access small loans. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hernandez said community members turn to tandas for any number of reasons, including household emergencies or securing a down payment for a home or for rent. She uses tandas herself and said she’s received $1,200 that helped cover the tuition costs of her master’s degree, as well as her Bay Area apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It can be for buying back-to-school supplies, sending money to family abroad, sometimes it’s even covering quinceañeras,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When 24-year-old David Medina was feeling the pressure of the holiday season late last year, he realized he didn’t have enough money to buy gifts for his family.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“And then I remembered, ‘Wait, I’m about to get my money from the tanda.’ That money can go straight into my Christmas shopping,” Medina said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had been paying $100 a month and received $1,000 just before the holidays. The timing helped turn a stressful situation into a manageable one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That money that I didn’t know I had put aside, I had it, and it worked perfectly,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the extra cash, Medina was able to buy gifts: toys, new clothes, household items, and food. It helped his family enjoy a more comfortable Christmas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carmen Cardenas, the community engagement coordinator for Education and Leadership Foundation, joined a tanda to celebrate her 24th birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I received the loan, I wasn’t wanting to go into credit card debt for my birthday celebration, so I saved the money that I got from the lending circle to put it towards that,” Cardenas said. “I was able to use that money and then keep paying it back as the lending circle went on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She makes it a priority to participate in tandas whenever the opportunity arises, viewing them as an important way to manage her finances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090547\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090547\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Community Engagement Coordinator Carmen Cardenas stands for a portrait at the Education and Leadership Foundation (ELF) office in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Cardenas assists ELF community members with signing up for tandas, also known as lending circles, and has made use of them for her own expenses. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Through the Mission Asset Fund app — which is now available through partnerships in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York and Washington — Cardenas is instantly alerted whenever a scheduled payment is processed, allowing her to track when money has been automatically withdrawn from her bank account.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Medina has grown to love tandas — not just because he can save money along the way, but also because he’s actively building and strengthening his credit score through the Mission Asset Fund’s app, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“After college, I didn’t really build my credit,” Medina said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After receiving his last payout, he signed up for another tanda and is set to collect $750 later this year — again with the ability to track and access his payments instantly from his devices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090548\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090548\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo prays at an altar honoring his brother and nephew in his home in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo was able to contribute to funeral expenses for his brother and nephew after joining a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The ability to build credit scores also interested Carrillo, not for himself, but for his 18- and 20-year-old sons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In this country, you move forward with credit; without credit, you don’t,” Carrillo said. “Everything relies on credit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’d be tempting to lean on credit to keep up with California’s rising costs, but Carrillo said the tandas have helped him manage it. And, when tragedy struck, the tanda was there with quick cash and zero debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thank God because it arrived at a time [of need],” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"headTitle": "Newsom Promised to Help Californians Build New Careers. Now, the Money Is Running Out | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing in a West Sacramento \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l0Rs93LKuI\">high school cafeteria\u003c/a> in 2023, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> promised fundamental reforms to the state’s job training programs. A few months later, he was in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpMC6yHOV_4\">a fire truck in Modesto\u003c/a>, and later, in\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG5InB3qU9Q&t=3628s\"> a welding classroom\u003c/a> in Redding, making the same promise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a “\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/04/career-education/\">point of pride\u003c/a>,” Newsom said last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, a handful of those reforms are underway. A new inter-agency council, designed to increase collaboration among workforce providers, is meeting next week. The state is also developing a new kind of \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/06/17/californias-career-passport-to-connect-qualified-workers-to-employment-with-or-without-a-four-year-degree/\">digital resume\u003c/a> that would help students and workers consolidate information about their work experience and education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as the state faces yet another budget deficit, a flagship workforce program could be forced to scale back. One of the state’s leading agencies for coordinating workforce training, the California Workforce Development Board, could lose 20% of its staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the governor’s budget proposal for 2026-27 fiscal year, several workforce programs, including the governor’s \u003ca href=\"https://cwdb.ca.gov/cwdb-home/our-programs/high-road-programs/high-road-training-partnerships/\">“high road training partnerships\u003c/a>,” would receive little or no new funding, meaning that they could shut down by the time the next governor assumes office or soon thereafter. The Legislature has already passed a budget that largely accepts Newsom’s proposals, and the governor has until the end of the month to approve it. Some job training organizations criticized the governor’s proposal to withhold new funding this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At a time when affordability is such a massive concern, it feels like we’re focusing on what things cost and not enough on what people can earn,” said Julia Hatton, the president of the Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, told CalMatters. Her organization trains workers for jobs in construction and climate-related careers and has received nearly $4 million in state workforce grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087658\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087658\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom (left) looks on during an election night gathering at the California Democrats headquarters on Nov. 4, 2025, in Sacramento, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, in a legislative hearing in April, Allison Hewitt, a budget analyst with California’s Department of Finance said the state is still committed to workforce development and that the board’s budget isn’t being cut, just that it isn’t receiving new funding. The workforce development board received a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/279461#t=2476&f=c90f5001889cb947a92f8d013b87727d\">“surge”\u003c/a> of grants over the past few years, and those dollars have been spent so less funding is available this year, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That did not sit well with at least one legislator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, you can say that all you want,” said \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/maria-elena-durazo-165445\">Sen. María Elena Durazo\u003c/a>, a Los Angeles Democrat, in response. “But if we’re not proposing funding for that … then you’re basically saying this is gonna be the new policy. The bottom line is without funding, it’s not a reality.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement to CalMatters, Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for the governor, said Newsom’s workforce plan focuses on “structural changes to benefit students, which does not always require funding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for California’s Department of Finance, responded in the same email, saying that the current budget proposes over $250 million in new workforce funds, including in healthcare and construction. By comparison, the state put over $2.2 billion into new workforce grants in the 2022-23 budget year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Have workforce programs succeeded?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For decades, states and the federal government have pumped money into job training programs, especially for low-income workers without college degrees, but the results \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/resource-library/providing-public-workforce-services-job-seekers-30-month-impact-findings-wia-adult\">are often poor\u003c/a>. Graduates end up earning minimum-wage or landing in jobs \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2024/08/for-profit-schools-california-jobs/\">with low retention\u003c/a>, where many workers quit within the first year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To improve outcomes, California created the high road training partnerships to target job training programs that yield long-lasting, living-wage employment where the employer, not just the government, has a stake in the worker’s professional growth. Starting around 2014, the state put a small amount of money into these programs, said Stewart Knox, the secretary of California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12055465\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12055465\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-31-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-31-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-31-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-31-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, on May 8, 2025, which processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel, and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2021 and 2022, the state made “massive investments in the workforce,” he said, pumping hundreds of millions into high-road programs all across the state, including in construction, healthcare, technology and in public sector jobs. The state sent money to current and former oil workers to help them retrain for careers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/10/refinery-workers-california/\">when refineries close\u003c/a>. It also sent money to youth apprenticeship programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Results have been\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2024/02/workforce-training/\"> mixed\u003c/a>. In the high-road program, some grants helped train hundreds or thousands of workers for union jobs while other grants created few concrete benefits for workers. One grant was supposed to train workers at the electric vehicle company Proterra, but the company closed before workers could begin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/rick-chavez-zbur-165429\">Rick Chavez Zbur\u003c/a>, a Los Angeles Democrat, is proposing \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2634\">a bill\u003c/a> to further restrict how the high-road money is used.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Out of the roughly 1,700 oil workers who could benefit from the state’s retraining grants, only about 500 participated as of May, according to a bill analysis. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2157\">That bill\u003c/a>, authored by San Rafael Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/damon-connolly-165425\">Damon Connolly,\u003c/a> a Democrat, would give grantees more time to spend the money.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A ‘master plan’ for career education\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2023, Newsom’s workforce plans culminated with \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/8.31.23-Career-Education-Executive-Order.pdf\">an executive order\u003c/a> calling for the creation of a master plan for career education that would create a “new foundation” for the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-CA-Master-Plan-for-Career-Education.pdf\">The plan\u003c/a>, released in 2025, called for better coordination among the state’s workforce providers, who \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/09/trade-schools-job-training-california/\">often compete for the same students.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The master plan also called for more high-road job training programs and highlighted ongoing work supporting youth apprentices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080557\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080557\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Caltrans worker adjusts construction cones as traffic comes to a slow on I-80 eastbound in San Francisco on Saturday, April 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We’re definitely not done. We’re kind of mid-stage,” said Knox. “What you’re seeing is a little less money, yes, in terms of programs, but that’s because we did such massive investments from 2021 on into the system (and) those outcomes now are what we’re focused on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Knox pointed to outcomes from the master plan, including the growth of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2025/05/middle-school-california/\">dual enrollment,\u003c/a> which allows high school students to take college classes. The state is also helping thousands more students get \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/02/college-credit-california/\">college credit for their prior work experience\u003c/a>, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Palmer, with the state’s Department of Finance, said in an email that the current proposal from the Legislature includes more funding both for dual enrollment and to help college students get credit for their work experience.[aside postID=news_12087559 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CaliforniaSealCM.jpg']Those funding allocations, however, come from a different pot of money, known as Proposition 98, which is largely restricted to education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Shirley Ware Education Center, a national job training nonprofit founded in Oakland, was among the earliest and largest recipients of the high-road training grants, which it used to help over 5,500 workers find better jobs, mostly in the healthcare industry. All told, the organization received more than $40 million in state workforce dollars starting in 2017.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the state was flush with cash, they put a lot of money into these programs,” said Rebecca Hanson, the executive director. Now, she said the state budget deficit makes it “hard to argue” for increased funding, especially when so many other core services are\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-budget-legislature-deal/\"> facing cuts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hanson’s high-road workforce grant ends in 2027, but even then, she said she isn’t too worried, since her organization has other funding and is used to these fluctuations in state support. “My hope is that by the time we’re talking about 2028, we’ll be able to find other money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/06/workforce-funding/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing in a West Sacramento \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l0Rs93LKuI\">high school cafeteria\u003c/a> in 2023, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> promised fundamental reforms to the state’s job training programs. A few months later, he was in front of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpMC6yHOV_4\">a fire truck in Modesto\u003c/a>, and later, in\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG5InB3qU9Q&t=3628s\"> a welding classroom\u003c/a> in Redding, making the same promise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a “\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/04/career-education/\">point of pride\u003c/a>,” Newsom said last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, a handful of those reforms are underway. A new inter-agency council, designed to increase collaboration among workforce providers, is meeting next week. The state is also developing a new kind of \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/06/17/californias-career-passport-to-connect-qualified-workers-to-employment-with-or-without-a-four-year-degree/\">digital resume\u003c/a> that would help students and workers consolidate information about their work experience and education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as the state faces yet another budget deficit, a flagship workforce program could be forced to scale back. One of the state’s leading agencies for coordinating workforce training, the California Workforce Development Board, could lose 20% of its staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the governor’s budget proposal for 2026-27 fiscal year, several workforce programs, including the governor’s \u003ca href=\"https://cwdb.ca.gov/cwdb-home/our-programs/high-road-programs/high-road-training-partnerships/\">“high road training partnerships\u003c/a>,” would receive little or no new funding, meaning that they could shut down by the time the next governor assumes office or soon thereafter. The Legislature has already passed a budget that largely accepts Newsom’s proposals, and the governor has until the end of the month to approve it. Some job training organizations criticized the governor’s proposal to withhold new funding this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At a time when affordability is such a massive concern, it feels like we’re focusing on what things cost and not enough on what people can earn,” said Julia Hatton, the president of the Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, told CalMatters. Her organization trains workers for jobs in construction and climate-related careers and has received nearly $4 million in state workforce grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087658\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087658\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinJenniferNewsomGetty-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom (left) looks on during an election night gathering at the California Democrats headquarters on Nov. 4, 2025, in Sacramento, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, in a legislative hearing in April, Allison Hewitt, a budget analyst with California’s Department of Finance said the state is still committed to workforce development and that the board’s budget isn’t being cut, just that it isn’t receiving new funding. The workforce development board received a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/279461#t=2476&f=c90f5001889cb947a92f8d013b87727d\">“surge”\u003c/a> of grants over the past few years, and those dollars have been spent so less funding is available this year, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That did not sit well with at least one legislator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, you can say that all you want,” said \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/maria-elena-durazo-165445\">Sen. María Elena Durazo\u003c/a>, a Los Angeles Democrat, in response. “But if we’re not proposing funding for that … then you’re basically saying this is gonna be the new policy. The bottom line is without funding, it’s not a reality.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement to CalMatters, Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for the governor, said Newsom’s workforce plan focuses on “structural changes to benefit students, which does not always require funding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for California’s Department of Finance, responded in the same email, saying that the current budget proposes over $250 million in new workforce funds, including in healthcare and construction. By comparison, the state put over $2.2 billion into new workforce grants in the 2022-23 budget year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Have workforce programs succeeded?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For decades, states and the federal government have pumped money into job training programs, especially for low-income workers without college degrees, but the results \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/resource-library/providing-public-workforce-services-job-seekers-30-month-impact-findings-wia-adult\">are often poor\u003c/a>. Graduates end up earning minimum-wage or landing in jobs \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2024/08/for-profit-schools-california-jobs/\">with low retention\u003c/a>, where many workers quit within the first year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To improve outcomes, California created the high road training partnerships to target job training programs that yield long-lasting, living-wage employment where the employer, not just the government, has a stake in the worker’s professional growth. Starting around 2014, the state put a small amount of money into these programs, said Stewart Knox, the secretary of California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12055465\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12055465\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-31-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-31-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-31-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-31-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia, on May 8, 2025, which processes up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day, making gasoline, diesel, and other fuels for California. Valero plans to shut down the Benicia refinery by April 2026, citing high costs and strict environmental rules. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2021 and 2022, the state made “massive investments in the workforce,” he said, pumping hundreds of millions into high-road programs all across the state, including in construction, healthcare, technology and in public sector jobs. The state sent money to current and former oil workers to help them retrain for careers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/10/refinery-workers-california/\">when refineries close\u003c/a>. It also sent money to youth apprenticeship programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Results have been\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2024/02/workforce-training/\"> mixed\u003c/a>. In the high-road program, some grants helped train hundreds or thousands of workers for union jobs while other grants created few concrete benefits for workers. One grant was supposed to train workers at the electric vehicle company Proterra, but the company closed before workers could begin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/rick-chavez-zbur-165429\">Rick Chavez Zbur\u003c/a>, a Los Angeles Democrat, is proposing \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2634\">a bill\u003c/a> to further restrict how the high-road money is used.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Out of the roughly 1,700 oil workers who could benefit from the state’s retraining grants, only about 500 participated as of May, according to a bill analysis. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2157\">That bill\u003c/a>, authored by San Rafael Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/damon-connolly-165425\">Damon Connolly,\u003c/a> a Democrat, would give grantees more time to spend the money.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A ‘master plan’ for career education\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2023, Newsom’s workforce plans culminated with \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/8.31.23-Career-Education-Executive-Order.pdf\">an executive order\u003c/a> calling for the creation of a master plan for career education that would create a “new foundation” for the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-CA-Master-Plan-for-Career-Education.pdf\">The plan\u003c/a>, released in 2025, called for better coordination among the state’s workforce providers, who \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/09/trade-schools-job-training-california/\">often compete for the same students.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The master plan also called for more high-road job training programs and highlighted ongoing work supporting youth apprentices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080557\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080557\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041826-I80Closure-JY-11-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Caltrans worker adjusts construction cones as traffic comes to a slow on I-80 eastbound in San Francisco on Saturday, April 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We’re definitely not done. We’re kind of mid-stage,” said Knox. “What you’re seeing is a little less money, yes, in terms of programs, but that’s because we did such massive investments from 2021 on into the system (and) those outcomes now are what we’re focused on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Knox pointed to outcomes from the master plan, including the growth of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2025/05/middle-school-california/\">dual enrollment,\u003c/a> which allows high school students to take college classes. The state is also helping thousands more students get \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/02/college-credit-california/\">college credit for their prior work experience\u003c/a>, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Palmer, with the state’s Department of Finance, said in an email that the current proposal from the Legislature includes more funding both for dual enrollment and to help college students get credit for their work experience.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Those funding allocations, however, come from a different pot of money, known as Proposition 98, which is largely restricted to education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Shirley Ware Education Center, a national job training nonprofit founded in Oakland, was among the earliest and largest recipients of the high-road training grants, which it used to help over 5,500 workers find better jobs, mostly in the healthcare industry. All told, the organization received more than $40 million in state workforce dollars starting in 2017.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the state was flush with cash, they put a lot of money into these programs,” said Rebecca Hanson, the executive director. Now, she said the state budget deficit makes it “hard to argue” for increased funding, especially when so many other core services are\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-budget-legislature-deal/\"> facing cuts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hanson’s high-road workforce grant ends in 2027, but even then, she said she isn’t too worried, since her organization has other funding and is used to these fluctuations in state support. “My hope is that by the time we’re talking about 2028, we’ll be able to find other money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/06/workforce-funding/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "5-things-to-know-about-californias-new-billionaire-tax-measure",
"title": "5 Things to Know About California's New Billionaire Tax Measure",
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"headTitle": "5 Things to Know About California’s New Billionaire Tax Measure | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A union wants \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081502/california-billionaire-tax-nears-the-november-ballot\">California’s billionaires\u003c/a> to rescue the state’s healthcare system. The billionaires have other ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On June 17, an initiative to tax the state’s wealthiest residents qualified for the ballot, according to the secretary of state’s office, which verifies petition signatures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has consistently swatted down the idea of tax increases throughout his tenure, emerged early as an \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/01/billionaires-tax-health-funding/\">opponent of the proposed tax\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wealthy allies in Silicon Valley joined the fray armed with deep pockets and threats to leave the state, which depends disproportionately on high earners for revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union funding the measure, Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, says California needs the revenue that would be generated by the measure to rescue the healthcare system from deep cuts that the Trump administration made last year in the president’s tax reform package, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom is \u003ca href=\"http://workona.com/redirect/#favIconUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fvi-assets%2Fstatic-assets%2Fassets%2Ffavicon-dark-CovzF8uX.ico&title=Unlikely%20Coalition%20Begins%20Campaign%20Against%20Billionaire%20Tax%20in%20California%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2026%2F06%2F17%2Fus%2Fcalifornia-billionaire-tax-opponents.html%3Fpartner%3Dslack%26smid%3Dsl-share\">reportedly trying to negotiate\u003c/a> a last-minute deal that would pull the initiative before the ballot is finalized on June 25.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What would it do?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/25-0024A1%20%28Billionaire%20Tax%20%29.pdf\">proposed initiative\u003c/a> would levy a one-time 5% tax on California residents whose net worth exceeded $1 billion at the start of this year. The tax would hit roughly 200 people, and billionaires could pay in installments over five years. Proponents of the measure estimate it would generate $100 billion for the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The revenue would go into a special fund with 90% reserved for healthcare spending and 10% for education and food assistance programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077053\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077053\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/BillionaireTaxAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/BillionaireTaxAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/BillionaireTaxAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/BillionaireTaxAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man’s shirt and sticker are displayed at the Billionaire Tax Now booth at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco, on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Legislature would control the funds and could allocate up to $25 billion annually to designated programs including Medi-Cal and CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It needs a simple majority to pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Who is supporting it?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The state’s largest healthcare workers union is bankrolling the measure, pouring more than $31 million into the campaign. “We are facing literally a collapse of our healthcare system here in California and elsewhere,” Dave Regan, president of SEIU-UHW, said in October when the campaign launched.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union, which is \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/25/the-labor-leader-behind-californias-billionaire-tax-showdown-00840631\">known for wielding ballot measures aggressively\u003c/a>, argues that federal healthcare cuts will result in hospital and clinic closures, worsened patient access and thousands of lost jobs if the state doesn’t step in to backfill tens of billions of federal dollars. The group also points out that the Trump tax breaks for income, businesses and investments disproportionately benefit the wealthy people who would then be subject to the proposed billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whether or not folks support this, they can’t deny that these massive cuts to healthcare are coming,” said union spokesperson Renée Saldaña. “Nobody else has a solution to fill this massive $100 billion funding gap that is facing California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081506\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081506\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BillionaireTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BillionaireTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BillionaireTaxGetty-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BillionaireTaxGetty-1536x1015.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Healthcare workers and other supporters with the Billionaire Tax Now coalition hold placards during a media briefing in Los Angeles on April 27, 2026. Healthcare workers and allies outlined the next steps in their effort to get California’s Billionaire Tax on the ballot for the November election, with their efforts already exceeding 1,500,000 signatures collected from across the state. The initiative would levy a one-time 5% tax on California billionaires. \u003ccite>(Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Saldaña noted that people signing the initiative petition were supportive and sometimes wanted the tax to be continuous rather than one-time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is popular. The public is feeling the strain of their own healthcare costs,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure has won high-profile support from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. A handful of local unions as well as the Teamsters and AFSCME California have also backed the measure.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Who is opposed to it?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Newsom is an unsurprising and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/01/billionaires-tax-health-funding/\">vocal critic of the proposal\u003c/a>. He has long argued that increased taxes would drive wealthy people and businesses out of the state. In a recent appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, Newsom claimed that “we’ve already seen dozens and dozens of people leave the state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Google co-founder Sergey Brin, with a net worth of $300 billion, according to Forbes, reportedly moved to Nevada because of the tax threat. Brin, a one-time supporter of liberal causes turned Trump supporter, is also the biggest spender among opponents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of June 15, he has contributed $82 million to Building a Better California, which is funding multiple countermeasures designed to invalidate or weaken the initiative should it pass. The committee has not, however, taken a position on the wealth tax.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084670\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Sacramento, California. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The top two measures — the \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/25-0041A1%20%28Retirement%20Protection%20%29.pdf\">Retirement and Personal Savings Protection Act\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/25-0040A1%20%28Gov.%20Efficiency%29.pdf\">Improving Transparency, Effectiveness and Efficiency in California Government Act\u003c/a> — will also likely appear on the November ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The retirement act would prohibit new state taxes on personal property, effectively canceling the billionaire tax if both measures pass. The transparency act would require audits of state programs funded by special taxes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other tech and industry titans, including Google CEO Eric Schmidt, worth $43.3 billion, Kleiner Perkins chairman John Doerr, worth $25 billion, and The Wonderful Company president Stewart Resnick, worth $5.4 billion, have donated millions of dollars to Brin’s committee.[aside postID=news_12070052 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/Newsom-StateofState-013.jpg']Ripple Labs co-founder Chris Larsen, worth an estimated $12.4 billion, also started Golden State Promise, a political action committee dedicated to opposing the tax initiative directly. Venture capitalist Ron Conway, who does not appear on \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/\">Forbes’ billionaires list\u003c/a>, is funding a third group, Stop The Squeeze.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Collectively, the opposition campaigns have raised $107.9 million as of June 15, according to state campaign finance data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Robert Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable, said one of the most concerning parts of the proposal is a provision allowing the Legislature to amend the tax after passage. “They can change the level of taxation; they can change how often they get taxed; they can keep ratcheting down the income level of who pays it.” The union disputes this claim.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Progressive groups like Planned Parenthood and the California Teachers Association have opposed the measure in recent weeks. Healthcare industry groups like the California Medical Association, California Primary Care Association and California Hospital Association also oppose it.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>What’s really going on with healthcare?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which Congress passed last year, enacts a number of sweeping changes to Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income people and those with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over time, experts say the changes will dramatically reduce the number of people with publicly funded insurance through mandates such as work requirements and shorter eligibility periods. The law also limits federal Medicaid spending. Because Medicaid programs draw on state and federal dollars, reductions in enrollment or federal spending mean less money for states like California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Department of Health Care Services projected early on that federal cuts could cost California $30 billion annually. Roughly 14 million people rely on Medicaid, also known as Medi-Cal, in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074131\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074131\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1251\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-1536x961.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">H.R. 1, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, is seen during an enrollment ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on July 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The House passed the sweeping tax and spending bill after winning over fiscal hawks and moderate Republicans. The bill makes permanent President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, increase spending on defense and immigration enforcement and temporarily cut taxes on tips, while at the same time cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance for the poor, clean energy and raises the nation’s debit limit by $5 trillion. \u003ccite>(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>State lawmakers have also \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/01/billionaires-tax-health-funding/\">grappled with successive budget deficits and ballooning program costs\u003c/a>. Last year, Newsom and the Legislature limited Medi-Cal enrollment for low-income people without legal status. State leaders are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-budget-legislature-deal/\">eyeing additional cuts\u003c/a> this year to align with new federal requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Miranda Dietz, director of the Health Care Program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center, said \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/projected-reduction-in-medi-cal-coverage-due-to-federal-h-r-1-and-2025-26-state-budget-by-county-2028/\">close to 3 million Californians will lose healthcare\u003c/a> over the next two years as a result of state and federal changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The need for health insurance and healthcare is not going anywhere,” Dietz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>What are the challenges?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Should the measure pass, it will surely face legal challenges that could tie the potential revenue up for years, experts say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The seemingly retroactive nature of the tax invites a constitutional challenge, many say, though supporters \u003ca href=\"https://itep.org/expert-report-on-the-california-2026-billionaire-tax-revenue-economic-and-constitutional-analysis/\">reject those concerns\u003c/a>. The initiative proposes taxing those who are California residents as of Jan. 1, 2026, meaning those who have since left the state would still owe it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mark Peterson, a public policy professor at UCLA School of Law, said revenue from the initiative would “make a huge difference” in helping the state offset federal funding losses, but that’s only if the initiative survives legal challenges and efforts by billionaires to move or hide assets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035915\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035915\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg (center), attends the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump as he swears in as the 47th U.S. President in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. \u003ccite>(Kenny Holston/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Economists and state budget watchers are also wary of the number of \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/15/who-s-leaving-who-s-staying-sf-standard-s-billionaire-tax-tracker/\">billionaires who have already left the state\u003c/a>, taking their assets and businesses with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only six people moved out of state last year before the proposed tax would apply to them, but their collective worth would have generated the state $27 billion, \u003ca href=\"https://fortune.com/2026/03/17/6-billionaires-left-california-billionaire-tax-newsom-brin-page-thiel-spielberg-revenue/\">Fortune reported\u003c/a>. Others, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, worth $231 billion, have also \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/04/28/google-billionaire-sergey-brin-compares-california-wealth-tax-to-soviet-union-socialism/?utm_campaign=ForbesMainFB&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ForbesMainFacebook&streamIndex=0\">reportedly moved out\u003c/a> but not before Jan. 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the other hand, there’s no evidence yet that a majority of the state’s 200 billionaires are leaving. Some, including former gubernatorial candidate and billionaire Tom Steyer, have stated they support the proposal.[aside postID=news_12081620 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1.jpg']Early polling shows 50% of voters favor the initiative, with most strongly behind it, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000019c-d472-d628-a9bf-d7f6a3dc0000&nname=california-playbook&nid=00000150-384f-da43-aff2-bf7fd35a0000&nrid=07c908f2-070b-4e85-a787-f320a4b3c496\">UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research-POLITICO poll\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that is not as strong a position as it may seem: 54% of voters are concerned about wealthy individuals leaving the state, and 63% are concerned about them taking their businesses with them. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-19/californias-proposed-billionaire-tax-gains-majority-support-in-new-poll-with-partisan-split-on-voter-id\">UC Berkeley Institute of Government Studies-Los Angeles Times poll\u003c/a> from March showed similar division among voters with 52% in support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Generally, campaigns running ballot initiatives want their early polling numbers to be much higher because support nearly always dwindles as the election creeps closer.\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\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-unions-billionaire-tax-ballot/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A healthcare workers union is pushing a one-time 5% tax on the state's roughly 200 billionaires to offset federal Medicaid cuts.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A union wants \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081502/california-billionaire-tax-nears-the-november-ballot\">California’s billionaires\u003c/a> to rescue the state’s healthcare system. The billionaires have other ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On June 17, an initiative to tax the state’s wealthiest residents qualified for the ballot, according to the secretary of state’s office, which verifies petition signatures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has consistently swatted down the idea of tax increases throughout his tenure, emerged early as an \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/01/billionaires-tax-health-funding/\">opponent of the proposed tax\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wealthy allies in Silicon Valley joined the fray armed with deep pockets and threats to leave the state, which depends disproportionately on high earners for revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union funding the measure, Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, says California needs the revenue that would be generated by the measure to rescue the healthcare system from deep cuts that the Trump administration made last year in the president’s tax reform package, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom is \u003ca href=\"http://workona.com/redirect/#favIconUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fvi-assets%2Fstatic-assets%2Fassets%2Ffavicon-dark-CovzF8uX.ico&title=Unlikely%20Coalition%20Begins%20Campaign%20Against%20Billionaire%20Tax%20in%20California%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2026%2F06%2F17%2Fus%2Fcalifornia-billionaire-tax-opponents.html%3Fpartner%3Dslack%26smid%3Dsl-share\">reportedly trying to negotiate\u003c/a> a last-minute deal that would pull the initiative before the ballot is finalized on June 25.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What would it do?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/25-0024A1%20%28Billionaire%20Tax%20%29.pdf\">proposed initiative\u003c/a> would levy a one-time 5% tax on California residents whose net worth exceeded $1 billion at the start of this year. The tax would hit roughly 200 people, and billionaires could pay in installments over five years. Proponents of the measure estimate it would generate $100 billion for the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The revenue would go into a special fund with 90% reserved for healthcare spending and 10% for education and food assistance programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077053\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077053\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/BillionaireTaxAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/BillionaireTaxAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/BillionaireTaxAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/BillionaireTaxAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man’s shirt and sticker are displayed at the Billionaire Tax Now booth at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco, on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Legislature would control the funds and could allocate up to $25 billion annually to designated programs including Medi-Cal and CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It needs a simple majority to pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Who is supporting it?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The state’s largest healthcare workers union is bankrolling the measure, pouring more than $31 million into the campaign. “We are facing literally a collapse of our healthcare system here in California and elsewhere,” Dave Regan, president of SEIU-UHW, said in October when the campaign launched.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union, which is \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/25/the-labor-leader-behind-californias-billionaire-tax-showdown-00840631\">known for wielding ballot measures aggressively\u003c/a>, argues that federal healthcare cuts will result in hospital and clinic closures, worsened patient access and thousands of lost jobs if the state doesn’t step in to backfill tens of billions of federal dollars. The group also points out that the Trump tax breaks for income, businesses and investments disproportionately benefit the wealthy people who would then be subject to the proposed billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whether or not folks support this, they can’t deny that these massive cuts to healthcare are coming,” said union spokesperson Renée Saldaña. “Nobody else has a solution to fill this massive $100 billion funding gap that is facing California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081506\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081506\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BillionaireTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BillionaireTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BillionaireTaxGetty-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BillionaireTaxGetty-1536x1015.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Healthcare workers and other supporters with the Billionaire Tax Now coalition hold placards during a media briefing in Los Angeles on April 27, 2026. Healthcare workers and allies outlined the next steps in their effort to get California’s Billionaire Tax on the ballot for the November election, with their efforts already exceeding 1,500,000 signatures collected from across the state. The initiative would levy a one-time 5% tax on California billionaires. \u003ccite>(Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Saldaña noted that people signing the initiative petition were supportive and sometimes wanted the tax to be continuous rather than one-time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is popular. The public is feeling the strain of their own healthcare costs,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure has won high-profile support from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. A handful of local unions as well as the Teamsters and AFSCME California have also backed the measure.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Who is opposed to it?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Newsom is an unsurprising and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/01/billionaires-tax-health-funding/\">vocal critic of the proposal\u003c/a>. He has long argued that increased taxes would drive wealthy people and businesses out of the state. In a recent appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, Newsom claimed that “we’ve already seen dozens and dozens of people leave the state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Google co-founder Sergey Brin, with a net worth of $300 billion, according to Forbes, reportedly moved to Nevada because of the tax threat. Brin, a one-time supporter of liberal causes turned Trump supporter, is also the biggest spender among opponents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of June 15, he has contributed $82 million to Building a Better California, which is funding multiple countermeasures designed to invalidate or weaken the initiative should it pass. The committee has not, however, taken a position on the wealth tax.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084670\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GavinNewsomAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Sacramento, California. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The top two measures — the \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/25-0041A1%20%28Retirement%20Protection%20%29.pdf\">Retirement and Personal Savings Protection Act\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/25-0040A1%20%28Gov.%20Efficiency%29.pdf\">Improving Transparency, Effectiveness and Efficiency in California Government Act\u003c/a> — will also likely appear on the November ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The retirement act would prohibit new state taxes on personal property, effectively canceling the billionaire tax if both measures pass. The transparency act would require audits of state programs funded by special taxes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other tech and industry titans, including Google CEO Eric Schmidt, worth $43.3 billion, Kleiner Perkins chairman John Doerr, worth $25 billion, and The Wonderful Company president Stewart Resnick, worth $5.4 billion, have donated millions of dollars to Brin’s committee.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Ripple Labs co-founder Chris Larsen, worth an estimated $12.4 billion, also started Golden State Promise, a political action committee dedicated to opposing the tax initiative directly. Venture capitalist Ron Conway, who does not appear on \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/\">Forbes’ billionaires list\u003c/a>, is funding a third group, Stop The Squeeze.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Collectively, the opposition campaigns have raised $107.9 million as of June 15, according to state campaign finance data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Robert Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable, said one of the most concerning parts of the proposal is a provision allowing the Legislature to amend the tax after passage. “They can change the level of taxation; they can change how often they get taxed; they can keep ratcheting down the income level of who pays it.” The union disputes this claim.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Progressive groups like Planned Parenthood and the California Teachers Association have opposed the measure in recent weeks. Healthcare industry groups like the California Medical Association, California Primary Care Association and California Hospital Association also oppose it.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>What’s really going on with healthcare?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which Congress passed last year, enacts a number of sweeping changes to Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income people and those with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over time, experts say the changes will dramatically reduce the number of people with publicly funded insurance through mandates such as work requirements and shorter eligibility periods. The law also limits federal Medicaid spending. Because Medicaid programs draw on state and federal dollars, reductions in enrollment or federal spending mean less money for states like California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Department of Health Care Services projected early on that federal cuts could cost California $30 billion annually. Roughly 14 million people rely on Medicaid, also known as Medi-Cal, in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074131\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074131\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1251\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-1536x961.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">H.R. 1, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, is seen during an enrollment ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on July 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The House passed the sweeping tax and spending bill after winning over fiscal hawks and moderate Republicans. The bill makes permanent President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, increase spending on defense and immigration enforcement and temporarily cut taxes on tips, while at the same time cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance for the poor, clean energy and raises the nation’s debit limit by $5 trillion. \u003ccite>(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>State lawmakers have also \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/01/billionaires-tax-health-funding/\">grappled with successive budget deficits and ballooning program costs\u003c/a>. Last year, Newsom and the Legislature limited Medi-Cal enrollment for low-income people without legal status. State leaders are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-budget-legislature-deal/\">eyeing additional cuts\u003c/a> this year to align with new federal requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Miranda Dietz, director of the Health Care Program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center, said \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/projected-reduction-in-medi-cal-coverage-due-to-federal-h-r-1-and-2025-26-state-budget-by-county-2028/\">close to 3 million Californians will lose healthcare\u003c/a> over the next two years as a result of state and federal changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The need for health insurance and healthcare is not going anywhere,” Dietz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>What are the challenges?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Should the measure pass, it will surely face legal challenges that could tie the potential revenue up for years, experts say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The seemingly retroactive nature of the tax invites a constitutional challenge, many say, though supporters \u003ca href=\"https://itep.org/expert-report-on-the-california-2026-billionaire-tax-revenue-economic-and-constitutional-analysis/\">reject those concerns\u003c/a>. The initiative proposes taxing those who are California residents as of Jan. 1, 2026, meaning those who have since left the state would still owe it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mark Peterson, a public policy professor at UCLA School of Law, said revenue from the initiative would “make a huge difference” in helping the state offset federal funding losses, but that’s only if the initiative survives legal challenges and efforts by billionaires to move or hide assets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035915\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035915\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/MetaGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg (center), attends the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump as he swears in as the 47th U.S. President in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. \u003ccite>(Kenny Holston/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Economists and state budget watchers are also wary of the number of \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/15/who-s-leaving-who-s-staying-sf-standard-s-billionaire-tax-tracker/\">billionaires who have already left the state\u003c/a>, taking their assets and businesses with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only six people moved out of state last year before the proposed tax would apply to them, but their collective worth would have generated the state $27 billion, \u003ca href=\"https://fortune.com/2026/03/17/6-billionaires-left-california-billionaire-tax-newsom-brin-page-thiel-spielberg-revenue/\">Fortune reported\u003c/a>. Others, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, worth $231 billion, have also \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/04/28/google-billionaire-sergey-brin-compares-california-wealth-tax-to-soviet-union-socialism/?utm_campaign=ForbesMainFB&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ForbesMainFacebook&streamIndex=0\">reportedly moved out\u003c/a> but not before Jan. 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the other hand, there’s no evidence yet that a majority of the state’s 200 billionaires are leaving. Some, including former gubernatorial candidate and billionaire Tom Steyer, have stated they support the proposal.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Early polling shows 50% of voters favor the initiative, with most strongly behind it, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000019c-d472-d628-a9bf-d7f6a3dc0000&nname=california-playbook&nid=00000150-384f-da43-aff2-bf7fd35a0000&nrid=07c908f2-070b-4e85-a787-f320a4b3c496\">UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research-POLITICO poll\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that is not as strong a position as it may seem: 54% of voters are concerned about wealthy individuals leaving the state, and 63% are concerned about them taking their businesses with them. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-19/californias-proposed-billionaire-tax-gains-majority-support-in-new-poll-with-partisan-split-on-voter-id\">UC Berkeley Institute of Government Studies-Los Angeles Times poll\u003c/a> from March showed similar division among voters with 52% in support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Generally, campaigns running ballot initiatives want their early polling numbers to be much higher because support nearly always dwindles as the election creeps closer.\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\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-unions-billionaire-tax-ballot/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"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.",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"planet-money": {
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"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.",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
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},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
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},
"snap-judgment": {
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