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"content": "\n\u003cp>After years of bearing the political blame for the nation’s highest gas prices, California Democrats are turning the nozzle on Republicans in pivotal House battlegrounds this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/electionsnews\">midterm election\u003c/a> cycle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Sacramento, Richard Pan is running ads blasting his opponent for supporting “the war that raised gas prices.” In Bakersfield, Randy Villegas stood outside a Shell station last week and pledged to suspend the federal gas tax. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102409/local-loyalties-and-trump-opposition-collide-in-san-diego-house-race\">in San Diego\u003c/a>, an ad for Marni von Wilpert “shows her at a gas station, where she promises to “bring your tax dollars home, not spend them on foreign wars that cost you money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s all part of a nationwide Democratic push to turn the tables on an issue that haunted the party in the last two elections by hounding Republicans over price increases at the pump fueled by the war in Iran. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In California, however, the GOP is not yet ceding ground on the fuel price fight. Republicans remain confident that they can land attacks on Democrats over the state’s longstanding environmental policies, gas tax and supply constraints as the cost of living weighs on voters statewide.\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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104452\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gas prices are displayed on a pump at a Shell gas station in San Rafael on Oct. 14, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s what makes California so different: There are specific policies that voters can examine rather than simply looking at what’s happening in Washington,” said Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The blame game over gas prices is taking on heightened importance as California’s congressional battlegrounds move from the upscale coastal suburbs, where the Democratic “blue wave” first made landfall in 2018, to inland working-class communities where residents tend to drive more on average. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year, California has three House contests widely considered to be the most competitive between Democrats and Republicans. An analysis by the Brookings Institution for KQED found that all three seats fall in the top third of California congressional districts in annual vehicle miles traveled per capita. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When [gas] prices go up … those who drive longer distances, those who have less room in their household budgets feel it the most,” said Adie Tomer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “Those households are really taking it on the chin right now.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We need our cars’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The three California congressional races rated competitive by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report are the 13th and 22nd districts, in the farmlands of the Central Valley, and the 48th District, which covers the sprawling suburbs of northern San Diego and Riverside counties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need our cars — it’s a large district,” said Von Wilpert, a San Diego City Council member running for the 48th District, where Republican Rep. Darrell Issa opted not to seek reelection. “When the war in Iran was started overnight by Donald Trump, he never asked for approval from the American people or from Congress.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Robin Ferguson, a resident of Escondido who is supporting Von Wilpert, felt the gas price hit in mid-September when she returned home after a week out of town. \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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104453\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Bretl pumps gas at a Shell gas station in San Rafael on Oct. 14, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was at $5.09 when I left, it’s a week now, and it’s $5.79 — it’s a big, big issue,” Ferguson said. “We don’t have the public transportation up here in North County to get down to San Diego.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The nationwide monthly average for a gallon of gas hit a record high in September, according \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/\">to AAA\u003c/a>, and now sits at $4.33. In California, the average price is significantly higher: $6.26. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That California premium can be attributed to a number of factors, according to \u003ca href=\"https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2026/07/27/why-do-californians-pay-more-at-the-pump/\">an analysis\u003c/a> by UC Berkeley professor Severin Borenstein, faculty director of the Energy Institute at Haas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Taxes are the largest contributor. The state’s gas tax stands at $0.63 per gallon, the highest in the nation. And unlike leaders in states such as Georgia, Indiana, Ohio and Utah, California lawmakers have not suspended or reduced the tax as the war-fueled price increases put more pressure on drivers.\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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104469\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gas prices are displayed on a screen at a 76 gas station in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The tax, increased by the Legislature in 2017 and backed by voters a year later, funds road repair and transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California taxes started out averaging about $0.25 higher in the mid-oughts and are about $0.51 higher than elsewhere in the US over the last few years,” Borenstein wrote. “Taxes account for about one-quarter of the growth in the California gas premium.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On top of the tax are costs of complying with the state’s landmark emission-reduction programs — and the added expense of producing California’s special blend of gasoline. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ad spending flips\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Republicans wielded these state initiatives as cudgels in recent House elections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When gas prices spiked in 2022, GOP groups pounded Central Valley Democrats Rudy Salas, who supported the state’s cap-and-trade program, and Adam Gray, who voted in favor of the gas tax increase. Both lost their campaigns that year, though Gray came back to win the 13th District in 2024. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Republicans took us to task on gas prices,” said Bill Wong, a Democratic strategist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wong spent years leading the campaign arm for Democrats in the state Assembly, building a supermajority that allowed the party to pass the gas tax and an ambitious environmental agenda — and protecting it amid attacks from the GOP over fuel prices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, he sees an opening for Democrats to at least neutralize the issue, as Iran’s attacks against ships carrying crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz sent prices soaring worldwide. Average gas prices have increased $1.35 per gallon since the beginning of the war, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/gas-prices-iran-war-state-national-cost-trump-rcna265835\">according\u003c/a> to NBC News. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a direct tie to something that they did with the increase in gas price,” Wong said. “I think it’s time for the Democrats to really lean into it and say, ‘Hey, you held us responsible for gas prices in the past, and now you’re in charge.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the country, Democrats have taken up that call to flip the script. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/19/gas-prices-midterms-affordability-ads-01041175\">Politico analysis\u003c/a> of ad transcripts from the firm AdImpact found that roughly two-thirds of ads mentioning gas or gas prices in House or Senate elections came from Democrats. In 2024, 87% of gas price ads were run by Republicans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Democrats are banking on the resonance of fuel price anxiety as they look to make inroads in traditionally red areas of the country. Rising diesel costs add particular burdens in agricultural areas, such as Iowa and Kansas and California’s Central Valley — where farmers rely on diesel to run tractors and combines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brookings \u003ca href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/articles/another-oil-crisis-is-here-how-will-american-drivers-respond/\">analyzed annual miles traveled\u003c/a> by Americans in their personal vehicle and found a decided tilt toward areas represented by the GOP in Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Across the country, districts that are represented by Republican elected officials are disproportionately those districts where people drive longer distances,” said Tomer, the Brookings senior fellow. “Also, many of them tend to have relatively lower household incomes.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The pattern extends to California. Brookings researchers re-ran their analysis under the state’s new congressional lines and found that eight of the nine districts represented by Republicans (as well as Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the GOP this year but caucuses with Republicans as an independent) are in the top half of California districts by vehicle miles traveled per capita. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Republicans welcome gas price fight\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the mounting pressure from Democrats and the disproportionate pressure of rising gas prices, Republicans in California’s most competitive congressional districts are not shying away from the fight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In those battleground seats, GOP candidates and aligned groups have spent more than $3.2 million this cycle on ads mentioning “gas prices” — compared with roughly $700,000 from Democrats, according to data through September from AdImpact. \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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-5-KQED-8d68c0c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104451\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-5-KQED-8d68c0c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-5-KQED-8d68c0c7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-5-KQED-8d68c0c7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An individual pumps gas at a Shell gas station in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An ad from Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, features drivers bemoaning the cost of gas and tying Villegas, the Democratic candidate in the 22nd District, to Democratic support of the state’s cap-and-invest system. The program requires polluters such as refineries to pay for their carbon emissions and has \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5042\">historically added\u003c/a> roughly $0.23 to the cost of a gallon of gas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In another spot, Republican Kevin Lincoln, the former Stockton mayor challenging Rep. Adam Gray, takes aim at Gray’s 2017 vote in support of raising the state’s gas tax. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s what makes this issue so important in California,” said Martinez, the NRCC spokesperson. “We’re not talking about hypothetical policies; we’re talking about actual votes and records that people can look at every time they fill up their gas tanks.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103628/congressman-adam-gray-defends-one-of-californias-last-swing-districts-after-redistricting\">interview with KQED\u003c/a>, Gray contrasted his gas tax vote with the ongoing war — arguing that increasing the tax and tying it to the rate of inflation came with the benefit of funding overdue road repair. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Let’s compare and contrast that with the current inflation, the current kind of reckless war in Iran with no end in sight,” Gray said. “And yet — and this just tells you how dishonest the Republican campaign is — they’re running around blaming me for gas prices.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, some drivers aren’t ready to shift the blame to the GOP after years of tying the high prices to Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gabriel Uribe said gas prices are “killing us” as he filled up his silver Ford F-150 at a Chevron station in San Marcos — a San Diego suburb in the 48th District. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California has got to change,” he said. “California is different from any other state right now.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Uribe is a construction worker who said he commutes roughly 100 miles every day between northern San Diego County and Imperial Beach, a city along the U.S.-Mexico border. He said high gas prices drove him to support Trump in the 2024 election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s [the] number one [reason] why I voted the way I did in the last presidential election,” Uribe said. “But it still can’t change unless we change here — you can only do so much federally, and it’s got to be a state issue now.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After years of bearing the political blame for the nation’s highest gas prices, California Democrats are turning the nozzle on Republicans in pivotal House battlegrounds this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/electionsnews\">midterm election\u003c/a> cycle. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Sacramento, Richard Pan is running ads blasting his opponent for supporting “the war that raised gas prices.” In Bakersfield, Randy Villegas stood outside a Shell station last week and pledged to suspend the federal gas tax. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102409/local-loyalties-and-trump-opposition-collide-in-san-diego-house-race\">in San Diego\u003c/a>, an ad for Marni von Wilpert “shows her at a gas station, where she promises to “bring your tax dollars home, not spend them on foreign wars that cost you money.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Sacramento, Richard Pan is running ads blasting his opponent for supporting “the war that raised gas prices.” In Bakersfield, Randy Villegas stood outside a Shell station last week and pledged to suspend the federal gas tax. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102409/local-loyalties-and-trump-opposition-collide-in-san-diego-house-race\">in San Diego\u003c/a>, an ad for Marni von Wilpert “shows her at a gas station, where she promises to “bring your tax dollars home, not spend them on foreign wars that cost you money.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s all part of a nationwide Democratic push to turn the tables on an issue that haunted the party in the last two elections by hounding Republicans over price increases at the pump fueled by the war in Iran. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s all part of a nationwide Democratic push to turn the tables on an issue that haunted the party in the last two elections by hounding Republicans over price increases at the pump fueled by the war in Iran. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In California, however, the GOP is not yet ceding ground on the fuel price fight. Republicans remain confident that they can land attacks on Democrats over the state’s longstanding environmental policies, gas tax and supply constraints as the cost of living weighs on voters statewide.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In California, however, the GOP is not yet ceding ground on the fuel price fight. Republicans remain confident that they can land attacks on Democrats over the state’s longstanding environmental policies, gas tax and supply constraints as the cost of living weighs on voters statewide.\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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104452\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gas prices are displayed on a pump at a Shell gas station in San Rafael on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104452\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gas prices are displayed on a pump at a Shell gas station in San Rafael on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That’s what makes California so different: There are specific policies that voters can examine rather than simply looking at what’s happening in Washington,” said Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That’s what makes California so different: There are specific policies that voters can examine rather than simply looking at what’s happening in Washington,” said Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The blame game over gas prices is taking on heightened importance as California’s congressional battlegrounds move from the upscale coastal suburbs, where the Democratic “blue wave” first made landfall in 2018, to inland working-class communities where residents tend to drive more on average. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The blame game over gas prices is taking on heightened importance as California’s congressional battlegrounds move from the upscale coastal suburbs, where the Democratic “blue wave” first made landfall in 2018, to inland working-class communities where residents tend to drive more on average. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year, California has three House contests widely considered to be the most competitive between Democrats and Republicans. An analysis by the Brookings Institution for KQED found that all three seats fall in the top third of California congressional districts in annual vehicle miles traveled per capita. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This year, California has three House contests widely considered to be the most competitive between Democrats and Republicans. An analysis by the Brookings Institution for KQED found that all three seats fall in the top third of California congressional districts in annual vehicle miles traveled per capita. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When [gas] prices go up … those who drive longer distances, those who have less room in their household budgets feel it the most,” said Adie Tomer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “Those households are really taking it on the chin right now.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When [gas] prices go up … those who drive longer distances, those who have less room in their household budgets feel it the most,” said Adie Tomer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “Those households are really taking it on the chin right now.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We need our cars’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We need our cars’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The three California congressional races rated competitive by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report are the 13th and 22nd districts, in the farmlands of the Central Valley, and the 48th District, which covers the sprawling suburbs of northern San Diego and Riverside counties. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The three California congressional races rated competitive by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report are the 13th and 22nd districts, in the farmlands of the Central Valley, and the 48th District, which covers the sprawling suburbs of northern San Diego and Riverside counties. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We need our cars — it’s a large district,” said Von Wilpert, a San Diego City Council member running for the 48th District, where Republican Rep. Darrell Issa opted not to seek reelection. “When the war in Iran was started overnight by Donald Trump, he never asked for approval from the American people or from Congress.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We need our cars — it’s a large district,” said Von Wilpert, a San Diego City Council member running for the 48th District, where Republican Rep. Darrell Issa opted not to seek reelection. “When the war in Iran was started overnight by Donald Trump, he never asked for approval from the American people or from Congress.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Robin Ferguson, a resident of Escondido who is supporting Von Wilpert, felt the gas price hit in mid-September when she returned home after a week out of town. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Robin Ferguson, a resident of Escondido who is supporting Von Wilpert, felt the gas price hit in mid-September when she returned home after a week out of town. \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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104453\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Bretl pumps gas at a Shell gas station in San Rafael on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104453\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Bretl pumps gas at a Shell gas station in San Rafael on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was at $5.09 when I left, it’s a week now, and it’s $5.79 — it’s a big, big issue,” Ferguson said. “We don’t have the public transportation up here in North County to get down to San Diego.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was at $5.09 when I left, it’s a week now, and it’s $5.79 — it’s a big, big issue,” Ferguson said. “We don’t have the public transportation up here in North County to get down to San Diego.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The nationwide monthly average for a gallon of gas hit a record high in September, according \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/\">to AAA\u003c/a>, and now sits at $4.33. In California, the average price is significantly higher: $6.26. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The nationwide monthly average for a gallon of gas hit a record high in September, according \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/\">to AAA\u003c/a>, and now sits at $4.33. In California, the average price is significantly higher: $6.26. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That California premium can be attributed to a number of factors, according to \u003ca href=\"https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2026/07/27/why-do-californians-pay-more-at-the-pump/\">an analysis\u003c/a> by UC Berkeley professor Severin Borenstein, faculty director of the Energy Institute at Haas. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That California premium can be attributed to a number of factors, according to \u003ca href=\"https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2026/07/27/why-do-californians-pay-more-at-the-pump/\">an analysis\u003c/a> by UC Berkeley professor Severin Borenstein, faculty director of the Energy Institute at Haas. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Taxes are the largest contributor. The state’s gas tax stands at $0.63 per gallon, the highest in the nation. And unlike leaders in states such as Georgia, Indiana, Ohio and Utah, California lawmakers have not suspended or reduced the tax as the war-fueled price increases put more pressure on drivers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Taxes are the largest contributor. The state’s gas tax stands at $0.63 per gallon, the highest in the nation. And unlike leaders in states such as Georgia, Indiana, Ohio and Utah, California lawmakers have not suspended or reduced the tax as the war-fueled price increases put more pressure on drivers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104469\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gas prices are displayed on a screen at a 76 gas station in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104469\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gas prices are displayed on a screen at a 76 gas station in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The tax, increased by the Legislature in 2017 and backed by voters a year later, funds road repair and transit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The tax, increased by the Legislature in 2017 and backed by voters a year later, funds road repair and transit. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California taxes started out averaging about $0.25 higher in the mid-oughts and are about $0.51 higher than elsewhere in the US over the last few years,” Borenstein wrote. “Taxes account for about one-quarter of the growth in the California gas premium.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“California taxes started out averaging about $0.25 higher in the mid-oughts and are about $0.51 higher than elsewhere in the US over the last few years,” Borenstein wrote. “Taxes account for about one-quarter of the growth in the California gas premium.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On top of the tax are costs of complying with the state’s landmark emission-reduction programs — and the added expense of producing California’s special blend of gasoline. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On top of the tax are costs of complying with the state’s landmark emission-reduction programs — and the added expense of producing California’s special blend of gasoline. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Ad spending flips ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ad spending flips\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ad spending flips\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Republicans wielded these state initiatives as cudgels in recent House elections. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When gas prices spiked in 2022, GOP groups pounded Central Valley Democrats Rudy Salas, who supported the state’s cap-and-trade program, and Adam Gray, who voted in favor of the gas tax increase. Both lost their campaigns that year, though Gray came back to win the 13th District in 2024. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When gas prices spiked in 2022, GOP groups pounded Central Valley Democrats Rudy Salas, who supported the state’s cap-and-trade program, and Adam Gray, who voted in favor of the gas tax increase. Both lost their campaigns that year, though Gray came back to win the 13th District in 2024. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Republicans took us to task on gas prices,” said Bill Wong, a Democratic strategist. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wong spent years leading the campaign arm for Democrats in the state Assembly, building a supermajority that allowed the party to pass the gas tax and an ambitious environmental agenda — and protecting it amid attacks from the GOP over fuel prices. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, he sees an opening for Democrats to at least neutralize the issue, as Iran’s attacks against ships carrying crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz sent prices soaring worldwide. Average gas prices have increased $1.35 per gallon since the beginning of the war, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/gas-prices-iran-war-state-national-cost-trump-rcna265835\">according\u003c/a> to NBC News. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a direct tie to something that they did with the increase in gas price,” Wong said. “I think it’s time for the Democrats to really lean into it and say, ‘Hey, you held us responsible for gas prices in the past, and now you’re in charge.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Across the country, Democrats have taken up that call to flip the script. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/19/gas-prices-midterms-affordability-ads-01041175\">Politico analysis\u003c/a> of ad transcripts from the firm AdImpact found that roughly two-thirds of ads mentioning gas or gas prices in House or Senate elections came from Democrats. In 2024, 87% of gas price ads were run by Republicans. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Democrats are banking on the resonance of fuel price anxiety as they look to make inroads in traditionally red areas of the country. Rising diesel costs add particular burdens in agricultural areas, such as Iowa and Kansas and California’s Central Valley — where farmers rely on diesel to run tractors and combines. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Democrats are banking on the resonance of fuel price anxiety as they look to make inroads in traditionally red areas of the country. Rising diesel costs add particular burdens in agricultural areas, such as Iowa and Kansas and California’s Central Valley — where farmers rely on diesel to run tractors and combines. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brookings \u003ca href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/articles/another-oil-crisis-is-here-how-will-american-drivers-respond/\">analyzed annual miles traveled\u003c/a> by Americans in their personal vehicle and found a decided tilt toward areas represented by the GOP in Congress. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Across the country, districts that are represented by Republican elected officials are disproportionately those districts where people drive longer distances,” said Tomer, the Brookings senior fellow. “Also, many of them tend to have relatively lower household incomes.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The pattern extends to California. Brookings researchers re-ran their analysis under the state’s new congressional lines and found that eight of the nine districts represented by Republicans (as well as Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the GOP this year but caucuses with Republicans as an independent) are in the top half of California districts by vehicle miles traveled per capita. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The pattern extends to California. Brookings researchers re-ran their analysis under the state’s new congressional lines and found that eight of the nine districts represented by Republicans (as well as Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the GOP this year but caucuses with Republicans as an independent) are in the top half of California districts by vehicle miles traveled per capita. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the mounting pressure from Democrats and the disproportionate pressure of rising gas prices, Republicans in California’s most competitive congressional districts are not shying away from the fight. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In those battleground seats, GOP candidates and aligned groups have spent more than $3.2 million this cycle on ads mentioning “gas prices” — compared with roughly $700,000 from Democrats, according to data through September from AdImpact. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An ad from Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, features drivers bemoaning the cost of gas and tying Villegas, the Democratic candidate in the 22nd District, to Democratic support of the state’s cap-and-invest system. The program requires polluters such as refineries to pay for their carbon emissions and has \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5042\">historically added\u003c/a> roughly $0.23 to the cost of a gallon of gas. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>An ad from Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, features drivers bemoaning the cost of gas and tying Villegas, the Democratic candidate in the 22nd District, to Democratic support of the state’s cap-and-invest system. The program requires polluters such as refineries to pay for their carbon emissions and has \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5042\">historically added\u003c/a> roughly $0.23 to the cost of a gallon of gas. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In another spot, Republican Kevin Lincoln, the former Stockton mayor challenging Rep. Adam Gray, takes aim at Gray’s 2017 vote in support of raising the state’s gas tax. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In another spot, Republican Kevin Lincoln, the former Stockton mayor challenging Rep. Adam Gray, takes aim at Gray’s 2017 vote in support of raising the state’s gas tax. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That’s what makes this issue so important in California,” said Martinez, the NRCC spokesperson. “We’re not talking about hypothetical policies; we’re talking about actual votes and records that people can look at every time they fill up their gas tanks.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103628/congressman-adam-gray-defends-one-of-californias-last-swing-districts-after-redistricting\">interview with KQED\u003c/a>, Gray contrasted his gas tax vote with the ongoing war — arguing that increasing the tax and tying it to the rate of inflation came with the benefit of funding overdue road repair. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Let’s compare and contrast that with the current inflation, the current kind of reckless war in Iran with no end in sight,” Gray said. “And yet — and this just tells you how dishonest the Republican campaign is — they’re running around blaming me for gas prices.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Let’s compare and contrast that with the current inflation, the current kind of reckless war in Iran with no end in sight,” Gray said. “And yet — and this just tells you how dishonest the Republican campaign is — they’re running around blaming me for gas prices.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, some drivers aren’t ready to shift the blame to the GOP after years of tying the high prices to Democrats.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gabriel Uribe said gas prices are “killing us” as he filled up his silver Ford F-150 at a Chevron station in San Marcos — a San Diego suburb in the 48th District. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gabriel Uribe said gas prices are “killing us” as he filled up his silver Ford F-150 at a Chevron station in San Marcos — a San Diego suburb in the 48th District. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California has got to change,” he said. “California is different from any other state right now.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Uribe is a construction worker who said he commutes roughly 100 miles every day between northern San Diego County and Imperial Beach, a city along the U.S.-Mexico border. He said high gas prices drove him to support Trump in the 2024 election. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Uribe is a construction worker who said he commutes roughly 100 miles every day between northern San Diego County and Imperial Beach, a city along the U.S.-Mexico border. He said high gas prices drove him to support Trump in the 2024 election. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s [the] number one [reason] why I voted the way I did in the last presidential election,” Uribe said. “But it still can’t change unless we change here — you can only do so much federally, and it’s got to be a state issue now.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "After years of playing defense over the nation’s highest gas prices, Democrats in battleground House districts are taking aim at war-fueled price increases. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>After years of bearing the political blame for the nation’s highest gas prices, California Democrats are turning the nozzle on Republicans in pivotal House battlegrounds this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/electionsnews\">midterm election\u003c/a> cycle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Sacramento, Richard Pan is running ads blasting his opponent for supporting “the war that raised gas prices.” In Bakersfield, Randy Villegas stood outside a Shell station last week and pledged to suspend the federal gas tax. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102409/local-loyalties-and-trump-opposition-collide-in-san-diego-house-race\">in San Diego\u003c/a>, an ad for Marni von Wilpert “shows her at a gas station, where she promises to “bring your tax dollars home, not spend them on foreign wars that cost you money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s all part of a nationwide Democratic push to turn the tables on an issue that haunted the party in the last two elections by hounding Republicans over price increases at the pump fueled by the war in Iran. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In California, however, the GOP is not yet ceding ground on the fuel price fight. Republicans remain confident that they can land attacks on Democrats over the state’s longstanding environmental policies, gas tax and supply constraints as the cost of living weighs on voters statewide.\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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104452\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-6-KQED-7221f6c9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gas prices are displayed on a pump at a Shell gas station in San Rafael on Oct. 14, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s what makes California so different: There are specific policies that voters can examine rather than simply looking at what’s happening in Washington,” said Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The blame game over gas prices is taking on heightened importance as California’s congressional battlegrounds move from the upscale coastal suburbs, where the Democratic “blue wave” first made landfall in 2018, to inland working-class communities where residents tend to drive more on average. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year, California has three House contests widely considered to be the most competitive between Democrats and Republicans. An analysis by the Brookings Institution for KQED found that all three seats fall in the top third of California congressional districts in annual vehicle miles traveled per capita. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When [gas] prices go up … those who drive longer distances, those who have less room in their household budgets feel it the most,” said Adie Tomer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “Those households are really taking it on the chin right now.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We need our cars’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The three California congressional races rated competitive by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report are the 13th and 22nd districts, in the farmlands of the Central Valley, and the 48th District, which covers the sprawling suburbs of northern San Diego and Riverside counties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need our cars — it’s a large district,” said Von Wilpert, a San Diego City Council member running for the 48th District, where Republican Rep. Darrell Issa opted not to seek reelection. “When the war in Iran was started overnight by Donald Trump, he never asked for approval from the American people or from Congress.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Robin Ferguson, a resident of Escondido who is supporting Von Wilpert, felt the gas price hit in mid-September when she returned home after a week out of town. \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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104453\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-7-KQED-446cbcfa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Bretl pumps gas at a Shell gas station in San Rafael on Oct. 14, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was at $5.09 when I left, it’s a week now, and it’s $5.79 — it’s a big, big issue,” Ferguson said. “We don’t have the public transportation up here in North County to get down to San Diego.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The nationwide monthly average for a gallon of gas hit a record high in September, according \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/\">to AAA\u003c/a>, and now sits at $4.33. In California, the average price is significantly higher: $6.26. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That California premium can be attributed to a number of factors, according to \u003ca href=\"https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2026/07/27/why-do-californians-pay-more-at-the-pump/\">an analysis\u003c/a> by UC Berkeley professor Severin Borenstein, faculty director of the Energy Institute at Haas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Taxes are the largest contributor. The state’s gas tax stands at $0.63 per gallon, the highest in the nation. And unlike leaders in states such as Georgia, Indiana, Ohio and Utah, California lawmakers have not suspended or reduced the tax as the war-fueled price increases put more pressure on drivers.\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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104469\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-3-KQED-48355995-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gas prices are displayed on a screen at a 76 gas station in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The tax, increased by the Legislature in 2017 and backed by voters a year later, funds road repair and transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California taxes started out averaging about $0.25 higher in the mid-oughts and are about $0.51 higher than elsewhere in the US over the last few years,” Borenstein wrote. “Taxes account for about one-quarter of the growth in the California gas premium.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On top of the tax are costs of complying with the state’s landmark emission-reduction programs — and the added expense of producing California’s special blend of gasoline. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ad spending flips\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Republicans wielded these state initiatives as cudgels in recent House elections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When gas prices spiked in 2022, GOP groups pounded Central Valley Democrats Rudy Salas, who supported the state’s cap-and-trade program, and Adam Gray, who voted in favor of the gas tax increase. Both lost their campaigns that year, though Gray came back to win the 13th District in 2024. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Republicans took us to task on gas prices,” said Bill Wong, a Democratic strategist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wong spent years leading the campaign arm for Democrats in the state Assembly, building a supermajority that allowed the party to pass the gas tax and an ambitious environmental agenda — and protecting it amid attacks from the GOP over fuel prices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, he sees an opening for Democrats to at least neutralize the issue, as Iran’s attacks against ships carrying crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz sent prices soaring worldwide. Average gas prices have increased $1.35 per gallon since the beginning of the war, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/gas-prices-iran-war-state-national-cost-trump-rcna265835\">according\u003c/a> to NBC News. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a direct tie to something that they did with the increase in gas price,” Wong said. “I think it’s time for the Democrats to really lean into it and say, ‘Hey, you held us responsible for gas prices in the past, and now you’re in charge.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the country, Democrats have taken up that call to flip the script. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/19/gas-prices-midterms-affordability-ads-01041175\">Politico analysis\u003c/a> of ad transcripts from the firm AdImpact found that roughly two-thirds of ads mentioning gas or gas prices in House or Senate elections came from Democrats. In 2024, 87% of gas price ads were run by Republicans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Democrats are banking on the resonance of fuel price anxiety as they look to make inroads in traditionally red areas of the country. Rising diesel costs add particular burdens in agricultural areas, such as Iowa and Kansas and California’s Central Valley — where farmers rely on diesel to run tractors and combines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brookings \u003ca href=\"https://www.brookings.edu/articles/another-oil-crisis-is-here-how-will-american-drivers-respond/\">analyzed annual miles traveled\u003c/a> by Americans in their personal vehicle and found a decided tilt toward areas represented by the GOP in Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Across the country, districts that are represented by Republican elected officials are disproportionately those districts where people drive longer distances,” said Tomer, the Brookings senior fellow. “Also, many of them tend to have relatively lower household incomes.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The pattern extends to California. Brookings researchers re-ran their analysis under the state’s new congressional lines and found that eight of the nine districts represented by Republicans (as well as Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the GOP this year but caucuses with Republicans as an independent) are in the top half of California districts by vehicle miles traveled per capita. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Republicans welcome gas price fight\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the mounting pressure from Democrats and the disproportionate pressure of rising gas prices, Republicans in California’s most competitive congressional districts are not shying away from the fight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In those battleground seats, GOP candidates and aligned groups have spent more than $3.2 million this cycle on ads mentioning “gas prices” — compared with roughly $700,000 from Democrats, according to data through September from AdImpact. \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/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-5-KQED-8d68c0c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104451\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-5-KQED-8d68c0c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-5-KQED-8d68c0c7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261014_GasPricesVoters_GC-5-KQED-8d68c0c7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An individual pumps gas at a Shell gas station in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An ad from Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, features drivers bemoaning the cost of gas and tying Villegas, the Democratic candidate in the 22nd District, to Democratic support of the state’s cap-and-invest system. The program requires polluters such as refineries to pay for their carbon emissions and has \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5042\">historically added\u003c/a> roughly $0.23 to the cost of a gallon of gas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In another spot, Republican Kevin Lincoln, the former Stockton mayor challenging Rep. Adam Gray, takes aim at Gray’s 2017 vote in support of raising the state’s gas tax. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s what makes this issue so important in California,” said Martinez, the NRCC spokesperson. “We’re not talking about hypothetical policies; we’re talking about actual votes and records that people can look at every time they fill up their gas tanks.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103628/congressman-adam-gray-defends-one-of-californias-last-swing-districts-after-redistricting\">interview with KQED\u003c/a>, Gray contrasted his gas tax vote with the ongoing war — arguing that increasing the tax and tying it to the rate of inflation came with the benefit of funding overdue road repair. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Let’s compare and contrast that with the current inflation, the current kind of reckless war in Iran with no end in sight,” Gray said. “And yet — and this just tells you how dishonest the Republican campaign is — they’re running around blaming me for gas prices.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, some drivers aren’t ready to shift the blame to the GOP after years of tying the high prices to Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gabriel Uribe said gas prices are “killing us” as he filled up his silver Ford F-150 at a Chevron station in San Marcos — a San Diego suburb in the 48th District. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California has got to change,” he said. “California is different from any other state right now.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Uribe is a construction worker who said he commutes roughly 100 miles every day between northern San Diego County and Imperial Beach, a city along the U.S.-Mexico border. He said high gas prices drove him to support Trump in the 2024 election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s [the] number one [reason] why I voted the way I did in the last presidential election,” Uribe said. “But it still can’t change unless we change here — you can only do so much federally, and it’s got to be a state issue now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "on-calfresh-what-to-know-about-snap-changes-and-where-to-find-food-assistance",
"title": "On CalFresh? What to Know About SNAP Changes — and Where to Find Food Assistance",
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"headTitle": "On CalFresh? What to Know About SNAP Changes — and Where to Find Food Assistance | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/california.department.of.social.services/viz/CFdashboard-PUBLIC/Home\">Over 5.1 million people in California receive benefits\u003c/a> through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — known as CalFresh in California. And this month has brought more changes to how this program works. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There have already been several major shifts in SNAP operations over the past year as a result of H.R.1 — the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/big-beautiful-bill\">so-called “Big Beautiful Bill”\u003c/a> enacted in July 2025. For instance, earlier this year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">work requirements for many CalFresh recipients\u003c/a> began to be enforced in California for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food security advocates have expressed deep concern over the impacts of the bill and its effects on people relying on government programming. According to the state’s Department of Social Services, \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5208/3\">562,000 CalFresh recipients\u003c/a> are estimated to lose their benefits over the next year due to H.R.1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re on CalFresh, here’s what to know about the latest changes in California in effect this month, how they might already be affecting you and your household and where to find other places locally that offer support to Californians facing food insecurity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#food-support\">Where to find extra food support in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits have gone up (slightly) to reflect inflation … \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CalFresh users may see a couple of extra dollars starting this month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every October, the federal government adjusts SNAP benefits to \u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.com/Politics/snap-benefits-begin-oct-1-millions-americans/story?id=136895859\">account for inflation\u003c/a>. Now, one person on CalFresh \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/guidance-documents/fna.snap-cola2027.pdf\">will get a maximum of $306\u003c/a> per month — \u003ca href=\"https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/allotment/cola/fy26\">$8 more than last year\u003c/a>. A household of four could receive a maximum of $1,023 (a rise of $29 from last year).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, these maximums don’t reflect the amount everyone on CalFresh actually receives. And the recipient’s circumstances, like income and expenses, can always \u003ca href=\"https://ebtbenefitsguide.com/calfresh-benefit-increase-october-2026/\">affect the amount of CalFresh benefits they ultimately get\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1130\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b-1536x868.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Army Captain Gabriela Glavis inspects a pepper as she joins fellow members of the California National Guard, volunteers and employees packing produce for distribution after California Attorney General Rob Bonta spoke at a news conference about his federal lawsuit challenging the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the federal government shutdown at Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in Los Angeles on Oct. 30, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">… but income eligibility thresholds have gone up accordingly\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With the slight increases in benefit caps, the benchmarks for how much money a person’s income makes them eligible for \u003ca href=\"https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/allotment/cola/fy26\">have also been\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/guidance-documents/fna.snap-cola2027.pdf\">increased\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://ebtbenefitsguide.com/calfresh-benefit-increase-october-2026/\">person’s ability to qualify for CalFresh\u003c/a> can, however, vary based on several factors. The best way to check if you can get on CalFresh is to go to \u003ca href=\"http://benefitscal.com\">BenefitsCal.com\u003c/a> and chat with the website’s Ask Robin chatbot feature, or just apply directly to see what level you’re assessed at. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Changes in SNAP staffing and support \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Along with the annual adjustment, the federal government is also changing how staff and clerical support for SNAP is being financed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Usually, both the federal and state governments equally \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/01/nx-s1-5985222/snap-benefits-program-october-change-funding\">funded SNAP’s administrative costs,\u003c/a> like training staff. But now, as of October, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/01/nx-s1-5985222/snap-benefits-program-october-change-funding\">states will be covering 75% of these costs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to advocacy groups like the \u003ca href=\"https://frac.org/blog/why-the-snap-administrative-cost-shift-threatens-state-budgets-and-program-operations\">Food Research & Action Center\u003c/a>, this comes at a time when \u003cem>more \u003c/em>staff are needed — especially after this summer’s massive change to SNAP’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">work requirements\u003c/a> that added more paperwork for recipients to collect and document during the benefits process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And this change in how SNAP is determined and applied will be especially felt in California, since it will be the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that work requirements have actually been enforced in the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state government addressed \u003ca href=\"https://lee.asmdc.org/press-releases/20260708-california-steps-tackle-hunger-and-counter-federal-cuts-food-assistance\">some of these major overhauls\u003c/a> in its budget, including $110 million in one-time funding and $8 million in ongoing funding for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/tag/calfood/\">CalFood\u003c/a>, which supports California food banks — plus another $223 million in one-time funding for county administration support of CalFresh. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But ultimately, the federal guidelines are part of a long line of changes from H.R.1 enacted in July 2025 that have deeply weakened the food benefits system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A streamlined system for public college students\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063723/food-insecurity-on-campus-how-snap-is-a-lifeline-for-many-students\">college students\u003c/a> will now have fewer obstacles to jump through when applying to CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he is directing county officials to automatically exempt college students attending a California community college, California State University or the University of California from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">stricter work requirements\u003c/a> when applying for benefits.\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/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians pass The Berkeley Student Food Collective on Bancroft Way in Berkeley on Nov. 10, 2025. The co-op, known for its focus on affordability and sustainability, displays local produce outside its storefront. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/ACLs/2026/26-25.pdf?ver=9wnMJKO33kzjjXR8DM0Dpw\">exemption applies to students\u003c/a> who are eligible for CalFresh and are pursuing associate and bachelor’s degree programs at one of the above institutions. According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/ACLs/2026/26-25.pdf?ver=9wnMJKO33kzjjXR8DM0Dpw\">a letter from Newsom’s office\u003c/a>, this allows the CalFresh application process to be more streamlined and reduce administrative burdens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can’t expect students to learn if they’re hungry, and in California, there is no reason for them to be, whether they’re in kindergarten, high school or college,” Newsom said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/10/09/california-improves-access-to-calfresh-food-benefits-helping-college-students-get-up-to-306-a-month-to-buy-groceries/\">an Oct. 9 release\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get the food benefits you’re entitled to, and now you don’t have to. Go apply now — you might be leaving money on the table,” Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"food-support\">Where to find more food assistance in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you have CalFresh, it now includes free fruit and vegetables\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>October also marks the return of a state program \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102320/on-calfresh-you-can-once-again-get-60-of-free-fruits-and-vegetables-monthly-for-a-limited-time\">providing extra money for families\u003c/a> to buy fruits and vegetables if they use CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program\u003c/a> allows customers to receive a monthly instant rebate on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card after purchasing up to $60 worth of fruits and vegetables. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, this offer is \u003cem>only \u003c/em>available at \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">select participating markets\u003c/a>. Over 80 statewide locations — from retailers to farmer’s markets — are involved with the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program. In the Bay Area, these locations are all either in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">Alameda or Santa Clara County\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/10/2026/07/20260717_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\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check if you’re eligible for additional food assistance through WIC \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) provides food assistance to lower-income families who have young children or are expecting a new child, including grandparents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like CalFresh, it’s federally funded and income-based, and you can receive WIC benefits on top of your CalFresh benefits. \u003ca href=\"https://myfamily.wic.ca.gov/Home/HowCanIGetWIC\">See if you qualify for WIC.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you lost CalFresh, see if you qualify for CFAP\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last year, the federal government tightened restrictions that pushed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078168/april-1-snap-food-stamps-cal-fresh-eligibility-change-2026-immigrants-refugees-asylum-seekers-recertify-where-to-find-food-bank\">most humanitarian immigrants out of CalFresh eligibility\u003c/a>, affecting tens of thousands of people in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some — but not all — humanitarian immigrants may be qualified for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/calfresh/california-food-assistance-program\">the California Food Assistance Program\u003c/a>. CFAP uses \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/calfresh/cfap/how-to-apply\">the same application as CalFresh\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“At recertification, your county worker will determine your eligibility for CalFresh,” \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">state guidance\u003c/a> reads. “If you are no longer eligible for CalFresh due to H.R. 1 but you are eligible for CFAP, your county worker will adjust your benefits at that time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Examples of CFAP-eligible individuals that are noncitizens \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">include\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Legal permanent residents who have not met the five-year U.S. residency requirement or the 40 qualifying work quarters criteria\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Conditional entrants\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Battered or abused noncitizens\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">Parolees who have not met the five-year waiting period or an exemption. \u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to find and use a food bank \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">thorough guide \u003c/a>on using food banks or food pantries near you in both \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">English\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062427/como-encontrar-un-banco-de-alimentos-o-despensa-cerca-de-usted-en-el-area-de-la-bahia\">Spanish\u003c/a>, and here are the big takeaways:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Major food banks, like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/workplace-giving/?ea.tracking.id=DigAd2526-PMG&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=workplacegiving&ea.tracking.id=DigAd2526-PMG&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=evergreen&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22903428179&gbraid=0AAAAACKCveNd07Igg9N0gD73ISiw1-uWD&gclid=CjwKCAjwpOfHBhAxEiwAm1SwErwV4xaFN_FEK7A9GBHjFfCEezDoE97Ft7G8ZkERCFXMNDrJVQO7YhoCKBsQAvD_BwE\">SF-Marin Food Bank\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/our-members/\">California Association of Food Banks\u003c/a> or the \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodbankccs.org/find-food/foodbycity/?_gl=1*3ajdlo*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjA5ODkyMDQ5NS4xNzYxMjQ2NjU0*_ga_8BLR9BK6YN*czE3NjEyNDY2NTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjEyNDY2NTMkajYwJGwwJGgw\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u003c/a>, will likely have \u003ca href=\"https://foodlocator.sfmfoodbank.org/?_gl=1*1lbew87*_gcl_au*MTkzNzUwMDUyLjE3NjEyNDUwMzE.&_ga=2.54192875.2143041145.1761245031-1508876033.1761245031\">a tool online that can help you locate food resources\u003c/a> near you. These maps or search engines can list locations ranging from large operations to small community fridges.\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/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078659\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteers sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also call \u003ca href=\"https://211ca.org/\">the 211 state hotline\u003c/a> for more information.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once you find a spot, be sure to check out the food bank or pantry online before heading out. Note what hours they are open and for how long. Some locations are open to anyone and to walk-ins, but some may require people to register for a spot beforehand or live in a specific zip code.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many food banks serve people regardless of immigration status. For example, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/find-food/\">SF-Marin Food Bank states on its website\u003c/a> that it “is committed to serving residents regardless of their immigration status or identity” and, as a non-government agency, does “not collect the immigration status of participants.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But food advocates suggest double-checking by calling the food bank and seeing if it has reporting requirements.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also, before heading out, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Forms-and-Brochures/2020/E-H/EFA14.pdf?ver=6TAyHs3YqLwt2JrwvpJQ6w%3d%3d\">check if your income leve\u003c/a>l meets \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/emergency-food\">the requirements of the Emergency Food Assistance Program\u003c/a>, a federal program that also provides some assistance. If it does, you can go to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/efap/stakeholders\">participating food banks and distributors\u003c/a> to get extra food support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take a look at your own county’s food assistance programs\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bay Area counties have some food assistance options that are separate from nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">food banks\u003c/a>, although sometimes they work together. Your county may provide locations where you can pick up free food, or offer other ways of getting free or low-cost meals that include delivery:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from the City and County of San Francisco:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/food/free-food-locations\">Free food locations offering both groceries and meals\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging-services/groceries-meals\">Options for having meals delivered to your home\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging/groceries-meals/community-meals\">Locations where you can find a community meal\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchampss.org/our-program/\">Choosing Healthy Appetizing Meal Plan Solution for Seniors (CHAMPSS)\u003c/a>, a restaurant partnership that offers adults age 60 and older ways to eat subsidized meals at designated restaurants in San Francisco, with a suggested (optional) contribution of $5\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Contra Costa County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/health-and-safety-information/nutrition-and-healthy-living/get-food/food-assistance-for-everyone\">A food assistance program\u003c/a> that provides one member of lower-income households in the county a box of food every month\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/health-and-safety-information/nutrition-and-healthy-living/get-food/food-assistance-for-everyone\">The Community Produce Program\u003c/a> that offers one member of each household one or two bags of fresh fruits and vegetables, twice a month (own bag is required)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Contra Costa County residents can call 855-309-FOOD (3663) for more information.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Alameda County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://foodnow.net/\">FoodNow.net\u003c/a>: A site managed with the Alameda County Community Food Bank that connects county residents to different food sources, including emergency groceries. People can call 510-635-3663 for more information.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedacountysocialservices.org/ex/our-services/Work-and-Money/General-Assistance/index\">General Assistance\u003c/a>: Cash aid for certain residents of Alameda County\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Marin County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Congregate-Meals\">Congregate meal options in Marin County\u003c/a> (scroll down the page to view PDF)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Food-Pantries\">Food pantry and distribution options in Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Home-Delivered-Meals%2C-Food\">Home-delivered meals in Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from San Mateo County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcgov.org/hsa/food-resources\">Food assistance resources\u003c/a> on offer within San Mateo\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Napa County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.readynapacounty.gov/232/Food-Assistance\">Food services programs in Napa County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.canv.org/food-pantry/\">A list of Napa food pantries\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Solano County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.gov/government/health-social-services-hss/employment-eligibility/cash-aid/general-assistance\">Short-term general assistance available\u003c/a>, including food resources\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Sonoma County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/human-services/divisions-and-services/economic-assistance/food-and-nutrition-benefits/other-food-programs\">Meals and food service resources in Sonoma County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Santa Clara County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://socialservices.sccgov.org/food-assistance\">Food resources, including delivery, for older adults in Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/california.department.of.social.services/viz/CFdashboard-PUBLIC/Home\">Over 5.1 million people in California receive benefits\u003c/a> through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — known as CalFresh in California. And this month has brought more changes to how this program works. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/california.department.of.social.services/viz/CFdashboard-PUBLIC/Home\">Over 5.1 million people in California receive benefits\u003c/a> through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — known as CalFresh in California. And this month has brought more changes to how this program works. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There have already been several major shifts in SNAP operations over the past year as a result of H.R.1 — the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/big-beautiful-bill\">so-called “Big Beautiful Bill”\u003c/a> enacted in July 2025. For instance, earlier this year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">work requirements for many CalFresh recipients\u003c/a> began to be enforced in California for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There have already been several major shifts in SNAP operations over the past year as a result of H.R.1 — the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/big-beautiful-bill\">so-called “Big Beautiful Bill”\u003c/a> enacted in July 2025. For instance, earlier this year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">work requirements for many CalFresh recipients\u003c/a> began to be enforced in California for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Food security advocates have expressed deep concern over the impacts of the bill and its effects on people relying on government programming. According to the state’s Department of Social Services, \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5208/3\">562,000 CalFresh recipients\u003c/a> are estimated to lose their benefits over the next year due to H.R.1.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Food security advocates have expressed deep concern over the impacts of the bill and its effects on people relying on government programming. According to the state’s Department of Social Services, \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5208/3\">562,000 CalFresh recipients\u003c/a> are estimated to lose their benefits over the next year due to H.R.1.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re on CalFresh, here’s what to know about the latest changes in California in effect this month, how they might already be affecting you and your household and where to find other places locally that offer support to Californians facing food insecurity.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you’re on CalFresh, here’s what to know about the latest changes in California in effect this month, how they might already be affecting you and your household and where to find other places locally that offer support to Californians facing food insecurity.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#food-support\">Where to find extra food support in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#food-support\">Where to find extra food support in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"text": "Benefits have gone up (slightly) to reflect inflation … ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CalFresh users may see a couple of extra dollars starting this month. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Every October, the federal government adjusts SNAP benefits to \u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.com/Politics/snap-benefits-begin-oct-1-millions-americans/story?id=136895859\">account for inflation\u003c/a>. Now, one person on CalFresh \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/guidance-documents/fna.snap-cola2027.pdf\">will get a maximum of $306\u003c/a> per month — \u003ca href=\"https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/allotment/cola/fy26\">$8 more than last year\u003c/a>. A household of four could receive a maximum of $1,023 (a rise of $29 from last year).\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Every October, the federal government adjusts SNAP benefits to \u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.com/Politics/snap-benefits-begin-oct-1-millions-americans/story?id=136895859\">account for inflation\u003c/a>. Now, one person on CalFresh \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/guidance-documents/fna.snap-cola2027.pdf\">will get a maximum of $306\u003c/a> per month — \u003ca href=\"https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/allotment/cola/fy26\">$8 more than last year\u003c/a>. A household of four could receive a maximum of $1,023 (a rise of $29 from last year).\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, these maximums don’t reflect the amount everyone on CalFresh actually receives. And the recipient’s circumstances, like income and expenses, can always \u003ca href=\"https://ebtbenefitsguide.com/calfresh-benefit-increase-october-2026/\">affect the amount of CalFresh benefits they ultimately get\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>However, these maximums don’t reflect the amount everyone on CalFresh actually receives. And the recipient’s circumstances, like income and expenses, can always \u003ca href=\"https://ebtbenefitsguide.com/calfresh-benefit-increase-october-2026/\">affect the amount of CalFresh benefits they ultimately get\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/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b-1536x868.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Army Captain Gabriela Glavis inspects a pepper as she joins fellow members of the California National Guard, volunteers and employees packing produce for distribution after California Attorney General Rob Bonta spoke at a news conference about his federal lawsuit challenging the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the federal government shutdown at Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in Los Angeles on Oct. 30, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104328\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Army Captain Gabriela Glavis inspects a pepper as she joins fellow members of the California National Guard, volunteers and employees packing produce for distribution after California Attorney General Rob Bonta spoke at a news conference about his federal lawsuit challenging the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the federal government shutdown at Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in Los Angeles on Oct. 30, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "… but income eligibility thresholds have gone up accordingly",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">… but income eligibility thresholds have gone up accordingly\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With the slight increases in benefit caps, the benchmarks for how much money a person’s income makes them eligible for \u003ca href=\"https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/allotment/cola/fy26\">have also been\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/guidance-documents/fna.snap-cola2027.pdf\">increased\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With the slight increases in benefit caps, the benchmarks for how much money a person’s income makes them eligible for \u003ca href=\"https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/allotment/cola/fy26\">have also been\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/guidance-documents/fna.snap-cola2027.pdf\">increased\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://ebtbenefitsguide.com/calfresh-benefit-increase-october-2026/\">person’s ability to qualify for CalFresh\u003c/a> can, however, vary based on several factors. The best way to check if you can get on CalFresh is to go to \u003ca href=\"http://benefitscal.com\">BenefitsCal.com\u003c/a> and chat with the website’s Ask Robin chatbot feature, or just apply directly to see what level you’re assessed at. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://ebtbenefitsguide.com/calfresh-benefit-increase-october-2026/\">person’s ability to qualify for CalFresh\u003c/a> can, however, vary based on several factors. The best way to check if you can get on CalFresh is to go to \u003ca href=\"http://benefitscal.com\">BenefitsCal.com\u003c/a> and chat with the website’s Ask Robin chatbot feature, or just apply directly to see what level you’re assessed at. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Changes in SNAP staffing and support ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Changes in SNAP staffing and support \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Changes in SNAP staffing and support \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Along with the annual adjustment, the federal government is also changing how staff and clerical support for SNAP is being financed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Along with the annual adjustment, the federal government is also changing how staff and clerical support for SNAP is being financed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Usually, both the federal and state governments equally \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/01/nx-s1-5985222/snap-benefits-program-october-change-funding\">funded SNAP’s administrative costs,\u003c/a> like training staff. But now, as of October, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/01/nx-s1-5985222/snap-benefits-program-october-change-funding\">states will be covering 75% of these costs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Usually, both the federal and state governments equally \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/01/nx-s1-5985222/snap-benefits-program-october-change-funding\">funded SNAP’s administrative costs,\u003c/a> like training staff. But now, as of October, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/01/nx-s1-5985222/snap-benefits-program-october-change-funding\">states will be covering 75% of these costs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to advocacy groups like the \u003ca href=\"https://frac.org/blog/why-the-snap-administrative-cost-shift-threatens-state-budgets-and-program-operations\">Food Research & Action Center\u003c/a>, this comes at a time when \u003cem>more \u003c/em>staff are needed — especially after this summer’s massive change to SNAP’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">work requirements\u003c/a> that added more paperwork for recipients to collect and document during the benefits process.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to advocacy groups like the \u003ca href=\"https://frac.org/blog/why-the-snap-administrative-cost-shift-threatens-state-budgets-and-program-operations\">Food Research & Action Center\u003c/a>, this comes at a time when \u003cem>more \u003c/em>staff are needed — especially after this summer’s massive change to SNAP’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">work requirements\u003c/a> that added more paperwork for recipients to collect and document during the benefits process.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And this change in how SNAP is determined and applied will be especially felt in California, since it will be the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that work requirements have actually been enforced in the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And this change in how SNAP is determined and applied will be especially felt in California, since it will be the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that work requirements have actually been enforced in the state. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state government addressed \u003ca href=\"https://lee.asmdc.org/press-releases/20260708-california-steps-tackle-hunger-and-counter-federal-cuts-food-assistance\">some of these major overhauls\u003c/a> in its budget, including $110 million in one-time funding and $8 million in ongoing funding for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/tag/calfood/\">CalFood\u003c/a>, which supports California food banks — plus another $223 million in one-time funding for county administration support of CalFresh. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state government addressed \u003ca href=\"https://lee.asmdc.org/press-releases/20260708-california-steps-tackle-hunger-and-counter-federal-cuts-food-assistance\">some of these major overhauls\u003c/a> in its budget, including $110 million in one-time funding and $8 million in ongoing funding for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/tag/calfood/\">CalFood\u003c/a>, which supports California food banks — plus another $223 million in one-time funding for county administration support of CalFresh. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But ultimately, the federal guidelines are part of a long line of changes from H.R.1 enacted in July 2025 that have deeply weakened the food benefits system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But ultimately, the federal guidelines are part of a long line of changes from H.R.1 enacted in July 2025 that have deeply weakened the food benefits system. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "A streamlined system for public college students",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A streamlined system for public college students\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A streamlined system for public college students\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Public \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063723/food-insecurity-on-campus-how-snap-is-a-lifeline-for-many-students\">college students\u003c/a> will now have fewer obstacles to jump through when applying to CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Public \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063723/food-insecurity-on-campus-how-snap-is-a-lifeline-for-many-students\">college students\u003c/a> will now have fewer obstacles to jump through when applying to CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he is directing county officials to automatically exempt college students attending a California community college, California State University or the University of California from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">stricter work requirements\u003c/a> when applying for benefits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he is directing county officials to automatically exempt college students attending a California community college, California State University or the University of California from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">stricter work requirements\u003c/a> when applying for benefits.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-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/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_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 pass The Berkeley Student Food Collective on Bancroft Way in Berkeley on Nov. 10, 2025. The co-op, known for its focus on affordability and sustainability, displays local produce outside its storefront.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/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/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063728\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians pass The Berkeley Student Food Collective on Bancroft Way in Berkeley on Nov. 10, 2025. The co-op, known for its focus on affordability and sustainability, displays local produce outside its storefront.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/ACLs/2026/26-25.pdf?ver=9wnMJKO33kzjjXR8DM0Dpw\">exemption applies to students\u003c/a> who are eligible for CalFresh and are pursuing associate and bachelor’s degree programs at one of the above institutions. According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/ACLs/2026/26-25.pdf?ver=9wnMJKO33kzjjXR8DM0Dpw\">a letter from Newsom’s office\u003c/a>, this allows the CalFresh application process to be more streamlined and reduce administrative burdens.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/ACLs/2026/26-25.pdf?ver=9wnMJKO33kzjjXR8DM0Dpw\">exemption applies to students\u003c/a> who are eligible for CalFresh and are pursuing associate and bachelor’s degree programs at one of the above institutions. According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/ACLs/2026/26-25.pdf?ver=9wnMJKO33kzjjXR8DM0Dpw\">a letter from Newsom’s office\u003c/a>, this allows the CalFresh application process to be more streamlined and reduce administrative burdens.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We can’t expect students to learn if they’re hungry, and in California, there is no reason for them to be, whether they’re in kindergarten, high school or college,” Newsom said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/10/09/california-improves-access-to-calfresh-food-benefits-helping-college-students-get-up-to-306-a-month-to-buy-groceries/\">an Oct. 9 release\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We can’t expect students to learn if they’re hungry, and in California, there is no reason for them to be, whether they’re in kindergarten, high school or college,” Newsom said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/10/09/california-improves-access-to-calfresh-food-benefits-helping-college-students-get-up-to-306-a-month-to-buy-groceries/\">an Oct. 9 release\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get the food benefits you’re entitled to, and now you don’t have to. Go apply now — you might be leaving money on the table,” Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get the food benefits you’re entitled to, and now you don’t have to. Go apply now — you might be leaving money on the table,” Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Where to find more food assistance in the Bay Area",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"food-support\">Where to find more food assistance in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n",
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"attrs": {
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"text": "If you have CalFresh, it now includes free fruit and vegetables"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you have CalFresh, it now includes free fruit and vegetables\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you have CalFresh, it now includes free fruit and vegetables\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>October also marks the return of a state program \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102320/on-calfresh-you-can-once-again-get-60-of-free-fruits-and-vegetables-monthly-for-a-limited-time\">providing extra money for families\u003c/a> to buy fruits and vegetables if they use CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>October also marks the return of a state program \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102320/on-calfresh-you-can-once-again-get-60-of-free-fruits-and-vegetables-monthly-for-a-limited-time\">providing extra money for families\u003c/a> to buy fruits and vegetables if they use CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program\u003c/a> allows customers to receive a monthly instant rebate on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card after purchasing up to $60 worth of fruits and vegetables. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program\u003c/a> allows customers to receive a monthly instant rebate on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card after purchasing up to $60 worth of fruits and vegetables. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, this offer is \u003cem>only \u003c/em>available at \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">select participating markets\u003c/a>. Over 80 statewide locations — from retailers to farmer’s markets — are involved with the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program. In the Bay Area, these locations are all either in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">Alameda or Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>However, this offer is \u003cem>only \u003c/em>available at \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">select participating markets\u003c/a>. Over 80 statewide locations — from retailers to farmer’s markets — are involved with the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program. In the Bay Area, these locations are all either in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">Alameda or Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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"attrs": {
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"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)"
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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",
"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-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"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Check if you’re eligible for additional food assistance through WIC "
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check if you’re eligible for additional food assistance through WIC \u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check if you’re eligible for additional food assistance through WIC \u003c/h3>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) provides food assistance to lower-income families who have young children or are expecting a new child, including grandparents. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) provides food assistance to lower-income families who have young children or are expecting a new child, including grandparents. \u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like CalFresh, it’s federally funded and income-based, and you can receive WIC benefits on top of your CalFresh benefits. \u003ca href=\"https://myfamily.wic.ca.gov/Home/HowCanIGetWIC\">See if you qualify for WIC.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Like CalFresh, it’s federally funded and income-based, and you can receive WIC benefits on top of your CalFresh benefits. \u003ca href=\"https://myfamily.wic.ca.gov/Home/HowCanIGetWIC\">See if you qualify for WIC.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "If you lost CalFresh, see if you qualify for CFAP"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you lost CalFresh, see if you qualify for CFAP\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you lost CalFresh, see if you qualify for CFAP\u003c/h3>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last year, the federal government tightened restrictions that pushed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078168/april-1-snap-food-stamps-cal-fresh-eligibility-change-2026-immigrants-refugees-asylum-seekers-recertify-where-to-find-food-bank\">most humanitarian immigrants out of CalFresh eligibility\u003c/a>, affecting tens of thousands of people in California.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Last year, the federal government tightened restrictions that pushed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078168/april-1-snap-food-stamps-cal-fresh-eligibility-change-2026-immigrants-refugees-asylum-seekers-recertify-where-to-find-food-bank\">most humanitarian immigrants out of CalFresh eligibility\u003c/a>, affecting tens of thousands of people in California.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some — but not all — humanitarian immigrants may be qualified for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/calfresh/california-food-assistance-program\">the California Food Assistance Program\u003c/a>. CFAP uses \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/calfresh/cfap/how-to-apply\">the same application as CalFresh\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Some — but not all — humanitarian immigrants may be qualified for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/calfresh/california-food-assistance-program\">the California Food Assistance Program\u003c/a>. CFAP uses \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/calfresh/cfap/how-to-apply\">the same application as CalFresh\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“At recertification, your county worker will determine your eligibility for CalFresh,” \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">state guidance\u003c/a> reads. “If you are no longer eligible for CalFresh due to H.R. 1 but you are eligible for CFAP, your county worker will adjust your benefits at that time.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“At recertification, your county worker will determine your eligibility for CalFresh,” \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">state guidance\u003c/a> reads. “If you are no longer eligible for CalFresh due to H.R. 1 but you are eligible for CFAP, your county worker will adjust your benefits at that time.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Examples of CFAP-eligible individuals that are noncitizens \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">include\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Examples of CFAP-eligible individuals that are noncitizens \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">include\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
"blockName": "core/list",
"attrs": {
"items": [
"Legal permanent residents who have not met the five-year U.S. residency requirement or the 40 qualifying work quarters criteria",
"Conditional entrants",
"Battered or abused noncitizens",
"Parolees who have not met the five-year waiting period or an exemption. "
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"ordered": false,
"values": ""
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">",
null,
"\n\n",
null,
"\n\n",
null,
"\n\n",
null,
"\u003c/ul>\n"
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"innerBlocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
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"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Legal permanent residents who have not met the five-year U.S. residency requirement or the 40 qualifying work quarters criteria\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Legal permanent residents who have not met the five-year U.S. residency requirement or the 40 qualifying work quarters criteria\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Conditional entrants\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Conditional entrants\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Battered or abused noncitizens\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Battered or abused noncitizens\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">Parolees who have not met the five-year waiting period or an exemption. \u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">Parolees who have not met the five-year waiting period or an exemption. \u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
}
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "How to find and use a food bank "
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to find and use a food bank \u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to find and use a food bank \u003c/h3>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">thorough guide \u003c/a>on using food banks or food pantries near you in both \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">English\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062427/como-encontrar-un-banco-de-alimentos-o-despensa-cerca-de-usted-en-el-area-de-la-bahia\">Spanish\u003c/a>, and here are the big takeaways:\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>KQED has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">thorough guide \u003c/a>on using food banks or food pantries near you in both \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">English\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062427/como-encontrar-un-banco-de-alimentos-o-despensa-cerca-de-usted-en-el-area-de-la-bahia\">Spanish\u003c/a>, and here are the big takeaways:\u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Major food banks, like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/workplace-giving/?ea.tracking.id=DigAd2526-PMG&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=workplacegiving&ea.tracking.id=DigAd2526-PMG&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=evergreen&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22903428179&gbraid=0AAAAACKCveNd07Igg9N0gD73ISiw1-uWD&gclid=CjwKCAjwpOfHBhAxEiwAm1SwErwV4xaFN_FEK7A9GBHjFfCEezDoE97Ft7G8ZkERCFXMNDrJVQO7YhoCKBsQAvD_BwE\">SF-Marin Food Bank\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/our-members/\">California Association of Food Banks\u003c/a> or the \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodbankccs.org/find-food/foodbycity/?_gl=1*3ajdlo*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjA5ODkyMDQ5NS4xNzYxMjQ2NjU0*_ga_8BLR9BK6YN*czE3NjEyNDY2NTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjEyNDY2NTMkajYwJGwwJGgw\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u003c/a>, will likely have \u003ca href=\"https://foodlocator.sfmfoodbank.org/?_gl=1*1lbew87*_gcl_au*MTkzNzUwMDUyLjE3NjEyNDUwMzE.&_ga=2.54192875.2143041145.1761245031-1508876033.1761245031\">a tool online that can help you locate food resources\u003c/a> near you. These maps or search engines can list locations ranging from large operations to small community fridges.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Major food banks, like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/workplace-giving/?ea.tracking.id=DigAd2526-PMG&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=workplacegiving&ea.tracking.id=DigAd2526-PMG&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=evergreen&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22903428179&gbraid=0AAAAACKCveNd07Igg9N0gD73ISiw1-uWD&gclid=CjwKCAjwpOfHBhAxEiwAm1SwErwV4xaFN_FEK7A9GBHjFfCEezDoE97Ft7G8ZkERCFXMNDrJVQO7YhoCKBsQAvD_BwE\">SF-Marin Food Bank\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/our-members/\">California Association of Food Banks\u003c/a> or the \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodbankccs.org/find-food/foodbycity/?_gl=1*3ajdlo*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjA5ODkyMDQ5NS4xNzYxMjQ2NjU0*_ga_8BLR9BK6YN*czE3NjEyNDY2NTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjEyNDY2NTMkajYwJGwwJGgw\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u003c/a>, will likely have \u003ca href=\"https://foodlocator.sfmfoodbank.org/?_gl=1*1lbew87*_gcl_au*MTkzNzUwMDUyLjE3NjEyNDUwMzE.&_ga=2.54192875.2143041145.1761245031-1508876033.1761245031\">a tool online that can help you locate food resources\u003c/a> near you. These maps or search engines can list locations ranging from large operations to small community fridges.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12078659,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-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/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078659\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteers sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078659\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteers sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can also call \u003ca href=\"https://211ca.org/\">the 211 state hotline\u003c/a> for more information.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can also call \u003ca href=\"https://211ca.org/\">the 211 state hotline\u003c/a> for more information.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once you find a spot, be sure to check out the food bank or pantry online before heading out. Note what hours they are open and for how long. Some locations are open to anyone and to walk-ins, but some may require people to register for a spot beforehand or live in a specific zip code.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Once you find a spot, be sure to check out the food bank or pantry online before heading out. Note what hours they are open and for how long. Some locations are open to anyone and to walk-ins, but some may require people to register for a spot beforehand or live in a specific zip code.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many food banks serve people regardless of immigration status. For example, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/find-food/\">SF-Marin Food Bank states on its website\u003c/a> that it “is committed to serving residents regardless of their immigration status or identity” and, as a non-government agency, does “not collect the immigration status of participants.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Many food banks serve people regardless of immigration status. For example, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/find-food/\">SF-Marin Food Bank states on its website\u003c/a> that it “is committed to serving residents regardless of their immigration status or identity” and, as a non-government agency, does “not collect the immigration status of participants.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But food advocates suggest double-checking by calling the food bank and seeing if it has reporting requirements.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But food advocates suggest double-checking by calling the food bank and seeing if it has reporting requirements.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Also, before heading out, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Forms-and-Brochures/2020/E-H/EFA14.pdf?ver=6TAyHs3YqLwt2JrwvpJQ6w%3d%3d\">check if your income leve\u003c/a>l meets \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/emergency-food\">the requirements of the Emergency Food Assistance Program\u003c/a>, a federal program that also provides some assistance. If it does, you can go to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/efap/stakeholders\">participating food banks and distributors\u003c/a> to get extra food support.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Also, before heading out, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Forms-and-Brochures/2020/E-H/EFA14.pdf?ver=6TAyHs3YqLwt2JrwvpJQ6w%3d%3d\">check if your income leve\u003c/a>l meets \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/emergency-food\">the requirements of the Emergency Food Assistance Program\u003c/a>, a federal program that also provides some assistance. If it does, you can go to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/efap/stakeholders\">participating food banks and distributors\u003c/a> to get extra food support.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Take a look at your own county’s food assistance programs "
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take a look at your own county’s food assistance programs\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take a look at your own county’s food assistance programs\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bay Area counties have some food assistance options that are separate from nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">food banks\u003c/a>, although sometimes they work together. Your county may provide locations where you can pick up free food, or offer other ways of getting free or low-cost meals that include delivery:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bay Area counties have some food assistance options that are separate from nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">food banks\u003c/a>, although sometimes they work together. Your county may provide locations where you can pick up free food, or offer other ways of getting free or low-cost meals that include delivery:\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from the City and County of San Francisco:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from the City and County of San Francisco:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"Free food locations offering both groceries and meals",
"Options for having meals delivered to your home",
"Locations where you can find a community meal",
"Choosing Healthy Appetizing Meal Plan Solution for Seniors (CHAMPSS), a restaurant partnership that offers adults age 60 and older ways to eat subsidized meals at designated restaurants in San Francisco, with a suggested (optional) contribution of $5"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/food/free-food-locations\">Free food locations offering both groceries and meals\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/food/free-food-locations\">Free food locations offering both groceries and meals\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging-services/groceries-meals\">Options for having meals delivered to your home\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging-services/groceries-meals\">Options for having meals delivered to your home\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging/groceries-meals/community-meals\">Locations where you can find a community meal\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging/groceries-meals/community-meals\">Locations where you can find a community meal\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
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"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchampss.org/our-program/\">Choosing Healthy Appetizing Meal Plan Solution for Seniors (CHAMPSS)\u003c/a>, a restaurant partnership that offers adults age 60 and older ways to eat subsidized meals at designated restaurants in San Francisco, with a suggested (optional) contribution of $5\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchampss.org/our-program/\">Choosing Healthy Appetizing Meal Plan Solution for Seniors (CHAMPSS)\u003c/a>, a restaurant partnership that offers adults age 60 and older ways to eat subsidized meals at designated restaurants in San Francisco, with a suggested (optional) contribution of $5\u003c/li>\n"
]
}
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Contra Costa County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Contra Costa County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"A food assistance program that provides one member of lower-income households in the county a box of food every month",
"The Community Produce Program that offers one member of each household one or two bags of fresh fruits and vegetables, twice a month (own bag is required)",
"Contra Costa County residents can call 855-309-FOOD (3663) for more information."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/health-and-safety-information/nutrition-and-healthy-living/get-food/food-assistance-for-everyone\">A food assistance program\u003c/a> that provides one member of lower-income households in the county a box of food every month\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/health-and-safety-information/nutrition-and-healthy-living/get-food/food-assistance-for-everyone\">A food assistance program\u003c/a> that provides one member of lower-income households in the county a box of food every month\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/health-and-safety-information/nutrition-and-healthy-living/get-food/food-assistance-for-everyone\">The Community Produce Program\u003c/a> that offers one member of each household one or two bags of fresh fruits and vegetables, twice a month (own bag is required)\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/health-and-safety-information/nutrition-and-healthy-living/get-food/food-assistance-for-everyone\">The Community Produce Program\u003c/a> that offers one member of each household one or two bags of fresh fruits and vegetables, twice a month (own bag is required)\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Contra Costa County residents can call 855-309-FOOD (3663) for more information.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Contra Costa County residents can call 855-309-FOOD (3663) for more information.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Alameda County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"FoodNow.net: A site managed with the Alameda County Community Food Bank that connects county residents to different food sources, including emergency groceries. People can call 510-635-3663 for more information.",
"General Assistance: Cash aid for certain residents of Alameda County"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://foodnow.net/\">FoodNow.net\u003c/a>: A site managed with the Alameda County Community Food Bank that connects county residents to different food sources, including emergency groceries. People can call 510-635-3663 for more information.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://foodnow.net/\">FoodNow.net\u003c/a>: A site managed with the Alameda County Community Food Bank that connects county residents to different food sources, including emergency groceries. People can call 510-635-3663 for more information.\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedacountysocialservices.org/ex/our-services/Work-and-Money/General-Assistance/index\">General Assistance\u003c/a>: Cash aid for certain residents of Alameda County\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedacountysocialservices.org/ex/our-services/Work-and-Money/General-Assistance/index\">General Assistance\u003c/a>: Cash aid for certain residents of Alameda County\u003c/li>\n"
]
}
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Marin County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Marin County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"items": [
"Congregate meal options in Marin County (scroll down the page to view PDF)",
"Food pantry and distribution options in Marin County",
"Home-delivered meals in Marin County"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Congregate-Meals\">Congregate meal options in Marin County\u003c/a> (scroll down the page to view PDF)\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Congregate-Meals\">Congregate meal options in Marin County\u003c/a> (scroll down the page to view PDF)\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Food-Pantries\">Food pantry and distribution options in Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Food-Pantries\">Food pantry and distribution options in Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Home-Delivered-Meals%2C-Food\">Home-delivered meals in Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Home-Delivered-Meals%2C-Food\">Home-delivered meals in Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
}
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from San Mateo County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from San Mateo County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
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"items": [
"Food assistance resources on offer within San Mateo"
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null,
"\u003c/ul>\n"
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"innerBlocks": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcgov.org/hsa/food-resources\">Food assistance resources\u003c/a> on offer within San Mateo\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcgov.org/hsa/food-resources\">Food assistance resources\u003c/a> on offer within San Mateo\u003c/li>\n"
]
}
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Napa County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Napa County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
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"items": [
"Food services programs in Napa County",
"A list of Napa food pantries"
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},
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"innerBlocks": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.readynapacounty.gov/232/Food-Assistance\">Food services programs in Napa County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.readynapacounty.gov/232/Food-Assistance\">Food services programs in Napa County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
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"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.canv.org/food-pantry/\">A list of Napa food pantries\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.canv.org/food-pantry/\">A list of Napa food pantries\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
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]
},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Solano County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Solano County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
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},
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"items": [
"Short-term general assistance available, including food resources"
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},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003c/ul>\n",
"innerContent": [
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null,
"\u003c/ul>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.gov/government/health-social-services-hss/employment-eligibility/cash-aid/general-assistance\">Short-term general assistance available\u003c/a>, including food resources\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.gov/government/health-social-services-hss/employment-eligibility/cash-aid/general-assistance\">Short-term general assistance available\u003c/a>, including food resources\u003c/li>\n"
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Sonoma County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Sonoma County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
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"Meals and food service resources in Sonoma County"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/human-services/divisions-and-services/economic-assistance/food-and-nutrition-benefits/other-food-programs\">Meals and food service resources in Sonoma County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/human-services/divisions-and-services/economic-assistance/food-and-nutrition-benefits/other-food-programs\">Meals and food service resources in Sonoma County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Santa Clara County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://socialservices.sccgov.org/food-assistance\">Food resources, including delivery, for older adults in Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://socialservices.sccgov.org/food-assistance\">Food resources, including delivery, for older adults in Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
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}
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"excerpt": "Are you a CalFresh user? Here’s how the program changed this fall — and where you can find additional food assistance.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/california.department.of.social.services/viz/CFdashboard-PUBLIC/Home\">Over 5.1 million people in California receive benefits\u003c/a> through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — known as CalFresh in California. And this month has brought more changes to how this program works. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There have already been several major shifts in SNAP operations over the past year as a result of H.R.1 — the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/big-beautiful-bill\">so-called “Big Beautiful Bill”\u003c/a> enacted in July 2025. For instance, earlier this year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">work requirements for many CalFresh recipients\u003c/a> began to be enforced in California for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food security advocates have expressed deep concern over the impacts of the bill and its effects on people relying on government programming. According to the state’s Department of Social Services, \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5208/3\">562,000 CalFresh recipients\u003c/a> are estimated to lose their benefits over the next year due to H.R.1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re on CalFresh, here’s what to know about the latest changes in California in effect this month, how they might already be affecting you and your household and where to find other places locally that offer support to Californians facing food insecurity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#food-support\">Where to find extra food support in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits have gone up (slightly) to reflect inflation … \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CalFresh users may see a couple of extra dollars starting this month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every October, the federal government adjusts SNAP benefits to \u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.com/Politics/snap-benefits-begin-oct-1-millions-americans/story?id=136895859\">account for inflation\u003c/a>. Now, one person on CalFresh \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/guidance-documents/fna.snap-cola2027.pdf\">will get a maximum of $306\u003c/a> per month — \u003ca href=\"https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/allotment/cola/fy26\">$8 more than last year\u003c/a>. A household of four could receive a maximum of $1,023 (a rise of $29 from last year).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, these maximums don’t reflect the amount everyone on CalFresh actually receives. And the recipient’s circumstances, like income and expenses, can always \u003ca href=\"https://ebtbenefitsguide.com/calfresh-benefit-increase-october-2026/\">affect the amount of CalFresh benefits they ultimately get\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1130\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/FoodBankGetty2-9a2b212b-1536x868.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Army Captain Gabriela Glavis inspects a pepper as she joins fellow members of the California National Guard, volunteers and employees packing produce for distribution after California Attorney General Rob Bonta spoke at a news conference about his federal lawsuit challenging the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the federal government shutdown at Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in Los Angeles on Oct. 30, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">… but income eligibility thresholds have gone up accordingly\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With the slight increases in benefit caps, the benchmarks for how much money a person’s income makes them eligible for \u003ca href=\"https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/allotment/cola/fy26\">have also been\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/guidance-documents/fna.snap-cola2027.pdf\">increased\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://ebtbenefitsguide.com/calfresh-benefit-increase-october-2026/\">person’s ability to qualify for CalFresh\u003c/a> can, however, vary based on several factors. The best way to check if you can get on CalFresh is to go to \u003ca href=\"http://benefitscal.com\">BenefitsCal.com\u003c/a> and chat with the website’s Ask Robin chatbot feature, or just apply directly to see what level you’re assessed at. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Changes in SNAP staffing and support \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Along with the annual adjustment, the federal government is also changing how staff and clerical support for SNAP is being financed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Usually, both the federal and state governments equally \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/01/nx-s1-5985222/snap-benefits-program-october-change-funding\">funded SNAP’s administrative costs,\u003c/a> like training staff. But now, as of October, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/01/nx-s1-5985222/snap-benefits-program-october-change-funding\">states will be covering 75% of these costs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to advocacy groups like the \u003ca href=\"https://frac.org/blog/why-the-snap-administrative-cost-shift-threatens-state-budgets-and-program-operations\">Food Research & Action Center\u003c/a>, this comes at a time when \u003cem>more \u003c/em>staff are needed — especially after this summer’s massive change to SNAP’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">work requirements\u003c/a> that added more paperwork for recipients to collect and document during the benefits process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And this change in how SNAP is determined and applied will be especially felt in California, since it will be the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that work requirements have actually been enforced in the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state government addressed \u003ca href=\"https://lee.asmdc.org/press-releases/20260708-california-steps-tackle-hunger-and-counter-federal-cuts-food-assistance\">some of these major overhauls\u003c/a> in its budget, including $110 million in one-time funding and $8 million in ongoing funding for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/tag/calfood/\">CalFood\u003c/a>, which supports California food banks — plus another $223 million in one-time funding for county administration support of CalFresh. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But ultimately, the federal guidelines are part of a long line of changes from H.R.1 enacted in July 2025 that have deeply weakened the food benefits system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A streamlined system for public college students\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063723/food-insecurity-on-campus-how-snap-is-a-lifeline-for-many-students\">college students\u003c/a> will now have fewer obstacles to jump through when applying to CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he is directing county officials to automatically exempt college students attending a California community college, California State University or the University of California from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083922/calfresh-snap-new-work-requirements-rules-2026-hr1-eligibility-who-is-exempt-food-stamps\">stricter work requirements\u003c/a> when applying for benefits.\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/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians pass The Berkeley Student Food Collective on Bancroft Way in Berkeley on Nov. 10, 2025. The co-op, known for its focus on affordability and sustainability, displays local produce outside its storefront. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/ACLs/2026/26-25.pdf?ver=9wnMJKO33kzjjXR8DM0Dpw\">exemption applies to students\u003c/a> who are eligible for CalFresh and are pursuing associate and bachelor’s degree programs at one of the above institutions. According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/ACLs/2026/26-25.pdf?ver=9wnMJKO33kzjjXR8DM0Dpw\">a letter from Newsom’s office\u003c/a>, this allows the CalFresh application process to be more streamlined and reduce administrative burdens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can’t expect students to learn if they’re hungry, and in California, there is no reason for them to be, whether they’re in kindergarten, high school or college,” Newsom said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/10/09/california-improves-access-to-calfresh-food-benefits-helping-college-students-get-up-to-306-a-month-to-buy-groceries/\">an Oct. 9 release\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get the food benefits you’re entitled to, and now you don’t have to. Go apply now — you might be leaving money on the table,” Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"food-support\">Where to find more food assistance in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you have CalFresh, it now includes free fruit and vegetables\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>October also marks the return of a state program \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102320/on-calfresh-you-can-once-again-get-60-of-free-fruits-and-vegetables-monthly-for-a-limited-time\">providing extra money for families\u003c/a> to buy fruits and vegetables if they use CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066120/calfresh-snap-benefits-free-food-stamps-fruit-vegetables-ebt-program\">CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program\u003c/a> allows customers to receive a monthly instant rebate on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card after purchasing up to $60 worth of fruits and vegetables. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, this offer is \u003cem>only \u003c/em>available at \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">select participating markets\u003c/a>. Over 80 statewide locations — from retailers to farmer’s markets — are involved with the Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program. In the Bay Area, these locations are all either in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project/calfresh-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project-locations\">Alameda or Santa Clara County\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/10/2026/07/20260717_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\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check if you’re eligible for additional food assistance through WIC \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) provides food assistance to lower-income families who have young children or are expecting a new child, including grandparents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like CalFresh, it’s federally funded and income-based, and you can receive WIC benefits on top of your CalFresh benefits. \u003ca href=\"https://myfamily.wic.ca.gov/Home/HowCanIGetWIC\">See if you qualify for WIC.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you lost CalFresh, see if you qualify for CFAP\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last year, the federal government tightened restrictions that pushed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078168/april-1-snap-food-stamps-cal-fresh-eligibility-change-2026-immigrants-refugees-asylum-seekers-recertify-where-to-find-food-bank\">most humanitarian immigrants out of CalFresh eligibility\u003c/a>, affecting tens of thousands of people in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some — but not all — humanitarian immigrants may be qualified for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/calfresh/california-food-assistance-program\">the California Food Assistance Program\u003c/a>. CFAP uses \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/calfresh/cfap/how-to-apply\">the same application as CalFresh\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“At recertification, your county worker will determine your eligibility for CalFresh,” \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">state guidance\u003c/a> reads. “If you are no longer eligible for CalFresh due to H.R. 1 but you are eligible for CFAP, your county worker will adjust your benefits at that time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Examples of CFAP-eligible individuals that are noncitizens \u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">include\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Legal permanent residents who have not met the five-year U.S. residency requirement or the 40 qualifying work quarters criteria\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Conditional entrants\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Battered or abused noncitizens\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CalFreshResourceCenter/CalFresh%20Noncitizen%20Eligibility%20FAQ_Color.pdf\">Parolees who have not met the five-year waiting period or an exemption. \u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to find and use a food bank \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED has a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">thorough guide \u003c/a>on using food banks or food pantries near you in both \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">English\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062427/como-encontrar-un-banco-de-alimentos-o-despensa-cerca-de-usted-en-el-area-de-la-bahia\">Spanish\u003c/a>, and here are the big takeaways:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Major food banks, like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/workplace-giving/?ea.tracking.id=DigAd2526-PMG&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=workplacegiving&ea.tracking.id=DigAd2526-PMG&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=evergreen&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22903428179&gbraid=0AAAAACKCveNd07Igg9N0gD73ISiw1-uWD&gclid=CjwKCAjwpOfHBhAxEiwAm1SwErwV4xaFN_FEK7A9GBHjFfCEezDoE97Ft7G8ZkERCFXMNDrJVQO7YhoCKBsQAvD_BwE\">SF-Marin Food Bank\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/our-members/\">California Association of Food Banks\u003c/a> or the \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodbankccs.org/find-food/foodbycity/?_gl=1*3ajdlo*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjA5ODkyMDQ5NS4xNzYxMjQ2NjU0*_ga_8BLR9BK6YN*czE3NjEyNDY2NTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjEyNDY2NTMkajYwJGwwJGgw\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u003c/a>, will likely have \u003ca href=\"https://foodlocator.sfmfoodbank.org/?_gl=1*1lbew87*_gcl_au*MTkzNzUwMDUyLjE3NjEyNDUwMzE.&_ga=2.54192875.2143041145.1761245031-1508876033.1761245031\">a tool online that can help you locate food resources\u003c/a> near you. These maps or search engines can list locations ranging from large operations to small community fridges.\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/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078659\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Volunteers sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also call \u003ca href=\"https://211ca.org/\">the 211 state hotline\u003c/a> for more information.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once you find a spot, be sure to check out the food bank or pantry online before heading out. Note what hours they are open and for how long. Some locations are open to anyone and to walk-ins, but some may require people to register for a spot beforehand or live in a specific zip code.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many food banks serve people regardless of immigration status. For example, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/find-food/\">SF-Marin Food Bank states on its website\u003c/a> that it “is committed to serving residents regardless of their immigration status or identity” and, as a non-government agency, does “not collect the immigration status of participants.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But food advocates suggest double-checking by calling the food bank and seeing if it has reporting requirements.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also, before heading out, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Forms-and-Brochures/2020/E-H/EFA14.pdf?ver=6TAyHs3YqLwt2JrwvpJQ6w%3d%3d\">check if your income leve\u003c/a>l meets \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/emergency-food\">the requirements of the Emergency Food Assistance Program\u003c/a>, a federal program that also provides some assistance. If it does, you can go to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/efap/stakeholders\">participating food banks and distributors\u003c/a> to get extra food support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take a look at your own county’s food assistance programs\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bay Area counties have some food assistance options that are separate from nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086417/as-calfresh-guidelines-expand-where-can-students-who-rely-on-school-meals-go\">food banks\u003c/a>, although sometimes they work together. Your county may provide locations where you can pick up free food, or offer other ways of getting free or low-cost meals that include delivery:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from the City and County of San Francisco:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/food/free-food-locations\">Free food locations offering both groceries and meals\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging-services/groceries-meals\">Options for having meals delivered to your home\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/disability-aging/groceries-meals/community-meals\">Locations where you can find a community meal\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchampss.org/our-program/\">Choosing Healthy Appetizing Meal Plan Solution for Seniors (CHAMPSS)\u003c/a>, a restaurant partnership that offers adults age 60 and older ways to eat subsidized meals at designated restaurants in San Francisco, with a suggested (optional) contribution of $5\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Contra Costa County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/health-and-safety-information/nutrition-and-healthy-living/get-food/food-assistance-for-everyone\">A food assistance program\u003c/a> that provides one member of lower-income households in the county a box of food every month\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/health-and-safety-information/nutrition-and-healthy-living/get-food/food-assistance-for-everyone\">The Community Produce Program\u003c/a> that offers one member of each household one or two bags of fresh fruits and vegetables, twice a month (own bag is required)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Contra Costa County residents can call 855-309-FOOD (3663) for more information.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Alameda County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://foodnow.net/\">FoodNow.net\u003c/a>: A site managed with the Alameda County Community Food Bank that connects county residents to different food sources, including emergency groceries. People can call 510-635-3663 for more information.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedacountysocialservices.org/ex/our-services/Work-and-Money/General-Assistance/index\">General Assistance\u003c/a>: Cash aid for certain residents of Alameda County\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Marin County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Congregate-Meals\">Congregate meal options in Marin County\u003c/a> (scroll down the page to view PDF)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Food-Pantries\">Food pantry and distribution options in Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinhhs.org/resources/Food/Home-Delivered-Meals%2C-Food\">Home-delivered meals in Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from San Mateo County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcgov.org/hsa/food-resources\">Food assistance resources\u003c/a> on offer within San Mateo\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance from Napa County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.readynapacounty.gov/232/Food-Assistance\">Food services programs in Napa County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.canv.org/food-pantry/\">A list of Napa food pantries\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Solano County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.gov/government/health-social-services-hss/employment-eligibility/cash-aid/general-assistance\">Short-term general assistance available\u003c/a>, including food resources\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Sonoma County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/human-services/divisions-and-services/economic-assistance/food-and-nutrition-benefits/other-food-programs\">Meals and food service resources in Sonoma County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Food assistance options in Santa Clara County:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://socialservices.sccgov.org/food-assistance\">Food resources, including delivery, for older adults in Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "moving-in-with-your-partner-in-the-bay-area-read-this-first",
"title": "Moving in With Your Partner in the Bay Area? Read This First",
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"headTitle": "Moving in With Your Partner in the Bay Area? Read This First | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>For many couples, moving in together marks a major commitment to the relationship you’re building. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And while romance is for many the main motivator, finances can also influence this decision — particularly in hot housing markets like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Love in the age of the AI boom is complicated. In San Francisco alone, the median rent has risen more than 25% in the past year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/national-rent-data\">outpacing\u003c/a> every other major city in the country. To stay close to family, work and their community, renters are improvising ways to keep living here. Some are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080289/700-a-month-sleeping-pods-make-sf-more-affordable-but-at-what-cost\">renting “sleeping pods”\u003c/a> in crowded rooms. Others are looking at homes with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098620/even-in-a-hot-rental-market-what-renters-shouldnt-settle-on-when-looking-for-new-home\">little to no amenities\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And renters in relationships are leaning more on their partners too. A nationwide study published last year by the rental company \u003ca href=\"http://apartments.com\">Apartments.com\u003c/a> found that 54% of couples moved in together to take the next step in their relationship. But 33% of those surveyed said they made this decision to save on money.\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/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sometimes you will move in quicker than you might otherwise, because you feel that there are no other alternatives,” said Joshua Ezrin, a San Francisco-based attorney and tenants’ rights advocate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But regardless of your ultimate motives, it’s always important to be pragmatic about your own financial health when moving in with a partner — and yes, to prepare for a possible future where you no longer live with that person, as unromantic as that prospect might seem.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But several legal experts KQED spoke with had the same recommendation: plan ahead and have the difficult conversations \u003cem>now, \u003c/em>while both of you are happy and excited about this next chapter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘There’s always a risk’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No matter how well things are right now between you and your partner, be honest with each other about what you can actually pay for rent — mindful that most leases are at least a year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s always a risk when you get into a relationship. And there’s always a risk when you sign a lease,” Ezrin said, “particularly if it’s a 12-month lease.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the two of you may be planning a future together, it’s also a good idea to consider how you’d personally pay rent if the relationship \u003cem>doesn’t \u003c/em>pan out. “Even if the other tenant is not complying with their obligations, you could still be responsible for the full rent,” Ezrin said. Ask yourself: Is that something you could actually afford to do?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1282\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879.jpg\" alt=\"A family of four -- two adult parents or caregivers, and two children -- are photographed skipping along a wet street, holding hands.\" class=\"wp-image-11943501\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family of four skipping along a wet street, holding hands. (Emma Bauso/Pexels)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s why he recommends that before you move in, first figure out what will be your own legal status when living in the home. You have three options:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Tenant\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Sub-tenant\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Authorized occupant\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Understand what your legal status is,” Ezrin said. “Because each option has different rights and obligations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be a tenant\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If your name is on the lease, you’re a tenant. You and your partner can choose to both be on the lease. This gives you more stability, Ezrin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Your tenancy cannot be terminated at the whim of your romantic partner if the relationship falls apart,” he said. “But you’re also obligated to pay the rent.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if the relationship ends up falling apart, he said, “that’s not going to be the basis to get out of the lease unless the landlord is willing to release you.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be a subtenant\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you will be paying rent \u003cem>to \u003c/em>a tenant — and not the property owner themselves — that means you’ve got a sublease. This could be a sublease from your partner, who the landlord may designate as the “master tenant.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A sublease could come with greater flexibility. You could arrange to pay rent month-to-month, instead of waiting for a longer formal lease to end.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it also comes with fewer protections, as the master tenant could ask you to leave once the month you’ve already paid for is over.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be an authorized occupant\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An authorized occupant is someone who has a legal right to reside in the home but is not obligated to pay rent. It’s a good idea to get written confirmation from the property owner that they know about this arrangement, Ezrin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s really two relationships that you need to be cognizant of. One is your relationship with your co-tenant or co-occupant,” he said. “The other is your relationship with the landlord.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs outside of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Weigh each option carefully\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before making a decision, Ezrin said, be honest with yourself about your ability to pay rent — but also where you see this relationship going.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What are your priorities?” he said. “If you’re somebody who wants a quick exit, potentially being an authorized occupant is the best.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because if you sign a 12-month lease and the relationship doesn’t work out, you are still in a contract with the landlord who can take legal action against you if you start missing payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look at a cohabitation agreement\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yes, talking about how to split the wifi bill may not sound like the perfect date night. But experts say that figuring responsibilities now could be really helpful for the relationship in the long term. The two of you can confirm in writing how you will divide chores, deal with repairs and share common spaces.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would recommend a cohabitation agreement even when you’re in a happy relationship — because you’re also going to have that as your backup,” said Pamela Ross, managing attorney at All for the Family Legal Clinic in Hayward.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s the same idea as with a \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/12077359/do-i-need-prenup-california-prenuptial-agreement-contract-children-assets-unmarried-couples-polyamory\">prenup\u003c/a>,” she said. “While you love each other, have all of the bullet points and the contractual obligations laid out of ‘What’s going to happen if we break up’.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can draft a formal cohabitation agreement with the help of an attorney. Ross recommended asking your \u003ca href=\"https://www.calbar.ca.gov/public/find-legal-professionals/find-lawyer-referral-service\">county’s lawyer referral service\u003c/a> to connect you with low-cost or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013522/free-legal-aid-in-the-bay-area-how-it-works-where-to-find-it\">free legal aid\u003c/a> that also complies with established professional standards.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if for some reason this isn’t an option, just documenting what you’ve agreed on in writing — even in an email or text message — is better than nothing, Ross said. “At least it’s in writing and shows … what the plan was,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If both of you will be paying rent, you can confirm in the cohabitation agreement how money will be handled. If the two of you are opening a joint bank account for home expenses, you should also figure out what will happen to that money if the two of you end up splitting up — especially, Ross said, if the two of you are not considering marriage in the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Is it being split equally? Is it based on how much we each paid into it?” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if your partner one day leaves the home unannounced, an agreement may help you out if both of you are on the lease and the entire rent payment now falls on you.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Talk about who’s responsible for rent,” Ross said. You can both agree on what to do if one partner doesn’t pay their half and the landlord goes after the other for the missing payment. “Some type of remedy that’s in writing,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And if there are bumps on the road …\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Arguments can feel a lot bigger with your partner when the two of you live together and still have to see each other at home. And if both of you are paying rent, money can make things even more complicated. According to the 2025 study from Apartments.com, nearly a quarter of couples surveyed reported disagreements about budgeting or who would pay for what.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But there are tools available where you and your partner can figure things out — even if it’s about money. Across California, bar associations and legal aid groups offer free or low-cost mediation services with plenty of experience resolving housing issues between partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1391\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2250030108-scaled-e1789077751622.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078788\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An apartment for rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building on Dec. 4, 2025, in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mediation is a process where you don’t give power over to a judge or to someone else,” said Laura Benghal, director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbar.org/adr-services/\">Alternative Dispute Resolution Program\u003c/a> at the Bar Association of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The parties involved own their conflict, and they own their resolution,” Benghal said. “We invite them to the table to figure out collaboratively what the best way forward is.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, “they’re more likely to stick with agreements because they’ve come up with the agreement,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benghal’s office manages \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbar.org/adr-services/cis/\">a helpline\u003c/a> that connects callers with mediators experienced in landlord-tenant law, mental health and other housing issues that could lead to an eviction. If you don’t get an immediate answer, you should get a callback within 24 hours. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The service is only available to San Francisco residents and is free for low- and moderate-income tenants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Conflict Intervention Services: 415-782-8940 and cis@sfbar.org.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you don’t live in San Francisco, you can contact your \u003ca href=\"https://www.calbar.ca.gov/public/find-legal-professionals/find-lawyer-referral-service\">county’s lawyer referral service\u003c/a> to find low-cost mediation services. Another option is Community Boards, a nonprofit conflict-resolution center in San Francisco that serves the wider region.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>To make an appointment with Community Boards, call 415-920-3820.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Love in the age of the AI boom is complicated. In San Francisco alone, the median rent has risen more than 25% in the past year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/national-rent-data\">outpacing\u003c/a> every other major city in the country. To stay close to family, work and their community, renters are improvising ways to keep living here. Some are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080289/700-a-month-sleeping-pods-make-sf-more-affordable-but-at-what-cost\">renting “sleeping pods”\u003c/a> in crowded rooms. Others are looking at homes with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098620/even-in-a-hot-rental-market-what-renters-shouldnt-settle-on-when-looking-for-new-home\">little to no amenities\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Love in the age of the AI boom is complicated. In San Francisco alone, the median rent has risen more than 25% in the past year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/national-rent-data\">outpacing\u003c/a> every other major city in the country. To stay close to family, work and their community, renters are improvising ways to keep living here. Some are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080289/700-a-month-sleeping-pods-make-sf-more-affordable-but-at-what-cost\">renting “sleeping pods”\u003c/a> in crowded rooms. Others are looking at homes with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098620/even-in-a-hot-rental-market-what-renters-shouldnt-settle-on-when-looking-for-new-home\">little to no amenities\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And renters in relationships are leaning more on their partners too. A nationwide study published last year by the rental company \u003ca href=\"http://apartments.com\">Apartments.com\u003c/a> found that 54% of couples moved in together to take the next step in their relationship. But 33% of those surveyed said they made this decision to save on money.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And renters in relationships are leaning more on their partners too. A nationwide study published last year by the rental company \u003ca href=\"http://apartments.com\">Apartments.com\u003c/a> found that 54% of couples moved in together to take the next step in their relationship. But 33% of those surveyed said they made this decision to save on money.\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/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069627\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sometimes you will move in quicker than you might otherwise, because you feel that there are no other alternatives,” said Joshua Ezrin, a San Francisco-based attorney and tenants’ rights advocate.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Sometimes you will move in quicker than you might otherwise, because you feel that there are no other alternatives,” said Joshua Ezrin, a San Francisco-based attorney and tenants’ rights advocate.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But regardless of your ultimate motives, it’s always important to be pragmatic about your own financial health when moving in with a partner — and yes, to prepare for a possible future where you no longer live with that person, as unromantic as that prospect might seem.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But regardless of your ultimate motives, it’s always important to be pragmatic about your own financial health when moving in with a partner — and yes, to prepare for a possible future where you no longer live with that person, as unromantic as that prospect might seem.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But several legal experts KQED spoke with had the same recommendation: plan ahead and have the difficult conversations \u003cem>now, \u003c/em>while both of you are happy and excited about this next chapter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But several legal experts KQED spoke with had the same recommendation: plan ahead and have the difficult conversations \u003cem>now, \u003c/em>while both of you are happy and excited about this next chapter.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "‘There’s always a risk’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘There’s always a risk’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>No matter how well things are right now between you and your partner, be honest with each other about what you can actually pay for rent — mindful that most leases are at least a year. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>No matter how well things are right now between you and your partner, be honest with each other about what you can actually pay for rent — mindful that most leases are at least a year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s always a risk when you get into a relationship. And there’s always a risk when you sign a lease,” Ezrin said, “particularly if it’s a 12-month lease.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“There’s always a risk when you get into a relationship. And there’s always a risk when you sign a lease,” Ezrin said, “particularly if it’s a 12-month lease.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the two of you may be planning a future together, it’s also a good idea to consider how you’d personally pay rent if the relationship \u003cem>doesn’t \u003c/em>pan out. “Even if the other tenant is not complying with their obligations, you could still be responsible for the full rent,” Ezrin said. Ask yourself: Is that something you could actually afford to do?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While the two of you may be planning a future together, it’s also a good idea to consider how you’d personally pay rent if the relationship \u003cem>doesn’t \u003c/em>pan out. “Even if the other tenant is not complying with their obligations, you could still be responsible for the full rent,” Ezrin said. Ask yourself: Is that something you could actually afford to do?\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-1536x1026.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/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879.jpg\" alt=\"A family of four -- two adult parents or caregivers, and two children -- are photographed skipping along a wet street, holding hands.\" class=\"wp-image-11943501\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family of four skipping along a wet street, holding hands.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Emma Bauso/Pexels)\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/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879.jpg\" alt=\"A family of four -- two adult parents or caregivers, and two children -- are photographed skipping along a wet street, holding hands.\" class=\"wp-image-11943501\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family of four skipping along a wet street, holding hands.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Emma Bauso/Pexels)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s why he recommends that before you move in, first figure out what will be your own legal status when living in the home. You have three options:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That’s why he recommends that before you move in, first figure out what will be your own legal status when living in the home. You have three options:\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">",
null,
"\n\n",
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Tenant\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Tenant\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Sub-tenant\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Authorized occupant\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Understand what your legal status is,” Ezrin said. “Because each option has different rights and obligations.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Understand what your legal status is,” Ezrin said. “Because each option has different rights and obligations.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerBlocks": []
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "I will be a tenant"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be a tenant\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be a tenant\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If your name is on the lease, you’re a tenant. You and your partner can choose to both be on the lease. This gives you more stability, Ezrin said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If your name is on the lease, you’re a tenant. You and your partner can choose to both be on the lease. This gives you more stability, Ezrin said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Your tenancy cannot be terminated at the whim of your romantic partner if the relationship falls apart,” he said. “But you’re also obligated to pay the rent.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Your tenancy cannot be terminated at the whim of your romantic partner if the relationship falls apart,” he said. “But you’re also obligated to pay the rent.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if the relationship ends up falling apart, he said, “that’s not going to be the basis to get out of the lease unless the landlord is willing to release you.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if the relationship ends up falling apart, he said, “that’s not going to be the basis to get out of the lease unless the landlord is willing to release you.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "I will be a subtenant"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be a subtenant\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be a subtenant\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you will be paying rent \u003cem>to \u003c/em>a tenant — and not the property owner themselves — that means you’ve got a sublease. This could be a sublease from your partner, who the landlord may designate as the “master tenant.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you will be paying rent \u003cem>to \u003c/em>a tenant — and not the property owner themselves — that means you’ve got a sublease. This could be a sublease from your partner, who the landlord may designate as the “master tenant.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A sublease could come with greater flexibility. You could arrange to pay rent month-to-month, instead of waiting for a longer formal lease to end.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>A sublease could come with greater flexibility. You could arrange to pay rent month-to-month, instead of waiting for a longer formal lease to end.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But it also comes with fewer protections, as the master tenant could ask you to leave once the month you’ve already paid for is over.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But it also comes with fewer protections, as the master tenant could ask you to leave once the month you’ve already paid for is over.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "I will be an authorized occupant"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be an authorized occupant\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be an authorized occupant\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An authorized occupant is someone who has a legal right to reside in the home but is not obligated to pay rent. It’s a good idea to get written confirmation from the property owner that they know about this arrangement, Ezrin said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>An authorized occupant is someone who has a legal right to reside in the home but is not obligated to pay rent. It’s a good idea to get written confirmation from the property owner that they know about this arrangement, Ezrin said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s really two relationships that you need to be cognizant of. One is your relationship with your co-tenant or co-occupant,” he said. “The other is your relationship with the landlord.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“There’s really two relationships that you need to be cognizant of. One is your relationship with your co-tenant or co-occupant,” he said. “The other is your relationship with the landlord.”\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/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs outside of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs outside of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before making a decision, Ezrin said, be honest with yourself about your ability to pay rent — but also where you see this relationship going.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What are your priorities?” he said. “If you’re somebody who wants a quick exit, potentially being an authorized occupant is the best.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What are your priorities?” he said. “If you’re somebody who wants a quick exit, potentially being an authorized occupant is the best.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because if you sign a 12-month lease and the relationship doesn’t work out, you are still in a contract with the landlord who can take legal action against you if you start missing payments.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Because if you sign a 12-month lease and the relationship doesn’t work out, you are still in a contract with the landlord who can take legal action against you if you start missing payments.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Look at a cohabitation agreement",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look at a cohabitation agreement\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look at a cohabitation agreement\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yes, talking about how to split the wifi bill may not sound like the perfect date night. But experts say that figuring responsibilities now could be really helpful for the relationship in the long term. The two of you can confirm in writing how you will divide chores, deal with repairs and share common spaces.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yes, talking about how to split the wifi bill may not sound like the perfect date night. But experts say that figuring responsibilities now could be really helpful for the relationship in the long term. The two of you can confirm in writing how you will divide chores, deal with repairs and share common spaces.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I would recommend a cohabitation agreement even when you’re in a happy relationship — because you’re also going to have that as your backup,” said Pamela Ross, managing attorney at All for the Family Legal Clinic in Hayward.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I would recommend a cohabitation agreement even when you’re in a happy relationship — because you’re also going to have that as your backup,” said Pamela Ross, managing attorney at All for the Family Legal Clinic in Hayward.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s the same idea as with a \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/12077359/do-i-need-prenup-california-prenuptial-agreement-contract-children-assets-unmarried-couples-polyamory\">prenup\u003c/a>,” she said. “While you love each other, have all of the bullet points and the contractual obligations laid out of ‘What’s going to happen if we break up’.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“It’s the same idea as with a \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/12077359/do-i-need-prenup-california-prenuptial-agreement-contract-children-assets-unmarried-couples-polyamory\">prenup\u003c/a>,” she said. “While you love each other, have all of the bullet points and the contractual obligations laid out of ‘What’s going to happen if we break up’.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can draft a formal cohabitation agreement with the help of an attorney. Ross recommended asking your \u003ca href=\"https://www.calbar.ca.gov/public/find-legal-professionals/find-lawyer-referral-service\">county’s lawyer referral service\u003c/a> to connect you with low-cost or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013522/free-legal-aid-in-the-bay-area-how-it-works-where-to-find-it\">free legal aid\u003c/a> that also complies with established professional standards.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You can draft a formal cohabitation agreement with the help of an attorney. Ross recommended asking your \u003ca href=\"https://www.calbar.ca.gov/public/find-legal-professionals/find-lawyer-referral-service\">county’s lawyer referral service\u003c/a> to connect you with low-cost or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013522/free-legal-aid-in-the-bay-area-how-it-works-where-to-find-it\">free legal aid\u003c/a> that also complies with established professional standards.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But if for some reason this isn’t an option, just documenting what you’ve agreed on in writing — even in an email or text message — is better than nothing, Ross said. “At least it’s in writing and shows … what the plan was,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But if for some reason this isn’t an option, just documenting what you’ve agreed on in writing — even in an email or text message — is better than nothing, Ross said. “At least it’s in writing and shows … what the plan was,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If both of you will be paying rent, you can confirm in the cohabitation agreement how money will be handled. If the two of you are opening a joint bank account for home expenses, you should also figure out what will happen to that money if the two of you end up splitting up — especially, Ross said, if the two of you are not considering marriage in the future.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If both of you will be paying rent, you can confirm in the cohabitation agreement how money will be handled. If the two of you are opening a joint bank account for home expenses, you should also figure out what will happen to that money if the two of you end up splitting up — especially, Ross said, if the two of you are not considering marriage in the future.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Is it being split equally? Is it based on how much we each paid into it?” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Is it being split equally? Is it based on how much we each paid into it?” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if your partner one day leaves the home unannounced, an agreement may help you out if both of you are on the lease and the entire rent payment now falls on you.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And if your partner one day leaves the home unannounced, an agreement may help you out if both of you are on the lease and the entire rent payment now falls on you.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Talk about who’s responsible for rent,” Ross said. You can both agree on what to do if one partner doesn’t pay their half and the landlord goes after the other for the missing payment. “Some type of remedy that’s in writing,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Talk about who’s responsible for rent,” Ross said. You can both agree on what to do if one partner doesn’t pay their half and the landlord goes after the other for the missing payment. “Some type of remedy that’s in writing,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "And if there are bumps on the road …",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And if there are bumps on the road …\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Arguments can feel a lot bigger with your partner when the two of you live together and still have to see each other at home. And if both of you are paying rent, money can make things even more complicated. According to the 2025 study from Apartments.com, nearly a quarter of couples surveyed reported disagreements about budgeting or who would pay for what.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Arguments can feel a lot bigger with your partner when the two of you live together and still have to see each other at home. And if both of you are paying rent, money can make things even more complicated. According to the 2025 study from Apartments.com, nearly a quarter of couples surveyed reported disagreements about budgeting or who would pay for what.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But there are tools available where you and your partner can figure things out — even if it’s about money. Across California, bar associations and legal aid groups offer free or low-cost mediation services with plenty of experience resolving housing issues between partners.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But there are tools available where you and your partner can figure things out — even if it’s about money. Across California, bar associations and legal aid groups offer free or low-cost mediation services with plenty of experience resolving housing issues between partners.\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/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2250030108-scaled-e1789077751622.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078788\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An apartment for rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building on Dec. 4, 2025, in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/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/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2250030108-scaled-e1789077751622.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078788\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An apartment for rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building on Dec. 4, 2025, in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Mediation is a process where you don’t give power over to a judge or to someone else,” said Laura Benghal, director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbar.org/adr-services/\">Alternative Dispute Resolution Program\u003c/a> at the Bar Association of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Mediation is a process where you don’t give power over to a judge or to someone else,” said Laura Benghal, director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbar.org/adr-services/\">Alternative Dispute Resolution Program\u003c/a> at the Bar Association of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The parties involved own their conflict, and they own their resolution,” Benghal said. “We invite them to the table to figure out collaboratively what the best way forward is.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The parties involved own their conflict, and they own their resolution,” Benghal said. “We invite them to the table to figure out collaboratively what the best way forward is.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then, “they’re more likely to stick with agreements because they’ve come up with the agreement,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Then, “they’re more likely to stick with agreements because they’ve come up with the agreement,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Benghal’s office manages \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbar.org/adr-services/cis/\">a helpline\u003c/a> that connects callers with mediators experienced in landlord-tenant law, mental health and other housing issues that could lead to an eviction. If you don’t get an immediate answer, you should get a callback within 24 hours. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Benghal’s office manages \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbar.org/adr-services/cis/\">a helpline\u003c/a> that connects callers with mediators experienced in landlord-tenant law, mental health and other housing issues that could lead to an eviction. If you don’t get an immediate answer, you should get a callback within 24 hours. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The service is only available to San Francisco residents and is free for low- and moderate-income tenants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The service is only available to San Francisco residents and is free for low- and moderate-income tenants.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Conflict Intervention Services: 415-782-8940 and cis@sfbar.org.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Conflict Intervention Services: 415-782-8940 and cis@sfbar.org.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you don’t live in San Francisco, you can contact your \u003ca href=\"https://www.calbar.ca.gov/public/find-legal-professionals/find-lawyer-referral-service\">county’s lawyer referral service\u003c/a> to find low-cost mediation services. Another option is Community Boards, a nonprofit conflict-resolution center in San Francisco that serves the wider region.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you don’t live in San Francisco, you can contact your \u003ca href=\"https://www.calbar.ca.gov/public/find-legal-professionals/find-lawyer-referral-service\">county’s lawyer referral service\u003c/a> to find low-cost mediation services. Another option is Community Boards, a nonprofit conflict-resolution center in San Francisco that serves the wider region.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>To make an appointment with Community Boards, call 415-920-3820.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>To make an appointment with Community Boards, call 415-920-3820.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Some couples do it for love; others do it to save on rent during the AI boom — how experts recommend protecting your finances when moving in with a partner.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>For many couples, moving in together marks a major commitment to the relationship you’re building. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And while romance is for many the main motivator, finances can also influence this decision — particularly in hot housing markets like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Love in the age of the AI boom is complicated. In San Francisco alone, the median rent has risen more than 25% in the past year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/national-rent-data\">outpacing\u003c/a> every other major city in the country. To stay close to family, work and their community, renters are improvising ways to keep living here. Some are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080289/700-a-month-sleeping-pods-make-sf-more-affordable-but-at-what-cost\">renting “sleeping pods”\u003c/a> in crowded rooms. Others are looking at homes with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098620/even-in-a-hot-rental-market-what-renters-shouldnt-settle-on-when-looking-for-new-home\">little to no amenities\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And renters in relationships are leaning more on their partners too. A nationwide study published last year by the rental company \u003ca href=\"http://apartments.com\">Apartments.com\u003c/a> found that 54% of couples moved in together to take the next step in their relationship. But 33% of those surveyed said they made this decision to save on money.\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/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sometimes you will move in quicker than you might otherwise, because you feel that there are no other alternatives,” said Joshua Ezrin, a San Francisco-based attorney and tenants’ rights advocate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But regardless of your ultimate motives, it’s always important to be pragmatic about your own financial health when moving in with a partner — and yes, to prepare for a possible future where you no longer live with that person, as unromantic as that prospect might seem.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But several legal experts KQED spoke with had the same recommendation: plan ahead and have the difficult conversations \u003cem>now, \u003c/em>while both of you are happy and excited about this next chapter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘There’s always a risk’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No matter how well things are right now between you and your partner, be honest with each other about what you can actually pay for rent — mindful that most leases are at least a year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s always a risk when you get into a relationship. And there’s always a risk when you sign a lease,” Ezrin said, “particularly if it’s a 12-month lease.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the two of you may be planning a future together, it’s also a good idea to consider how you’d personally pay rent if the relationship \u003cem>doesn’t \u003c/em>pan out. “Even if the other tenant is not complying with their obligations, you could still be responsible for the full rent,” Ezrin said. Ask yourself: Is that something you could actually afford to do?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1282\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879.jpg\" alt=\"A family of four -- two adult parents or caregivers, and two children -- are photographed skipping along a wet street, holding hands.\" class=\"wp-image-11943501\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/pexels-emma-bauso-2253879-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family of four skipping along a wet street, holding hands. (Emma Bauso/Pexels)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s why he recommends that before you move in, first figure out what will be your own legal status when living in the home. You have three options:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Tenant\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Sub-tenant\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Authorized occupant\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Understand what your legal status is,” Ezrin said. “Because each option has different rights and obligations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be a tenant\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If your name is on the lease, you’re a tenant. You and your partner can choose to both be on the lease. This gives you more stability, Ezrin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Your tenancy cannot be terminated at the whim of your romantic partner if the relationship falls apart,” he said. “But you’re also obligated to pay the rent.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if the relationship ends up falling apart, he said, “that’s not going to be the basis to get out of the lease unless the landlord is willing to release you.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be a subtenant\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you will be paying rent \u003cem>to \u003c/em>a tenant — and not the property owner themselves — that means you’ve got a sublease. This could be a sublease from your partner, who the landlord may designate as the “master tenant.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A sublease could come with greater flexibility. You could arrange to pay rent month-to-month, instead of waiting for a longer formal lease to end.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it also comes with fewer protections, as the master tenant could ask you to leave once the month you’ve already paid for is over.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I will be an authorized occupant\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An authorized occupant is someone who has a legal right to reside in the home but is not obligated to pay rent. It’s a good idea to get written confirmation from the property owner that they know about this arrangement, Ezrin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s really two relationships that you need to be cognizant of. One is your relationship with your co-tenant or co-occupant,” he said. “The other is your relationship with the landlord.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs outside of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Weigh each option carefully\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before making a decision, Ezrin said, be honest with yourself about your ability to pay rent — but also where you see this relationship going.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What are your priorities?” he said. “If you’re somebody who wants a quick exit, potentially being an authorized occupant is the best.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because if you sign a 12-month lease and the relationship doesn’t work out, you are still in a contract with the landlord who can take legal action against you if you start missing payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look at a cohabitation agreement\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yes, talking about how to split the wifi bill may not sound like the perfect date night. But experts say that figuring responsibilities now could be really helpful for the relationship in the long term. The two of you can confirm in writing how you will divide chores, deal with repairs and share common spaces.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would recommend a cohabitation agreement even when you’re in a happy relationship — because you’re also going to have that as your backup,” said Pamela Ross, managing attorney at All for the Family Legal Clinic in Hayward.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s the same idea as with a \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/12077359/do-i-need-prenup-california-prenuptial-agreement-contract-children-assets-unmarried-couples-polyamory\">prenup\u003c/a>,” she said. “While you love each other, have all of the bullet points and the contractual obligations laid out of ‘What’s going to happen if we break up’.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can draft a formal cohabitation agreement with the help of an attorney. Ross recommended asking your \u003ca href=\"https://www.calbar.ca.gov/public/find-legal-professionals/find-lawyer-referral-service\">county’s lawyer referral service\u003c/a> to connect you with low-cost or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013522/free-legal-aid-in-the-bay-area-how-it-works-where-to-find-it\">free legal aid\u003c/a> that also complies with established professional standards.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if for some reason this isn’t an option, just documenting what you’ve agreed on in writing — even in an email or text message — is better than nothing, Ross said. “At least it’s in writing and shows … what the plan was,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If both of you will be paying rent, you can confirm in the cohabitation agreement how money will be handled. If the two of you are opening a joint bank account for home expenses, you should also figure out what will happen to that money if the two of you end up splitting up — especially, Ross said, if the two of you are not considering marriage in the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Is it being split equally? Is it based on how much we each paid into it?” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if your partner one day leaves the home unannounced, an agreement may help you out if both of you are on the lease and the entire rent payment now falls on you.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Talk about who’s responsible for rent,” Ross said. You can both agree on what to do if one partner doesn’t pay their half and the landlord goes after the other for the missing payment. “Some type of remedy that’s in writing,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And if there are bumps on the road …\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Arguments can feel a lot bigger with your partner when the two of you live together and still have to see each other at home. And if both of you are paying rent, money can make things even more complicated. According to the 2025 study from Apartments.com, nearly a quarter of couples surveyed reported disagreements about budgeting or who would pay for what.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But there are tools available where you and your partner can figure things out — even if it’s about money. Across California, bar associations and legal aid groups offer free or low-cost mediation services with plenty of experience resolving housing issues between partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1391\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2250030108-scaled-e1789077751622.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078788\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An apartment for rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building on Dec. 4, 2025, in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mediation is a process where you don’t give power over to a judge or to someone else,” said Laura Benghal, director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbar.org/adr-services/\">Alternative Dispute Resolution Program\u003c/a> at the Bar Association of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The parties involved own their conflict, and they own their resolution,” Benghal said. “We invite them to the table to figure out collaboratively what the best way forward is.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, “they’re more likely to stick with agreements because they’ve come up with the agreement,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benghal’s office manages \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbar.org/adr-services/cis/\">a helpline\u003c/a> that connects callers with mediators experienced in landlord-tenant law, mental health and other housing issues that could lead to an eviction. If you don’t get an immediate answer, you should get a callback within 24 hours. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The service is only available to San Francisco residents and is free for low- and moderate-income tenants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Conflict Intervention Services: 415-782-8940 and cis@sfbar.org.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you don’t live in San Francisco, you can contact your \u003ca href=\"https://www.calbar.ca.gov/public/find-legal-professionals/find-lawyer-referral-service\">county’s lawyer referral service\u003c/a> to find low-cost mediation services. Another option is Community Boards, a nonprofit conflict-resolution center in San Francisco that serves the wider region.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>To make an appointment with Community Boards, call 415-920-3820.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "As of Oct. 1, There Are New Rules for Buying a Car in California",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>When you buy a shirt, the tag tells you the price. Whether it’s clothing, food or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098620/even-in-a-hot-rental-market-what-renters-shouldnt-settle-on-when-looking-for-new-home\">rent\u003c/a>, knowing how much you will spend is a pretty straightforward question … for most items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But buying a car — new or used — has always been trickier. The number you may see in television ads or plastered on the car’s windshield at the dealership is not always what you end up paying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s because the manufacturer’s suggested retail price — or MSRP — is, as the name suggests, just a \u003cem>suggestion\u003c/em>. And it doesn’t include extra costs, like government fees or markups from the dealers for certain features.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But now, a new California law limits how much dealers can add on and potentially makes things clearer for consumers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2212146950-scaled-e1791219079940.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102812\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vehicles for sale are parked in a lot at a CarMax dealership on April 24, 2025, in San Diego. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>As of Thursday, the \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB766\">Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act\u003c/a> prohibits a dealer from misrepresenting the total cost of the vehicle they’re selling you. And if you’re planning to lease the car, a dealer cannot mislead you about the terms of the lease.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what does this new law mean exactly, making your next experience at a car dealership less stressful — and potentially cheaper? Here’s what to look for if you or someone you know is buying a car after Oct. 1, 2026:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The total price, with no surprises\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Car sellers must now provide you with a “total price,” which has to include “any dealer price adjustment and the cost of any item installed on the vehicle.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/new-registration/registering-a-vehicle-purchased-from-a-dealer/california-combating-auto-retail-scams-act/\">the DMV\u003c/a>, the total price must show up in ads or in any initial written communication, which includes “email, text, document, or any form mentioning the vehicle or financing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transparency about add-ons\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As you’re choosing a car, the dealer now must tell you — at least once — which add-ons are not actually required. They also have to be transparent that you can purchase or lease the vehicle \u003cem>without \u003c/em>that extra feature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This disclosure, the law states, has to be “in writing and shall be clear and conspicuous.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frankness about financing\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you’re talking about financing, the seller has to confirm what the total cost will be after the financing term — how much will you have paid the dealer altogether, once you’re done with all the monthly payments? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re leasing the car, the dealership also has to tell you the total cost after the leasing term ends.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More clarity on leasing vs. buying\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now that this new law has passed, there cannot be any confusion about whether you are leasing or buying the car. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The seller must be straightforward with the consumer about the terms of the final agreement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A right to change your mind\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re buying a \u003cem>used \u003c/em>car, the law now gives you the right to a three-day “cool-down period” where the purchase can be canceled — for any reason. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, there are a few conditions:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>The vehicle must be valued at less than $50,000\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The seller is permitted to set mileage limits (the DMV estimates around 400 miles)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The seller can charge you a restocking fee (the DMV estimates something around $200) \u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation has received the support of legal aid groups and bar associations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Car buyers will enjoy stronger consumer protections, including a clearer understanding of the total cost of the vehicle before signing the paperwork,” wrote attorney Stefan Lawrence in \u003ca href=\"https://calawyers.org/business-law/california-combating-auto-retail-scams-cars-act-signed-into-law/\">a bulletin\u003c/a> for the California Lawyers Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Lawrence added that the CARS Act could add more work for car dealerships, as it “introduces a new layer of regulatory complexity with respect to advertising, sales practices, and add-on products.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you suspect a car dealership is not complying with the new law, the DMV recommends you \u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-industry-services/occupational-licensing/driving-school-and-traffic-violator-school-complaints/\">file a complaint online\u003c/a> or call 1-800-777-0133.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When you buy a shirt, the tag tells you the price. Whether it’s clothing, food or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098620/even-in-a-hot-rental-market-what-renters-shouldnt-settle-on-when-looking-for-new-home\">rent\u003c/a>, knowing how much you will spend is a pretty straightforward question … for most items. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s because the manufacturer’s suggested retail price — or MSRP — is, as the name suggests, just a \u003cem>suggestion\u003c/em>. And it doesn’t include extra costs, like government fees or markups from the dealers for certain features.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That’s because the manufacturer’s suggested retail price — or MSRP — is, as the name suggests, just a \u003cem>suggestion\u003c/em>. And it doesn’t include extra costs, like government fees or markups from the dealers for certain features.\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/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2212146950-scaled-e1791219079940.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102812\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vehicles for sale are parked in a lot at a CarMax dealership on April 24, 2025, in San Diego.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2212146950-scaled-e1791219079940.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102812\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vehicles for sale are parked in a lot at a CarMax dealership on April 24, 2025, in San Diego.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As of Thursday, the \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB766\">Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act\u003c/a> prohibits a dealer from misrepresenting the total cost of the vehicle they’re selling you. And if you’re planning to lease the car, a dealer cannot mislead you about the terms of the lease.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As of Thursday, the \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB766\">Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act\u003c/a> prohibits a dealer from misrepresenting the total cost of the vehicle they’re selling you. And if you’re planning to lease the car, a dealer cannot mislead you about the terms of the lease.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But what does this new law mean exactly, making your next experience at a car dealership less stressful — and potentially cheaper? Here’s what to look for if you or someone you know is buying a car after Oct. 1, 2026:\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Car sellers must now provide you with a “total price,” which has to include “any dealer price adjustment and the cost of any item installed on the vehicle.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/new-registration/registering-a-vehicle-purchased-from-a-dealer/california-combating-auto-retail-scams-act/\">the DMV\u003c/a>, the total price must show up in ads or in any initial written communication, which includes “email, text, document, or any form mentioning the vehicle or financing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/new-registration/registering-a-vehicle-purchased-from-a-dealer/california-combating-auto-retail-scams-act/\">the DMV\u003c/a>, the total price must show up in ads or in any initial written communication, which includes “email, text, document, or any form mentioning the vehicle or financing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As you’re choosing a car, the dealer now must tell you — at least once — which add-ons are not actually required. They also have to be transparent that you can purchase or lease the vehicle \u003cem>without \u003c/em>that extra feature. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Car buyers will enjoy stronger consumer protections, including a clearer understanding of the total cost of the vehicle before signing the paperwork,” wrote attorney Stefan Lawrence in \u003ca href=\"https://calawyers.org/business-law/california-combating-auto-retail-scams-cars-act-signed-into-law/\">a bulletin\u003c/a> for the California Lawyers Association.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you suspect a car dealership is not complying with the new law, the DMV recommends you \u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-industry-services/occupational-licensing/driving-school-and-traffic-violator-school-complaints/\">file a complaint online\u003c/a> or call 1-800-777-0133.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The CARS Act now prohibits sellers from misrepresenting the total cost of a vehicle, including any dealer price adjustment and blocks them from charging you for optional add-ons.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>When you buy a shirt, the tag tells you the price. Whether it’s clothing, food or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098620/even-in-a-hot-rental-market-what-renters-shouldnt-settle-on-when-looking-for-new-home\">rent\u003c/a>, knowing how much you will spend is a pretty straightforward question … for most items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But buying a car — new or used — has always been trickier. The number you may see in television ads or plastered on the car’s windshield at the dealership is not always what you end up paying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s because the manufacturer’s suggested retail price — or MSRP — is, as the name suggests, just a \u003cem>suggestion\u003c/em>. And it doesn’t include extra costs, like government fees or markups from the dealers for certain features.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But now, a new California law limits how much dealers can add on and potentially makes things clearer for consumers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2212146950-scaled-e1791219079940.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102812\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vehicles for sale are parked in a lot at a CarMax dealership on April 24, 2025, in San Diego. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>As of Thursday, the \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB766\">Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act\u003c/a> prohibits a dealer from misrepresenting the total cost of the vehicle they’re selling you. And if you’re planning to lease the car, a dealer cannot mislead you about the terms of the lease.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what does this new law mean exactly, making your next experience at a car dealership less stressful — and potentially cheaper? Here’s what to look for if you or someone you know is buying a car after Oct. 1, 2026:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The total price, with no surprises\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Car sellers must now provide you with a “total price,” which has to include “any dealer price adjustment and the cost of any item installed on the vehicle.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/new-registration/registering-a-vehicle-purchased-from-a-dealer/california-combating-auto-retail-scams-act/\">the DMV\u003c/a>, the total price must show up in ads or in any initial written communication, which includes “email, text, document, or any form mentioning the vehicle or financing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transparency about add-ons\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As you’re choosing a car, the dealer now must tell you — at least once — which add-ons are not actually required. They also have to be transparent that you can purchase or lease the vehicle \u003cem>without \u003c/em>that extra feature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This disclosure, the law states, has to be “in writing and shall be clear and conspicuous.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frankness about financing\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you’re talking about financing, the seller has to confirm what the total cost will be after the financing term — how much will you have paid the dealer altogether, once you’re done with all the monthly payments? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re leasing the car, the dealership also has to tell you the total cost after the leasing term ends.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More clarity on leasing vs. buying\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now that this new law has passed, there cannot be any confusion about whether you are leasing or buying the car. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The seller must be straightforward with the consumer about the terms of the final agreement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A right to change your mind\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re buying a \u003cem>used \u003c/em>car, the law now gives you the right to a three-day “cool-down period” where the purchase can be canceled — for any reason. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, there are a few conditions:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>The vehicle must be valued at less than $50,000\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The seller is permitted to set mileage limits (the DMV estimates around 400 miles)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The seller can charge you a restocking fee (the DMV estimates something around $200) \u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation has received the support of legal aid groups and bar associations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Car buyers will enjoy stronger consumer protections, including a clearer understanding of the total cost of the vehicle before signing the paperwork,” wrote attorney Stefan Lawrence in \u003ca href=\"https://calawyers.org/business-law/california-combating-auto-retail-scams-cars-act-signed-into-law/\">a bulletin\u003c/a> for the California Lawyers Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Lawrence added that the CARS Act could add more work for car dealerships, as it “introduces a new layer of regulatory complexity with respect to advertising, sales practices, and add-on products.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you suspect a car dealership is not complying with the new law, the DMV recommends you \u003ca href=\"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-industry-services/occupational-licensing/driving-school-and-traffic-violator-school-complaints/\">file a complaint online\u003c/a> or call 1-800-777-0133.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "fifa-world-cup-matches-bring-850-million-to-bay-area-report-says",
"title": "FIFA World Cup Matches Bring $850 Million to Bay Area, Report Says",
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"headTitle": "FIFA World Cup Matches Bring $850 Million to Bay Area, Report Says | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">FIFA World Cup\u003c/a> generated roughly $850 million in economic impact in the Bay Area, according to a new report released by regional organizers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report was unveiled Thursday by the Bay Area Host Committee, a nonprofit formed to bring major sporting events to the region, with a board of directors made up of heads of local professional sports teams, whose venues often host events or play supporting roles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The estimated figure is based on metrics evaluating spending by visitors, teams and companies on things like hotels, food, transportation and events, and the wages earned by workers in the region related to the World Cup. The report was prepared for the host committee by Boston Consulting Group. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 elevated our global reputation, strengthened community bonds and will pay dividends for years to come,” Zaileen Janmohamed, the president & CEO of the host committee, said in a statement. \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/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089715\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fans leave the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The world’s attention on our region showcased the Bay Area as a premier destination for major international events, brought neighbors together through watch parties and shared celebration, and will continue to fuel future tourism as visitors who experienced our hospitality choose to return and recommend the Bay to friends and family,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report said the lion’s share of the impacts — about $410 million — were seen in Santa Clara County. Levi’s Stadium, in the city of Santa Clara, was designated as the sole venue for all \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089303/us-fans-geared-up-for-teams-bay-area-world-cup-match-against-bosnia\">six World Cup matches\u003c/a> played in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The stadium was stripped of its branding under FIFA rules, and temporarily dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">San Francisco Bay Area Stadium\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About $240 million of the boost was felt in San Francisco County, and the remaining $200 million was spread among eight other Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The matches and supporting events and celebrations supported “approximately 5,100 jobs across the region and drew an estimated 240,000 visitors from outside the Bay Area, underscoring the tournament’s reach across the region’s hospitality, retail and service sectors,” the host committee’s statement said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $850 million figure exceeded the committee’s previous projections for economic impact, which the organization pegged at $480 million to $630 million. It attributed the increase to higher-than-anticipated daily visitor spending.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The world saw what we’ve known all along — the Bay Area is a world-class sports [region] that excels in bringing people together, welcoming fans from around the globe and delivering an extraordinary World Cup experience,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This success was a true team effort, and I could not be more excited for the major sports events to come in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The combined events of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco, and Super Bowl LX and the World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium, generated roughly $1.9 billion for the region in total, according to the host committee. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the eye-popping totals proffered by organizations like the host committee are frequently called into question by economics experts and academics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roger Noll, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, previously characterized the estimates in such reports as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">“grossly overstated”\u003c/a> and said they serve mainly as public relations or advertising to help justify the large logistical lift, interruptions to public life and costs of hosting major events in the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report prepared for the Super Bowl and other similar events often do not account for mitigating factors, such as the “substitution effect” of people who choose not to visit the Bay Area for business or tourism when major events are held here to avoid higher hotel prices and congestion, he said previously.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for events like the World Cup, with multiple matches with days in between each, Noll said visitors would likely stay for longer and spend money here. \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/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. national men’s team soccer fans walk toward the San Francisco Bay Area stadium for the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The boost from the World Cup was undeniable in downtown San José, where the San José Earthquakes hosted a watch party for all 104 matches over 39 days at San Pedro Square Market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Closed streets and massive viewing screens, along with special permission from the city to allow outdoor drinking, drew thousands of people into the area for matches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan’s office said the watch parties, activities and entertainment options in downtown brought 1 million cumulative visits to the area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While most of the celebrations were peaceful, police reported some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089204/1-dead-1-critically-hurt-in-downtown-san-jose-shooting\">shootings\u003c/a> and stabbings in the area following some of the events, and huge crowds forced organizers to relocate one viewing party to nearby Discovery Meadow to allow for more space. World Cup events were also canceled at Spark Social in San Francisco after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089502/world-cup-commotion-in-san-jose-2-stabbed-several-arrests-after-mexico-win\">shooting\u003c/a> in the Mission Bay neighborhood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, the Bay Area Host Committee \u003ca href=\"https://bayareahostcommittee.com/newsroom/bay-area-host-committee-launches-leadership-council-to-cement-the-future-of-a-permanent-sustainable-sports-commission\">launched\u003c/a> a Leadership Council and Corporate Membership Program in support of turning the committee into a “permanent, sustainable sports commission that will secure, support and celebrate major sporting events in the region for decades to come.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The region is set to host the WNBA All-Star Game in 2027 at Chase Center, and the MLB All-Star Game will return to Oracle Park in 2028. Janmohamed said, with the coming events, “We will continue the incredible momentum of the past two years and directly increase positive economic impact for the Bay.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The estimated figure is based on metrics evaluating spending by visitors, teams and companies on things like hotels, food, transportation and events, and the wages earned by workers in the region related to the World Cup. The report was prepared for the host committee by Boston Consulting Group. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The estimated figure is based on metrics evaluating spending by visitors, teams and companies on things like hotels, food, transportation and events, and the wages earned by workers in the region related to the World Cup. The report was prepared for the host committee by Boston Consulting Group. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 elevated our global reputation, strengthened community bonds and will pay dividends for years to come,” Zaileen Janmohamed, the president & CEO of the host committee, said in a statement. \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/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089715\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fans leave the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089715\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fans leave the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The world’s attention on our region showcased the Bay Area as a premier destination for major international events, brought neighbors together through watch parties and shared celebration, and will continue to fuel future tourism as visitors who experienced our hospitality choose to return and recommend the Bay to friends and family,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report said the lion’s share of the impacts — about $410 million — were seen in Santa Clara County. Levi’s Stadium, in the city of Santa Clara, was designated as the sole venue for all \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089303/us-fans-geared-up-for-teams-bay-area-world-cup-match-against-bosnia\">six World Cup matches\u003c/a> played in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The report said the lion’s share of the impacts — about $410 million — were seen in Santa Clara County. Levi’s Stadium, in the city of Santa Clara, was designated as the sole venue for all \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089303/us-fans-geared-up-for-teams-bay-area-world-cup-match-against-bosnia\">six World Cup matches\u003c/a> played in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The stadium was stripped of its branding under FIFA rules, and temporarily dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">San Francisco Bay Area Stadium\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The stadium was stripped of its branding under FIFA rules, and temporarily dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">San Francisco Bay Area Stadium\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About $240 million of the boost was felt in San Francisco County, and the remaining $200 million was spread among eight other Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>About $240 million of the boost was felt in San Francisco County, and the remaining $200 million was spread among eight other Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The matches and supporting events and celebrations supported “approximately 5,100 jobs across the region and drew an estimated 240,000 visitors from outside the Bay Area, underscoring the tournament’s reach across the region’s hospitality, retail and service sectors,” the host committee’s statement said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The matches and supporting events and celebrations supported “approximately 5,100 jobs across the region and drew an estimated 240,000 visitors from outside the Bay Area, underscoring the tournament’s reach across the region’s hospitality, retail and service sectors,” the host committee’s statement said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The $850 million figure exceeded the committee’s previous projections for economic impact, which the organization pegged at $480 million to $630 million. It attributed the increase to higher-than-anticipated daily visitor spending.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The $850 million figure exceeded the committee’s previous projections for economic impact, which the organization pegged at $480 million to $630 million. It attributed the increase to higher-than-anticipated daily visitor spending.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The world saw what we’ve known all along — the Bay Area is a world-class sports [region] that excels in bringing people together, welcoming fans from around the globe and delivering an extraordinary World Cup experience,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The world saw what we’ve known all along — the Bay Area is a world-class sports [region] that excels in bringing people together, welcoming fans from around the globe and delivering an extraordinary World Cup experience,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This success was a true team effort, and I could not be more excited for the major sports events to come in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The combined events of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco, and Super Bowl LX and the World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium, generated roughly $1.9 billion for the region in total, according to the host committee. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The combined events of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco, and Super Bowl LX and the World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium, generated roughly $1.9 billion for the region in total, according to the host committee. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, the eye-popping totals proffered by organizations like the host committee are frequently called into question by economics experts and academics. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roger Noll, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, previously characterized the estimates in such reports as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">“grossly overstated”\u003c/a> and said they serve mainly as public relations or advertising to help justify the large logistical lift, interruptions to public life and costs of hosting major events in the region. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Roger Noll, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, previously characterized the estimates in such reports as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">“grossly overstated”\u003c/a> and said they serve mainly as public relations or advertising to help justify the large logistical lift, interruptions to public life and costs of hosting major events in the region. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report prepared for the Super Bowl and other similar events often do not account for mitigating factors, such as the “substitution effect” of people who choose not to visit the Bay Area for business or tourism when major events are held here to avoid higher hotel prices and congestion, he said previously.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The report prepared for the Super Bowl and other similar events often do not account for mitigating factors, such as the “substitution effect” of people who choose not to visit the Bay Area for business or tourism when major events are held here to avoid higher hotel prices and congestion, he said previously.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But for events like the World Cup, with multiple matches with days in between each, Noll said visitors would likely stay for longer and spend money here. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But for events like the World Cup, with multiple matches with days in between each, Noll said visitors would likely stay for longer and spend money here. \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/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. national men’s team soccer fans walk toward the San Francisco Bay Area stadium for the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The boost from the World Cup was undeniable in downtown San José, where the San José Earthquakes hosted a watch party for all 104 matches over 39 days at San Pedro Square Market. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Closed streets and massive viewing screens, along with special permission from the city to allow outdoor drinking, drew thousands of people into the area for matches. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan’s office said the watch parties, activities and entertainment options in downtown brought 1 million cumulative visits to the area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While most of the celebrations were peaceful, police reported some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089204/1-dead-1-critically-hurt-in-downtown-san-jose-shooting\">shootings\u003c/a> and stabbings in the area following some of the events, and huge crowds forced organizers to relocate one viewing party to nearby Discovery Meadow to allow for more space. World Cup events were also canceled at Spark Social in San Francisco after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089502/world-cup-commotion-in-san-jose-2-stabbed-several-arrests-after-mexico-win\">shooting\u003c/a> in the Mission Bay neighborhood. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While most of the celebrations were peaceful, police reported some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089204/1-dead-1-critically-hurt-in-downtown-san-jose-shooting\">shootings\u003c/a> and stabbings in the area following some of the events, and huge crowds forced organizers to relocate one viewing party to nearby Discovery Meadow to allow for more space. World Cup events were also canceled at Spark Social in San Francisco after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089502/world-cup-commotion-in-san-jose-2-stabbed-several-arrests-after-mexico-win\">shooting\u003c/a> in the Mission Bay neighborhood. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June, the Bay Area Host Committee \u003ca href=\"https://bayareahostcommittee.com/newsroom/bay-area-host-committee-launches-leadership-council-to-cement-the-future-of-a-permanent-sustainable-sports-commission\">launched\u003c/a> a Leadership Council and Corporate Membership Program in support of turning the committee into a “permanent, sustainable sports commission that will secure, support and celebrate major sporting events in the region for decades to come.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The region is set to host the WNBA All-Star Game in 2027 at Chase Center, and the MLB All-Star Game will return to Oracle Park in 2028. Janmohamed said, with the coming events, “We will continue the incredible momentum of the past two years and directly increase positive economic impact for the Bay.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The FIFA World Cup brought matches, team base camps, fan watch parties and events to the region. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">FIFA World Cup\u003c/a> generated roughly $850 million in economic impact in the Bay Area, according to a new report released by regional organizers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report was unveiled Thursday by the Bay Area Host Committee, a nonprofit formed to bring major sporting events to the region, with a board of directors made up of heads of local professional sports teams, whose venues often host events or play supporting roles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The estimated figure is based on metrics evaluating spending by visitors, teams and companies on things like hotels, food, transportation and events, and the wages earned by workers in the region related to the World Cup. The report was prepared for the host committee by Boston Consulting Group. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 elevated our global reputation, strengthened community bonds and will pay dividends for years to come,” Zaileen Janmohamed, the president & CEO of the host committee, said in a statement. \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/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089715\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fans leave the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The world’s attention on our region showcased the Bay Area as a premier destination for major international events, brought neighbors together through watch parties and shared celebration, and will continue to fuel future tourism as visitors who experienced our hospitality choose to return and recommend the Bay to friends and family,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report said the lion’s share of the impacts — about $410 million — were seen in Santa Clara County. Levi’s Stadium, in the city of Santa Clara, was designated as the sole venue for all \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089303/us-fans-geared-up-for-teams-bay-area-world-cup-match-against-bosnia\">six World Cup matches\u003c/a> played in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The stadium was stripped of its branding under FIFA rules, and temporarily dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">San Francisco Bay Area Stadium\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About $240 million of the boost was felt in San Francisco County, and the remaining $200 million was spread among eight other Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The matches and supporting events and celebrations supported “approximately 5,100 jobs across the region and drew an estimated 240,000 visitors from outside the Bay Area, underscoring the tournament’s reach across the region’s hospitality, retail and service sectors,” the host committee’s statement said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $850 million figure exceeded the committee’s previous projections for economic impact, which the organization pegged at $480 million to $630 million. It attributed the increase to higher-than-anticipated daily visitor spending.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The world saw what we’ve known all along — the Bay Area is a world-class sports [region] that excels in bringing people together, welcoming fans from around the globe and delivering an extraordinary World Cup experience,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This success was a true team effort, and I could not be more excited for the major sports events to come in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The combined events of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco, and Super Bowl LX and the World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium, generated roughly $1.9 billion for the region in total, according to the host committee. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the eye-popping totals proffered by organizations like the host committee are frequently called into question by economics experts and academics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roger Noll, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, previously characterized the estimates in such reports as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">“grossly overstated”\u003c/a> and said they serve mainly as public relations or advertising to help justify the large logistical lift, interruptions to public life and costs of hosting major events in the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report prepared for the Super Bowl and other similar events often do not account for mitigating factors, such as the “substitution effect” of people who choose not to visit the Bay Area for business or tourism when major events are held here to avoid higher hotel prices and congestion, he said previously.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for events like the World Cup, with multiple matches with days in between each, Noll said visitors would likely stay for longer and spend money here. \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/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. national men’s team soccer fans walk toward the San Francisco Bay Area stadium for the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The boost from the World Cup was undeniable in downtown San José, where the San José Earthquakes hosted a watch party for all 104 matches over 39 days at San Pedro Square Market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Closed streets and massive viewing screens, along with special permission from the city to allow outdoor drinking, drew thousands of people into the area for matches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan’s office said the watch parties, activities and entertainment options in downtown brought 1 million cumulative visits to the area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While most of the celebrations were peaceful, police reported some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089204/1-dead-1-critically-hurt-in-downtown-san-jose-shooting\">shootings\u003c/a> and stabbings in the area following some of the events, and huge crowds forced organizers to relocate one viewing party to nearby Discovery Meadow to allow for more space. World Cup events were also canceled at Spark Social in San Francisco after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089502/world-cup-commotion-in-san-jose-2-stabbed-several-arrests-after-mexico-win\">shooting\u003c/a> in the Mission Bay neighborhood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, the Bay Area Host Committee \u003ca href=\"https://bayareahostcommittee.com/newsroom/bay-area-host-committee-launches-leadership-council-to-cement-the-future-of-a-permanent-sustainable-sports-commission\">launched\u003c/a> a Leadership Council and Corporate Membership Program in support of turning the committee into a “permanent, sustainable sports commission that will secure, support and celebrate major sporting events in the region for decades to come.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The region is set to host the WNBA All-Star Game in 2027 at Chase Center, and the MLB All-Star Game will return to Oracle Park in 2028. Janmohamed said, with the coming events, “We will continue the incredible momentum of the past two years and directly increase positive economic impact for the Bay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "newsom-talks-climate-with-world-leaders-at-u-n-accuses-trump-of-abdicating-responsibility",
"title": "Newsom Talks Climate With World Leaders at U.N., Accuses Trump of Shirking That Duty",
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"headTitle": "Newsom Talks Climate With World Leaders at U.N., Accuses Trump of Shirking That Duty | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Saying President Donald Trump has abdicated his responsibilities on climate change, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> met with world and business leaders Wednesday to advance climate action and clean energy on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State and local governments are leading, he said, as “Trump is trying to recreate the 19th century” by reopening coal plants, announcing new plans for \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/offshore-drilling-california-trump-newsom-oil-1e5b0c52b128daddb3a1f112acd44fd6\">oil drilling including off California\u003c/a>, and centering his energy policy on \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-zeldin-mercury-epa-emissions-b770d6efd05f19ed24b179511c726196\">fossil fuels\u003c/a> that cause climate change.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’s doubling down on stupid, and he’s putting the American economy at risk,” Newsom said in an interview. He called Trump the most destructive environmental president in American history and “an invasive species.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6_Kl2oVOTs\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers used Trump’s derogatory nickname for the governor, “Newscum,” in responding to the comments. She said his “doubling down on Biden’s unpopular, unreliable and costly Green New Scam is stupid.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No one is surprised to see him whining about the climate change hoax at another conference instead of fixing the problems plaguing his state: out-of-control crime, the highest homeless population in the United States, and wildfire victims still waiting on state permits to rebuild their homes and businesses,” Taylor wrote in an email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Newsom has long been trying to counter Trump’s climate approach\u003cbr>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom, a Democrat eyeing a 2028 presidential run, has sought to counter Trump’s stance on climate issues before. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/newsom-california-climate-change-cop30-trump-942d4d6847130d9ffc4dc2eb3e630a6e\">He went to the U.N. climate talks\u003c/a> hosted in Belem, Brazil in 2025 when Trump skipped it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Trump prioritizes \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-mining-power-plant-climate-electricity-0a7126d66de97b10f32eaa39b1af669f\">fossil fuels to produce electricity\u003c/a>. The Biden administration \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/business-gulf-of-mexico-wind-power-environment-and-nature-e91e930df8b002390da02e524e7f6441\">sought to ramp up clean energy\u003c/a> as a climate change solution. Trump began reversing U.S. energy policies his first day back in office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last year at the UN, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-un-climate-change-renewable-energy-5c033a24ec523a56f8244d85f3672eda\">Trump called climate change\u003c/a> the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” He has hindered renewable energy, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-offshore-wind-energy-climate-c0ac1e447c93126327f1922327921aa0\">particularly offshore wind\u003c/a>, while \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/offshore-wind-energy-climate-trump-b8be5561c56d8932ef97fcbec9062fe1\">China and other countries invest heavily\u003c/a>. China leads the world in adding wind and solar power, though it also added a lot of coal power last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chinese President Xi Jinping \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-arrival-washington-state-visit-baea8dbdb8c832ae1b295579709dc967\">begins his state visit\u003c/a> to Washington Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the economic and technological competition between the countries escalates, Newsom said the Chinese leader is “cleaning our clock from an economic perspective.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Trump and Xi are expected to discuss artificial intelligence as they meet this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. has proposed a new “ \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/bessent-ai-xi-trump-china-trade-2c7f54f07e755f506d9db9b91df282bd\">notification mechanism\u003c/a> ” for AI incidents that could affect national security.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Newsom also not happy with Trump AI stance\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom was critical of Trump for not doing more to add guardrails and instead listening to advice to let artificial intelligence “rip.” Newsom announced Wednesday a group of experts who will advise on \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/23/governor-newsom-announces-world-leading-experts-to-deliver-on-his-ai-executive-order-including-advancing-creation-of-a-kill-switch/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">oversight recommendations in California\u003c/a>, including advancing the creation of a potential “kill switch” for rogue frontier models.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Trump was in New York on Tuesday. Unlike last year’s climate-focused speech, Trump defended his actions against Iran as he spoke at the U.N. General Assembly and \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-united-nations-unga-iran-ai-f7cb0b3ebc492446c0be97ed3a6843aa\">made the diplomatic rounds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1291\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2296206709-scaled-e1790208734376.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101160\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ministers speak at a UN Security Council meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at the United Nations on Sept. 20, 2026 in New York. (Michael Kappeler/picture alliance/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom spoke at the United Nations on Wednesday alongside mayors grappling with the impacts of climate change and calling for collective action. He shared how the state is using renewables to change the way it produces and consumes energy, while reducing carbon pollution. While in New York, he also \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/2102561585294344679\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signed a new agreement\u003c/a> with Spain’s prime minister to strengthen collaboration on clean energy and climate issues and announced progress to link carbon markets with Washington state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California is not going to sit back and watch this guy roll back the last half century. We’re going to lead the next great revolution,” Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re going to dominate and we’re going to out compete and we are going to prepare the economy,” he said, “not just in California, but the rest of the nation, for the fierce competitive fight against China as we move forward in this space.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers used Trump’s derogatory nickname for the governor, “Newscum,” in responding to the comments. She said his “doubling down on Biden’s unpopular, unreliable and costly Green New Scam is stupid.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“No one is surprised to see him whining about the climate change hoax at another conference instead of fixing the problems plaguing his state: out-of-control crime, the highest homeless population in the United States, and wildfire victims still waiting on state permits to rebuild their homes and businesses,” Taylor wrote in an email.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom, a Democrat eyeing a 2028 presidential run, has sought to counter Trump’s stance on climate issues before. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/newsom-california-climate-change-cop30-trump-942d4d6847130d9ffc4dc2eb3e630a6e\">He went to the U.N. climate talks\u003c/a> hosted in Belem, Brazil in 2025 when Trump skipped it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom, a Democrat eyeing a 2028 presidential run, has sought to counter Trump’s stance on climate issues before. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/newsom-california-climate-change-cop30-trump-942d4d6847130d9ffc4dc2eb3e630a6e\">He went to the U.N. climate talks\u003c/a> hosted in Belem, Brazil in 2025 when Trump skipped it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Trump prioritizes \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-mining-power-plant-climate-electricity-0a7126d66de97b10f32eaa39b1af669f\">fossil fuels to produce electricity\u003c/a>. The Biden administration \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/business-gulf-of-mexico-wind-power-environment-and-nature-e91e930df8b002390da02e524e7f6441\">sought to ramp up clean energy\u003c/a> as a climate change solution. Trump began reversing U.S. energy policies his first day back in office.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last year at the UN, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-un-climate-change-renewable-energy-5c033a24ec523a56f8244d85f3672eda\">Trump called climate change\u003c/a> the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” He has hindered renewable energy, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-offshore-wind-energy-climate-c0ac1e447c93126327f1922327921aa0\">particularly offshore wind\u003c/a>, while \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/offshore-wind-energy-climate-trump-b8be5561c56d8932ef97fcbec9062fe1\">China and other countries invest heavily\u003c/a>. China leads the world in adding wind and solar power, though it also added a lot of coal power last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chinese President Xi Jinping \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-arrival-washington-state-visit-baea8dbdb8c832ae1b295579709dc967\">begins his state visit\u003c/a> to Washington Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chinese President Xi Jinping \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-arrival-washington-state-visit-baea8dbdb8c832ae1b295579709dc967\">begins his state visit\u003c/a> to Washington Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the economic and technological competition between the countries escalates, Newsom said the Chinese leader is “cleaning our clock from an economic perspective.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As the economic and technological competition between the countries escalates, Newsom said the Chinese leader is “cleaning our clock from an economic perspective.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Trump and Xi are expected to discuss artificial intelligence as they meet this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. has proposed a new “ \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/bessent-ai-xi-trump-china-trade-2c7f54f07e755f506d9db9b91df282bd\">notification mechanism\u003c/a> ” for AI incidents that could affect national security.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Trump and Xi are expected to discuss artificial intelligence as they meet this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. has proposed a new “ \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/bessent-ai-xi-trump-china-trade-2c7f54f07e755f506d9db9b91df282bd\">notification mechanism\u003c/a> ” for AI incidents that could affect national security.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom was critical of Trump for not doing more to add guardrails and instead listening to advice to let artificial intelligence “rip.” Newsom announced Wednesday a group of experts who will advise on \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/23/governor-newsom-announces-world-leading-experts-to-deliver-on-his-ai-executive-order-including-advancing-creation-of-a-kill-switch/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">oversight recommendations in California\u003c/a>, including advancing the creation of a potential “kill switch” for rogue frontier models.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom was critical of Trump for not doing more to add guardrails and instead listening to advice to let artificial intelligence “rip.” Newsom announced Wednesday a group of experts who will advise on \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/23/governor-newsom-announces-world-leading-experts-to-deliver-on-his-ai-executive-order-including-advancing-creation-of-a-kill-switch/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">oversight recommendations in California\u003c/a>, including advancing the creation of a potential “kill switch” for rogue frontier models.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Trump was in New York on Tuesday. Unlike last year’s climate-focused speech, Trump defended his actions against Iran as he spoke at the U.N. General Assembly and \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-united-nations-unga-iran-ai-f7cb0b3ebc492446c0be97ed3a6843aa\">made the diplomatic rounds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom spoke at the United Nations on Wednesday alongside mayors grappling with the impacts of climate change and calling for collective action. He shared how the state is using renewables to change the way it produces and consumes energy, while reducing carbon pollution. While in New York, he also \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/2102561585294344679\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signed a new agreement\u003c/a> with Spain’s prime minister to strengthen collaboration on clean energy and climate issues and announced progress to link carbon markets with Washington state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom spoke at the United Nations on Wednesday alongside mayors grappling with the impacts of climate change and calling for collective action. He shared how the state is using renewables to change the way it produces and consumes energy, while reducing carbon pollution. While in New York, he also \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/2102561585294344679\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signed a new agreement\u003c/a> with Spain’s prime minister to strengthen collaboration on clean energy and climate issues and announced progress to link carbon markets with Washington state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California is not going to sit back and watch this guy roll back the last half century. We’re going to lead the next great revolution,” Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Saying President Donald Trump has abdicated his responsibilities on climate change, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> met with world and business leaders Wednesday to advance climate action and clean energy on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State and local governments are leading, he said, as “Trump is trying to recreate the 19th century” by reopening coal plants, announcing new plans for \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/offshore-drilling-california-trump-newsom-oil-1e5b0c52b128daddb3a1f112acd44fd6\">oil drilling including off California\u003c/a>, and centering his energy policy on \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-zeldin-mercury-epa-emissions-b770d6efd05f19ed24b179511c726196\">fossil fuels\u003c/a> that cause climate change.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’s doubling down on stupid, and he’s putting the American economy at risk,” Newsom said in an interview. He called Trump the most destructive environmental president in American history and “an invasive species.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/h6_Kl2oVOTs'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/h6_Kl2oVOTs'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers used Trump’s derogatory nickname for the governor, “Newscum,” in responding to the comments. She said his “doubling down on Biden’s unpopular, unreliable and costly Green New Scam is stupid.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No one is surprised to see him whining about the climate change hoax at another conference instead of fixing the problems plaguing his state: out-of-control crime, the highest homeless population in the United States, and wildfire victims still waiting on state permits to rebuild their homes and businesses,” Taylor wrote in an email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Newsom has long been trying to counter Trump’s climate approach\u003cbr>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom, a Democrat eyeing a 2028 presidential run, has sought to counter Trump’s stance on climate issues before. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/newsom-california-climate-change-cop30-trump-942d4d6847130d9ffc4dc2eb3e630a6e\">He went to the U.N. climate talks\u003c/a> hosted in Belem, Brazil in 2025 when Trump skipped it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Trump prioritizes \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-mining-power-plant-climate-electricity-0a7126d66de97b10f32eaa39b1af669f\">fossil fuels to produce electricity\u003c/a>. The Biden administration \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/business-gulf-of-mexico-wind-power-environment-and-nature-e91e930df8b002390da02e524e7f6441\">sought to ramp up clean energy\u003c/a> as a climate change solution. Trump began reversing U.S. energy policies his first day back in office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last year at the UN, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-un-climate-change-renewable-energy-5c033a24ec523a56f8244d85f3672eda\">Trump called climate change\u003c/a> the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” He has hindered renewable energy, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-offshore-wind-energy-climate-c0ac1e447c93126327f1922327921aa0\">particularly offshore wind\u003c/a>, while \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/offshore-wind-energy-climate-trump-b8be5561c56d8932ef97fcbec9062fe1\">China and other countries invest heavily\u003c/a>. China leads the world in adding wind and solar power, though it also added a lot of coal power last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chinese President Xi Jinping \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-arrival-washington-state-visit-baea8dbdb8c832ae1b295579709dc967\">begins his state visit\u003c/a> to Washington Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the economic and technological competition between the countries escalates, Newsom said the Chinese leader is “cleaning our clock from an economic perspective.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Trump and Xi are expected to discuss artificial intelligence as they meet this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. has proposed a new “ \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/bessent-ai-xi-trump-china-trade-2c7f54f07e755f506d9db9b91df282bd\">notification mechanism\u003c/a> ” for AI incidents that could affect national security.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Newsom also not happy with Trump AI stance\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom was critical of Trump for not doing more to add guardrails and instead listening to advice to let artificial intelligence “rip.” Newsom announced Wednesday a group of experts who will advise on \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/23/governor-newsom-announces-world-leading-experts-to-deliver-on-his-ai-executive-order-including-advancing-creation-of-a-kill-switch/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">oversight recommendations in California\u003c/a>, including advancing the creation of a potential “kill switch” for rogue frontier models.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Trump was in New York on Tuesday. Unlike last year’s climate-focused speech, Trump defended his actions against Iran as he spoke at the U.N. General Assembly and \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-united-nations-unga-iran-ai-f7cb0b3ebc492446c0be97ed3a6843aa\">made the diplomatic rounds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1291\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2296206709-scaled-e1790208734376.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101160\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ministers speak at a UN Security Council meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at the United Nations on Sept. 20, 2026 in New York. (Michael Kappeler/picture alliance/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom spoke at the United Nations on Wednesday alongside mayors grappling with the impacts of climate change and calling for collective action. He shared how the state is using renewables to change the way it produces and consumes energy, while reducing carbon pollution. While in New York, he also \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/2102561585294344679\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signed a new agreement\u003c/a> with Spain’s prime minister to strengthen collaboration on clean energy and climate issues and announced progress to link carbon markets with Washington state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California is not going to sit back and watch this guy roll back the last half century. We’re going to lead the next great revolution,” Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re going to dominate and we’re going to out compete and we are going to prepare the economy,” he said, “not just in California, but the rest of the nation, for the fierce competitive fight against China as we move forward in this space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sick-of-scam-calls-and-texts-you-can-now-request-to-remove-your-details-from-data-brokers",
"title": "Over Half a Million Californians Have Signed Up to Delete Their Info From Data Brokers. Here’s How You Can, Too",
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"headTitle": "Over Half a Million Californians Have Signed Up to Delete Their Info From Data Brokers. Here’s How You Can, Too | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Constant spam calls and fake texts \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/08/08/nx-s1-5494743/weve-all-gotten-those-hiring-scam-texts-instead-of-deleting-this-writer-played-along\">promising job offers\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/yrechtman/status/2008946516820406366?s=46&t=7BBzFwo6eYLzJIVfAlumEQ\">easy cash\u003c/a> or, in some cases, a coffee date have been the bane of my existence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not just me. According to the consumer advocacy organization \u003ca href=\"https://pirg.org/edfund/\">U.S. PIRG Education Fund\u003c/a>, Americans received \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robocalls-on-the-rise-heres-why/\">2.56 \u003cem>billion \u003c/em>robocalls per month\u003c/a> from January to September 2025. And in recent years, scammers have increased their use of text messaging or DMs on social media platforms to get your information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for how they get your phone number, it’s because these scammers \u003ca href=\"https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-proposes-rule-to-stop-data-brokers-from-selling-sensitive-personal-data-to-scammers-stalkers-and-spies/\">usually obtain your contact details\u003c/a> from data brokers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098614/phone-text-scams-california-irs-bank-cdph-emergency-call-how-to-spot-fake-job-offer\">Scam messages have gotten so bad\u003c/a> in recent years that, \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\">as of January\u003c/a>, a new \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/about-drop-and-the-delete-act/\">California privacy law\u003c/a> — the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) — began to offer state residents a way to limit the amount of information available to those data brokers by submitting deletion requests to have their information manually removed. As of August, data brokers have been required to start the deletion process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over 520,000 Californians have signed up for DROP so far, according to Tom Kemp, the executive director of CalPrivacy, the state’s Privacy Protection Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re also pleased to see that it has real-world value already,” Kemp said. “People are getting dozens and dozens of dozens of deletions occurring, which means their digital footprint is now being reduced — and that will have a downstream benefit of less spam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Scams are caused increasingly by the bad guys getting data from data brokers,” Kemp continued. “And AI is making it incredibly easy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because data brokers \u003ca href=\"https://epic.org/issues/consumer-privacy/data-brokers/\">collect and sell a plethora of personal information\u003c/a> about you — including names, addresses, income, political party, shopping habits and more — there are other reasons beyond spam calls to want your details removed from their databases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/pirdbooop/status/1906800016141758795?s=46&t=7BBzFwo6eYLzJIVfAlumEQ\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a good way to maintain digital privacy and prevent other bodies (\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055606/how-ice-is-using-your-data-and-what-you-can-do-about-it\">including, increasingly, federal agencies\u003c/a>) from accessing even more information about you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike a bank or a pharmacy, data brokers specifically \u003cem>don’t \u003c/em>have a direct relationship with you, said Kemp. Instead, they function to indirectly collect as much information about you as they can, to “create these digital dossiers that they’ll sell to anyone with a credit card,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Signing up for DROP will “significantly” reduce your digital footprint, said Kemp, because your “attack surface will be dramatically reduced” by fewer people having your personal information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/dadogeking/status/1939026526667973071?s=46&t=7BBzFwo6eYLzJIVfAlumEQ\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while Kemp acknowledged that the long-term effects of the law might “take a couple years to see” — for example, if elder fraud will go down in California as compared with other states — it’s nonetheless “one big step in the right direction,” he said. (In fact, news outlet CalMatters \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/06/help-us-investigate-data-privacy-california/\">recently announced a crowdsourced effort\u003c/a> to track DROP’s progress.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for an overview of the DROP law, from what it does to how to submit a request yourself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state also has \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/\">its own thorough resource on navigating DROP\u003c/a>, including \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/personal-information-and-data-brokers/\">what it means to delete your personal data\u003c/a>. Be sure to also check out KQED’s guide on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070405/how-to-protect-your-information-online-in-2026\">more ways to protect yourself online\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How you can use DROP\u003c/h2>\n\u003ch3>Who can submit a DROP request?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>You can use DROP if you are a California resident and must \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/check-eligibility\">verify that you are a California resident\u003c/a> when you fill out the form by either:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Providing personal information,\u003c/strong> including name, date of birth, address, phone or email. If you cannot provide a phone number or email, you may need to provide a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. You will give this information on a state website called the \u003ca href=\"https://digitalidstrategy.cdt.ca.gov/\">California Identity Gateway\u003c/a>, which is often used to verify residency. According to the state, this information will be used only to verify your identity and residency and will not be stored or shared.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Creating an account\u003c/strong> through \u003ca href=\"http://login.gov\">login.gov\u003c/a>, a \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/check-eligibility\">“federally hosted identity verification service used by many government agencies.”\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Keep in mind that if you choose to verify either through the California Identity Gateway or login.gov, you will need to use the same method for future DROP requests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once your identity is verified, you will be able to proceed with the submission form on the DROP website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069526\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12069526 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to the consumer advocacy organization U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Americans received 2.56 billion robocalls per month from January to September 2025. \u003ccite>(Rain Star/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>How can I submit a DROP request?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>You can submit a request using \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/\">the state’s official DROP website\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After verifying you’re a California resident (see above), you’ll fill out some basic information, including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Full name (including any other variations of your name, like a maiden name or nickname)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Date of birth\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Zip code(s)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Email address(es), which you’ll be asked to verify by code\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Phone number(s), which you’ll be asked to verify by code\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Any unique IDs you have connected to your phone or smart TV since, according to the form, “Data brokers may use these IDs to track your habits and sell or share your data.” The Markup has \u003ca href=\"https://themarkup.org/privacy/2026/01/08/how-californians-can-use-a-new-state-website-to-block-hundreds-of-data-brokers\">a guide on finding some specific IDs\u003c/a>, like advertising IDs, on your smartphone.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Vehicle Identification Number (found on your car’s registration documents)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>According to the DROP form, the “more information you provide, the more likely your personal data will be deleted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The entire process — if you have these unique numbers on hand — takes under 10 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Applying through DROP will be a lot quicker than the usual deletion process available to you, in which users had to contact each company individually to have their information removed — or pay for a service to do it in bulk. And investigative reports also show that \u003ca href=\"https://themarkup.org/privacy/2025/08/12/we-caught-companies-making-it-harder-to-delete-your-data\">the success of finding those deletion requests can vary\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After submitting the form, you will receive a DROP ID. You should save this ID, and you can use it to \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/dropstatus\">track the state of your deletion request\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the state’s DROP website, the information you put in the form \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/\">“won’t be sold or shared for any other reason.”\u003c/a> The \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/personal-information-and-data-brokers/\">state’s website\u003c/a> explains how it encrypts input data and what data brokers see in your requests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069528\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12069528 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" 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-caption-text\">The new DROP law means that in August 2026, data brokers are required by law to start clearing their records every 45 days. \u003ccite>(Rain Star/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Does submitting a DROP request cost anything?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>No. Submitting a DROP request is free.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Can I submit a DROP form for someone else?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Yes, you can submit a request for another person, like your child or your parent. The person must still be a California resident, and they must have given you permission to submit the DROP request for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you are submitting a form for another person, you must use \u003cem>their \u003c/em>details when verifying California residency, not your own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After filling out the other person’s information, you will then need to provide your full name and your email address.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How does DROP work?\u003c/h2>\n\u003ch3>What data of mine will be deleted as part of DROP?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The new DROP law means that data brokers are now required by law to start clearing their records every 45 days, as of August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there is a chance that your data may be deleted even earlier. According to Kemp, “a lot of these data brokers have already reported back, and so far about 25% of the data brokers have said that they did the deletion matching.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to your phone number, this information about you that data brokers must begin to delete may include your:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Name\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Birthday\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Address\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Email address\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Geolocation\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Health data\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Interests, such as your political party affiliation or your hobbies.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>There are exceptions to what data these brokers must delete: For example, publicly available information (like a court appearance or property records) will not be deleted under DROP.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Where will the data be deleted from?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>According to the DROP form, “All current and future data brokers who register with CalPrivacy are included in your deletion request.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12055606 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/USImmigrationCustomsEnforcementHQGetty.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can check out \u003ca href=\"https://cppa.ca.gov/data_broker_registry/\">the list of over 600 active data brokers on the DROP website\u003c/a>, and even directly opt in for the ones you actually wish to be listed on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The DROP website also allows you to look at these data brokers individually and see what kind of data they’re gathering, like reproductive health information and biometric data. In some cases, you can also see where your data is being sold to, like developers of generative AI — or the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nonprofit groups like charities may have your information, Kemp explained. But these are \u003cem>not \u003c/em>required to be part of the registry of data brokers, which are for-profit companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The registry doesn’t just include data brokers based in California; it applies to companies out of state as well, said Kemp.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As long as there’s a company that has a lot of Californians’ data that they collect and sell and they don’t have that direct relationship, they have to register,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep in mind: \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/\">According to the state website\u003c/a>, deleting your information could lead to a less personalized web experience, like targeted ads.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>How long will it take for the data to be deleted?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>After you apply for DROP, you’ll then have \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/\">a personal DROP profile online \u003c/a>— which you can periodically check for updates on your digital privacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And now that the deletion process has started, you’ll likely begin to see updates from brokers to your requests on your DROP profile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/how-drop-works/\">possible status updates\u003c/a> are:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Deleted: \u003c/strong>Your data is deleted and will not be sold.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Exempted: \u003c/strong>Your data is allowed to be kept because it is exempted by the privacy law, such as a court or public record.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Opted-out: \u003c/strong>Data brokers couldn’t find the exact information you input.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Record not found: \u003c/strong>Data brokers could not find the information at \u003cem>all\u003c/em>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Pending: \u003c/strong>Your deletion request is still being processed.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>You may need to \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/personal-information-and-data-brokers/\">provide more information\u003c/a> or take extra steps if data brokers are unable to fulfill your request.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Data brokers are \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/\">required to delete information every 45 days\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/how-drop-works/\">take up to 90 days to give an update\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kemp said that the state does plan to “vigorously enforce this” and, “if a data broker is not properly doing the deletions, or ignoring the deletions, the fines are $200 per day per record.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Constant spam calls and fake texts \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/08/08/nx-s1-5494743/weve-all-gotten-those-hiring-scam-texts-instead-of-deleting-this-writer-played-along\">promising job offers\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/yrechtman/status/2008946516820406366?s=46&t=7BBzFwo6eYLzJIVfAlumEQ\">easy cash\u003c/a> or, in some cases, a coffee date have been the bane of my existence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not just me. According to the consumer advocacy organization \u003ca href=\"https://pirg.org/edfund/\">U.S. PIRG Education Fund\u003c/a>, Americans received \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robocalls-on-the-rise-heres-why/\">2.56 \u003cem>billion \u003c/em>robocalls per month\u003c/a> from January to September 2025. And in recent years, scammers have increased their use of text messaging or DMs on social media platforms to get your information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for how they get your phone number, it’s because these scammers \u003ca href=\"https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-proposes-rule-to-stop-data-brokers-from-selling-sensitive-personal-data-to-scammers-stalkers-and-spies/\">usually obtain your contact details\u003c/a> from data brokers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098614/phone-text-scams-california-irs-bank-cdph-emergency-call-how-to-spot-fake-job-offer\">Scam messages have gotten so bad\u003c/a> in recent years that, \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\">as of January\u003c/a>, a new \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/about-drop-and-the-delete-act/\">California privacy law\u003c/a> — the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) — began to offer state residents a way to limit the amount of information available to those data brokers by submitting deletion requests to have their information manually removed. As of August, data brokers have been required to start the deletion process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over 520,000 Californians have signed up for DROP so far, according to Tom Kemp, the executive director of CalPrivacy, the state’s Privacy Protection Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re also pleased to see that it has real-world value already,” Kemp said. “People are getting dozens and dozens of dozens of deletions occurring, which means their digital footprint is now being reduced — and that will have a downstream benefit of less spam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Scams are caused increasingly by the bad guys getting data from data brokers,” Kemp continued. “And AI is making it incredibly easy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because data brokers \u003ca href=\"https://epic.org/issues/consumer-privacy/data-brokers/\">collect and sell a plethora of personal information\u003c/a> about you — including names, addresses, income, political party, shopping habits and more — there are other reasons beyond spam calls to want your details removed from their databases.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>It’s a good way to maintain digital privacy and prevent other bodies (\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055606/how-ice-is-using-your-data-and-what-you-can-do-about-it\">including, increasingly, federal agencies\u003c/a>) from accessing even more information about you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike a bank or a pharmacy, data brokers specifically \u003cem>don’t \u003c/em>have a direct relationship with you, said Kemp. Instead, they function to indirectly collect as much information about you as they can, to “create these digital dossiers that they’ll sell to anyone with a credit card,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Signing up for DROP will “significantly” reduce your digital footprint, said Kemp, because your “attack surface will be dramatically reduced” by fewer people having your personal information.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>And while Kemp acknowledged that the long-term effects of the law might “take a couple years to see” — for example, if elder fraud will go down in California as compared with other states — it’s nonetheless “one big step in the right direction,” he said. (In fact, news outlet CalMatters \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/06/help-us-investigate-data-privacy-california/\">recently announced a crowdsourced effort\u003c/a> to track DROP’s progress.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for an overview of the DROP law, from what it does to how to submit a request yourself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state also has \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/\">its own thorough resource on navigating DROP\u003c/a>, including \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/personal-information-and-data-brokers/\">what it means to delete your personal data\u003c/a>. Be sure to also check out KQED’s guide on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070405/how-to-protect-your-information-online-in-2026\">more ways to protect yourself online\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How you can use DROP\u003c/h2>\n\u003ch3>Who can submit a DROP request?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>You can use DROP if you are a California resident and must \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/check-eligibility\">verify that you are a California resident\u003c/a> when you fill out the form by either:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Providing personal information,\u003c/strong> including name, date of birth, address, phone or email. If you cannot provide a phone number or email, you may need to provide a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. You will give this information on a state website called the \u003ca href=\"https://digitalidstrategy.cdt.ca.gov/\">California Identity Gateway\u003c/a>, which is often used to verify residency. According to the state, this information will be used only to verify your identity and residency and will not be stored or shared.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Creating an account\u003c/strong> through \u003ca href=\"http://login.gov\">login.gov\u003c/a>, a \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/check-eligibility\">“federally hosted identity verification service used by many government agencies.”\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Keep in mind that if you choose to verify either through the California Identity Gateway or login.gov, you will need to use the same method for future DROP requests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once your identity is verified, you will be able to proceed with the submission form on the DROP website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069526\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12069526 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to the consumer advocacy organization U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Americans received 2.56 billion robocalls per month from January to September 2025. \u003ccite>(Rain Star/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>How can I submit a DROP request?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>You can submit a request using \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/\">the state’s official DROP website\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After verifying you’re a California resident (see above), you’ll fill out some basic information, including:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Full name (including any other variations of your name, like a maiden name or nickname)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Date of birth\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Zip code(s)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Email address(es), which you’ll be asked to verify by code\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Phone number(s), which you’ll be asked to verify by code\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Any unique IDs you have connected to your phone or smart TV since, according to the form, “Data brokers may use these IDs to track your habits and sell or share your data.” The Markup has \u003ca href=\"https://themarkup.org/privacy/2026/01/08/how-californians-can-use-a-new-state-website-to-block-hundreds-of-data-brokers\">a guide on finding some specific IDs\u003c/a>, like advertising IDs, on your smartphone.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Vehicle Identification Number (found on your car’s registration documents)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>According to the DROP form, the “more information you provide, the more likely your personal data will be deleted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The entire process — if you have these unique numbers on hand — takes under 10 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Applying through DROP will be a lot quicker than the usual deletion process available to you, in which users had to contact each company individually to have their information removed — or pay for a service to do it in bulk. And investigative reports also show that \u003ca href=\"https://themarkup.org/privacy/2025/08/12/we-caught-companies-making-it-harder-to-delete-your-data\">the success of finding those deletion requests can vary\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After submitting the form, you will receive a DROP ID. You should save this ID, and you can use it to \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/dropstatus\">track the state of your deletion request\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the state’s DROP website, the information you put in the form \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/\">“won’t be sold or shared for any other reason.”\u003c/a> The \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/personal-information-and-data-brokers/\">state’s website\u003c/a> explains how it encrypts input data and what data brokers see in your requests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069528\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12069528 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/DataPrivacyGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" 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-caption-text\">The new DROP law means that in August 2026, data brokers are required by law to start clearing their records every 45 days. \u003ccite>(Rain Star/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Does submitting a DROP request cost anything?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>No. Submitting a DROP request is free.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Can I submit a DROP form for someone else?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Yes, you can submit a request for another person, like your child or your parent. The person must still be a California resident, and they must have given you permission to submit the DROP request for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you are submitting a form for another person, you must use \u003cem>their \u003c/em>details when verifying California residency, not your own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After filling out the other person’s information, you will then need to provide your full name and your email address.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How does DROP work?\u003c/h2>\n\u003ch3>What data of mine will be deleted as part of DROP?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The new DROP law means that data brokers are now required by law to start clearing their records every 45 days, as of August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there is a chance that your data may be deleted even earlier. According to Kemp, “a lot of these data brokers have already reported back, and so far about 25% of the data brokers have said that they did the deletion matching.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to your phone number, this information about you that data brokers must begin to delete may include your:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Name\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Birthday\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Address\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Email address\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Geolocation\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Health data\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Interests, such as your political party affiliation or your hobbies.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>There are exceptions to what data these brokers must delete: For example, publicly available information (like a court appearance or property records) will not be deleted under DROP.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Where will the data be deleted from?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>According to the DROP form, “All current and future data brokers who register with CalPrivacy are included in your deletion request.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can check out \u003ca href=\"https://cppa.ca.gov/data_broker_registry/\">the list of over 600 active data brokers on the DROP website\u003c/a>, and even directly opt in for the ones you actually wish to be listed on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The DROP website also allows you to look at these data brokers individually and see what kind of data they’re gathering, like reproductive health information and biometric data. In some cases, you can also see where your data is being sold to, like developers of generative AI — or the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nonprofit groups like charities may have your information, Kemp explained. But these are \u003cem>not \u003c/em>required to be part of the registry of data brokers, which are for-profit companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The registry doesn’t just include data brokers based in California; it applies to companies out of state as well, said Kemp.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As long as there’s a company that has a lot of Californians’ data that they collect and sell and they don’t have that direct relationship, they have to register,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep in mind: \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/\">According to the state website\u003c/a>, deleting your information could lead to a less personalized web experience, like targeted ads.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>How long will it take for the data to be deleted?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>After you apply for DROP, you’ll then have \u003ca href=\"https://consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/\">a personal DROP profile online \u003c/a>— which you can periodically check for updates on your digital privacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And now that the deletion process has started, you’ll likely begin to see updates from brokers to your requests on your DROP profile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/how-drop-works/\">possible status updates\u003c/a> are:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Deleted: \u003c/strong>Your data is deleted and will not be sold.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Exempted: \u003c/strong>Your data is allowed to be kept because it is exempted by the privacy law, such as a court or public record.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Opted-out: \u003c/strong>Data brokers couldn’t find the exact information you input.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Record not found: \u003c/strong>Data brokers could not find the information at \u003cem>all\u003c/em>.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Pending: \u003c/strong>Your deletion request is still being processed.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>You may need to \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/personal-information-and-data-brokers/\">provide more information\u003c/a> or take extra steps if data brokers are unable to fulfill your request.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Data brokers are \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/\">required to delete information every 45 days\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/how-drop-works/\">take up to 90 days to give an update\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kemp said that the state does plan to “vigorously enforce this” and, “if a data broker is not properly doing the deletions, or ignoring the deletions, the fines are $200 per day per record.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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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",
"publishDate": 1789066800,
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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>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",
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"\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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"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",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/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",
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"\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",
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"\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",
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"\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",
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"\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",
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"\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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"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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"\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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"\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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"\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>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",
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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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"\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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"\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\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",
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"innerHTML": "\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",
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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>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",
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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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"text": "The red flags: High salaries, well-known companies, a job website that was only recently created, a suspicious video interview"
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"innerHTML": "\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",
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"\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"
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"text": "Bank scams",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bank scams\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\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",
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"\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"
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"innerHTML": "\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",
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"\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"
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"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.'",
"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",
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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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"text": "IRS scams",
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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",
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"\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",
"innerContent": [
"\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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"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",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emergency call scams\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\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",
"innerContent": [
"\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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It sounds like the person,” she said. “It sounds legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“It sounds like the person,” she said. “It sounds legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n"
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{
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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",
"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/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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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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"innerBlocks": []
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"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 "
},
"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",
"innerContent": [
"\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"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Mail delivery scams",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mail delivery scams\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mail delivery scams\u003c/h2>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12098971,
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"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)"
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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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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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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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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "The red flags: “Delivery updates” you weren’t expecting, being urged to click a link"
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"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
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"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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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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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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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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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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"attrs": {
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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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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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"innerBlocks": []
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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",
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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": []
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{
"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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"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"
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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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"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?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So you got scammed. Now what?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "Report it ASAP"
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"innerHTML": "\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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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{
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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",
"innerContent": [
"\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",
"innerContent": [
"\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",
"innerContent": [
"\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 FCC: Unwanted Calls/Texts",
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"The organization that is being impersonated (for example, the IRS has a guide on how to contact the agency if you run into an IRS-based scam — national agencies can be found on the federal government’s website, or find a state-based agency on the California Department of Social Services website)",
"PG&E Scams",
"The FTC’s Report Fraud website",
"Internet Crime Complaint Center"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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null,
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"\n\n",
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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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{
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"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"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",
"innerContent": [
"\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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{
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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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{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
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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",
"innerContent": [
"\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"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
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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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"attrs": [],
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/\">FTC’s Report Fraud website\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/\">FTC’s Report Fraud website\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"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": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Seek support"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seek support\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\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",
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"\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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],
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},
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],
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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",
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"\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",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/consumers\">California Attorney General’s page on consumer protection\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
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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",
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"\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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},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"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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},
{
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"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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"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\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg 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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\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. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Loren Elliott for The Washington Post via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\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",
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"\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"
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"innerHTML": "\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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"excerpt": "Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind the Claude assistant, has created an interactive tool to show how AI might affect the U.S economy a little or a lot in the next few years.",
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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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"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>“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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"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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"innerHTML": "\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\" 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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\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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"\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\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00087_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097620\" />\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.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260830-itsrainingfountainpens-00313_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097599\" />\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.\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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"\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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"\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>“It’s part of a whole ecosystem that’s arisen.” \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 aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg 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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\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.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\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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"\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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"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-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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},
"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"\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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"\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",
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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-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",
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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-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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"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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"innerHTML": "\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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"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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"title": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts | KQED",
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"headline": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP 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": "ai-will-create-enormous-wealth-but-who-benefits-with-erik-brynjolfsson",
"title": "AI Will Create Enormous Wealth — But Who Benefits? with Erik Brynjolfsson",
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"content": "\u003cp>AI is advancing at a breakneck pace, but how quickly will that \u003cstrong>actually\u003c/strong> transform the economy? Dream Machines hosts Alexis Madrigal and Robin Sloan talk to Stanford economist Erik Brynjolfsson about what the data can tell us so far, why previous technological revolutions took decades to reshape everyday life, and whether this time will be different. They discuss early signs that AI may already be affecting young workers, what happens to the career ladder when machines take over junior tasks, and where the biggest challenges — and opportunities — lie.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Guest: Erik Brynjolfsson, economist and Director of the \u003ca href=\"https://digitaleconomy.stanford.edu/\">Stanford Digital Economy Lab\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://youtu.be/5HI0RBP-jDk\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Episode transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:00:00:00 – 00:00:06:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Is this a kind of technology that inherently leads to higher concentrations of wealth and therefore a power?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>00:00:06:14 – 00:00:12:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> I don’t want to say inherently, because I don’t want to be in the prediction business, I want to be in the design business. But there’s a lot of strong forces,the AI itself tends to work better at large scale. That’s why they’re raising hundreds of billions, trillions of dollars. You make the model bigger and it works better. So they said, let’s make it even bigger. And it just keeps working. So that tends to lead to kind of a bit of a winner take most outcome.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:00:31:16 – 00:00:39:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: I’m Alexis Madrigal,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin\u003c/strong>: I’m Robin Sloan, and this is Dream Machines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>It’s a podcast about how AI works, also about how it feels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:00:39:14 – 00:00:49:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And of course, we make it right here in San Francisco, where it’s all happening. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>And nobody really disagrees at this point that AI is going to transform the economy in some way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:00:49:16 – 00:00:54:23\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But one of the questions that is still really open and hotly debated is how fast that is going to happen.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:00:55:01 – 00:01:12:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And also the question of how would we know that it’s being transformed? You certainly read a lot of headlines and see a lot of stock prices go up. But like what’s actually happening out there in offices?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Do we have the economic data that we need to make sense? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Yeah, exactly. It’s sort of the question of like, what would be the canary in the coal mine?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:01:12:12 – 00:01:25:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And as we were looking around for answers to these questions, turns out there’s a paper called \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin & Alexis: \u003c/strong>Canary in the Coal Mine \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Out of the Stanford Digital Economy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Yeah. That’s right. And it’s the work of a scholar there named Erik Brynjolfsson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:01:25:08 – 00:01:46:22\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was at MIT for 30 years before coming to Stanford, very early in his understanding of the potentially transformative effects of AI, and has become one of the folks who is really trying to shine a light into the kind of mysterious recesses of the economy so that the rest of us can know, like what is happening and how fast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:01:46:23 – 00:01:47:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Yeah,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:01:47:11 – 00:02:08:22\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because it really matters the time scale. Right? If we have this incredible transformation in three months or in three years or in three decades, it will mean tremendously different society. And we need someone who can tell us, like, where are we on this, on this chart? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>So here is our very own canary in the coal mine Erik\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:02:08:22 – 00:02:10:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brynjolfsson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:02:10:11 – 00:02:25:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>There’s a lot of, as you know, definitions of AI, you know, superintelligence, AGI, you know, just like advanced AI, I’m quite taken by the definition that you used in sort of a formative ad.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:02:25:22 – 00:02:47:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yeah. Transformative AI. You laid this out in a research agenda, you know, for kind of the, the community last year. And there’s a bit more to it. But the core of it is, as you said, we’ll know it’s transformative AI because it’ll have this significant economic effect. It’ll accelerate economic growth from sort of the the baseline that we’ve become accustomed to for a long time now, maybe around 2%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:02:47:17 – 00:03:09:10\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’ll it’ll multiply that by by 3 or 5 times almost without talking about AI specifically, it’d be really interesting to have you dramatize like what that means for for an economy. You know, if that did happen, \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>transformative AI?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Transformative AI that and that growth rate like, like how would that change our our day, our week, our year, our jobs?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:03:09:11 – 00:03:35:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Well, these way for me to think of it as by analogy. And so we don’t know for sure what’s going to happen going forward. But we can look back at, say, the industrial revolution. And in the Second Machine Age, Andy McAfee and I wrote about how we went through this big transition from an agricultural society to an industrial society, and we call it the second Machine age, because now we’re having in the early stages of a second big transition like that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:03:35:20 – 00:03:56:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The first one was about machines doing what our muscles could do, an animal muscles, and that took growth from being sort of growing very, very slow tenths of a percent per year to growing about 2% per year, which may not sound like much, but you compound it. And now we’re like 30 or 50 times richer than our ancestors were a couple hundred years ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:03:56:03 – 00:04:13:13\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I think that doing now, now, we were able to use machines to augment our minds, our brains. And I think that’s going to be at least as big as what the Industrial Revolution did. And it will transform society at least as much, not just in growth rate, but also like, you know, just what we do in our daily lives.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:04:13:13 – 00:04:33:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Think of the way farmers versus people in factories or modern society, how different that is. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Using that analogy, I feel like I should probably know this, but during the Industrial revolution, did people’s lives change in a decade in terms of the kind of work they did, how they worked in the world, the kind of goods and services they, they had access to?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:04:33:01 – 00:04:53:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Did it? Was it more of a generational change, like what was the pace of that?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> It was actually pretty slow. In fact, there’s something called Engels pause. This period of like several decades, 40, 50 years where there wasn’t much of an improvement in living standards. If you read Charles Dickens, you know, actually life could be pretty miserable, even worse than it was for the people living in agricultural society.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:04:53:06 – 00:05:11:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>As life expectancy declined, people got shorter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Yeah, yeah. All that smoke and soot and and kids working in factories and stuff, you know, it was pretty miserable for the majority of the population. But under the surface, things were changing. And you were beginning to have this productivity gain. But it took a while and eventually it started taking off.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:05:11:11 – 00:05:19:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This time around, it’s also going to take longer than I think some of our friends here in San Francisco and Silicon Valley think, but but certainly a lot faster than the last time around\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:05:19:19 – 00:05:24:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Let’s go back into the historical example. I think it’s actually really useful for people to think about this, right?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:05:24:05 – 00:05:44:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You have this general purpose technology of \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>general purpose technology, \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>which is a term of art, I love it, \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>and also I do we were talking about this earlier. I it had not occurred to me that it’s the twin GPT. It seems a little uncanny\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong>. Yeah. So my, my my friend and student, former student Daniel Rock, he wrote a great paper with some folks at OpenAI called GPT RPGs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:05:44:12 – 00:06:03:18\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yeah, generative pre-trained transformers and general purpose technologies. It used to be when I said GPT to economists, we all knew we were talking about general purpose technologies, but the AI people have pretty much stolen that acronym \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>and branded it. Yeah. And for the into it into a global brand\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> So be it. Yeah. But but but general purpose technology is pretty much what drives all economic growth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:06:03:18 – 00:06:23:15\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s all these inventions, but there’s just a handful that really raise our living standards. The steam engine was the first really powerful general purpose technology electricity, computers and now AI, which is kind of like the mother of all general purpose technology, I think. So, you know, Demis Hassabis has this. I was over at Google DeepMind a few weeks ago in London.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:06:23:16 – 00:06:41:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They had this mission statement. They want to let me see if I can get it right. They want to solve intelligence and then use that to solve all the other problems in the world. So, you know, modest little mission statement. But but, you know, there’s a lot of truth to the fact that if you really could solve intelligence, there’s so many other things you could solve.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:06:41:11 – 00:06:56:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Yeah, that is, of course, if you trusted that that’s what people who had solved intelligence would actually do with this intelligence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Well, that’s a very good question. There’s a bunch of things that you can use it for. And also, to be fair, as I’ve come to think harder about the problem, intelligence is not the be all and end all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:06:56:01 – 00:07:06:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A lot of very smart people think and wish it was, but when you get into the real world, you know, just look around us. There’s there’s lots of PhDs in the economy and they don’t like, rule the economy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:06:12 – 00:07:14:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You know, you go into a I was at the Starbucks across the street just before coming here, and you walk in there and l\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: Seven PhDs just right in there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:14:05 – 00:07:14:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: Yeah. Imagine\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:14:17 – 00:07:27:21\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>imagine you pull up with a bus and you say, okay, good news. You know, we’ve got Einstein, we’ve got a bus of 200 Einsteins. They’re going to come help you. I think the manager over there be like, oh, well, like, do they know how to push a broom? I mean, what are they going to do? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>I love that\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:27:23 – 00:07:33:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>because that that kind of argument and just even that that playful vision gets into the real crunchy details of like, what happens in an economy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:33:19 – 00:07:54:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s not just, you know, sugar and eggs, whip them together and voila, you get growth and productivity. It’s really crunchy. And the thing I like best about your work is that kind of ongoing attempt to to dig in and sort of look for signals. You had the paper called Canary in a coal mine, which feels like exactly what we need most right now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:54:09 – 00:08:11:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We need those kind of early signals. You know, they might be warning signals in some cases. They might be like hopeful beacons. We’re going to steer towards \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: the Canaries. metaphor for is a little dark at times. Yeah. We didn’t really mean it that way. We meant it in the more general metaphors, like an early warning signal. Yeah. And it’s very uneven.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:08:11:20 – 00:08:27:13\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And that’s part of it. You know, going back to the intelligence point, you know, I just want to finish that earlier point about about these general purpose technologies. They tend to take a long time to play out, because even when you speed up one part, there are other parts that are bottlenecks or weak links to take longer to emerge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:08:27:17 – 00:09:00:22\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that that gets to your question about the Canaries paper, where we did find that there are certain jobs that are already beginning to be affected and others that are actually going the other way, that are becoming more valuable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>That’s interesting. I mean, so one of the findings, at least as I read it, you can correct me if I’m wrong, is that if there is an impact, it seems to be maybe, as you’d expect on entry level workers, the people who whose contributions can perhaps most seamlessly be replaced by Claude or ChatGPT or whatever.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:00:23 – 00:09:14:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>I didn’t necessarily expect that in Vance. I should credit my coauthors, Baratunde and Russian, who did most of the heavy lifting on this, and the folks at ADP who provided all the data. And we went into it, you know, with with a blank slate. We just were open to whatever. Actually,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:14:10 – 00:09:16:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>the first cut at it, we looked at the top line.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:16:15 – 00:09:32:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s not much happening, actually. You know, the overall labor market, it wasn’t that much happening. And we’re kicking around like, okay, maybe write a paper that all these headlines, these newspaper articles are all kind of overblown. And then, you know, Borat and Rudy looked in a little more deeply and they said, wait a minute. There’s like, there’s one group that’s really being affected.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:32:14 – 00:09:36:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Early career workers, especially in the most exposed occupations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:36:21 – 00:09:50:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So one of the things you can do with you can take all the jobs in the economy. 950, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And each of them, you can break down to a bundle of individual tasks. And once you do, at that fine grained level, you can really make headway.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:50:19 – 00:10:14:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s hard to say whether that AI will replace a radiologist, some people say, but it’s much easier to look at a specific thing. Can it read a medical image? And that’s one of the 26 things that a radiologist does when you break it down to those tasks. And by the way, the paper that did that the best was this GPT are GPTs paper we were just talking about, when you break it down that way, you can rank all the occupations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:14:15 – 00:10:14:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:14:23 – 00:10:24:05\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>then when you also look at the age, you find that the combination of the most exposed occupations with the youngest workers had about a 16% decline in employment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:24:05 – 00:10:33:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin\u003c/strong>: So there’s a couple threads to pull on there and I want to do them both. One is the young workers, kind of the entry level workers and just the whole idea of like careers and and experience and everything else.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:33:03 – 00:10:44:17\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the other one is the data. My perception is that right now we as a country, a society, maybe a planet probably don’t have as much data as we would like.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:44:19 – 00:10:45:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Oh, no.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:45:09 – 00:10:46:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>it’s a tragedy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:46:04 – 00:11:01:05\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I spent a lot of time with our friends in Washington who are, like, working in the statistical agencies, and they’re having their budgets cut. It’s getting, you know, there’s more and more need for better data and less and less resources going into it. I think it’s incredibly foolish. One of the things we’re doing at Stanford is trying to help with that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:01:06 – 00:11:17:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We created something just last month called the Stanford AI Economic Indicators. That is like a dashboard that brings together all this data from a lot of private sources, as well as public sources, so people can look at it in one place instead of all these sort of dueling anecdotes, you know, everyone can see the data\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:17:11 – 00:11:31:07\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>The timing around this technological change of these major changes feels to me like it should be a deflationary narrative about how quickly AI is going to be deployed. But I’m kind of hearing from you, like sort of the opposite of that,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:31:07 – 00:11:45:21\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>that that you feel like there are that, that we are going to deploy this much faster than in these previous instances, even though historically we haven’t been able to do that, that it’s just there’s all this inertia across so many different sectors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:45:21 – 00:11:54:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And it also sounds to me a little bit from the data board that like that is what’s happening. It is taking longer, you know, and I know both of us well.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:54:10 – 00:11:56:01\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Erik: Well, I think both of those things are true.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:56:02 – 00:12:11:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What I would say, you know, I wrote about the need for these complementary investments. I wrote a paper called about the productivity paradox, about the first wave and then about this wave, and most importantly, a paper called The Productivity J curve with Chad Stephenson and Daniel Rock.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:12:11:02 – 00:12:13:07\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And they all make this point that, you know,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:12:13:07 – 00:12:31:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>just because you have amazing technology, it doesn’t translate into productivity, business changes, transformation of the economy. That said that said, I think it’s happening a lot faster this time than with the Industrial revolution or with electricity, which also took like 30 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:12:31:10 – 00:12:34:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s just a lot of structural reasons why it’s going faster.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:12:34:08 – 00:12:53:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For one thing, you know, the internet has been built out, so we can just go from 0 to 100 million users of ChatGPT and like, you know, what was it, 60 days and now it’s a billion. Yeah, but like just going super fast and and a lot of the cognitive work, you can, you know, like software, you can do it a lot faster now than you could.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:12:53:07 – 00:13:10:21\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s still there’s still a lot of bottlenecks which you know, so I find myself sort of between these worlds when I talk to most economists and, you know, in New York or Washington or in businesses, you know, they see all the the structural barriers. When I talk to the guys at the Frontier Labs, they’re like, oh, we’re going to have RSI, recursive self-improvement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:13:10:21 – 00:13:26:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s all going to happen super fast. And I point out a bottleneck and they’re like, oh, AI will solve that. Yeah, yeah. And I’m kind of I’m kind of between them I put myself, you know, they’re like probably two orders of magnitude apart from each other in terms of rate of speed. And I’m at the geometric mean like one order of magnitude.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:13:26:11 – 00:13:45:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And so I do think it’s faster than most people in the rest of the world are ready for. And that’s why we create that statement about we must act now. I do also, at the same time think that that most of the technologists, they haven’t really spent as much time in big companies as I have and realized like how hard it is to get them to change.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:13:45:04 – 00:14:11:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: Can I ask this though, knowing that you have a company that is essentially trying to accelerate the change? Is there an argument to be made that letting this take some time is actually a good thing for society? Because this kind of disjunction in a labor market, or in just the value of intelligence or any of the ways that we might describe this transformation, is actually kind of a good thing to let it settle in more slowly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:14:11:16 – 00:14:36:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>I agree with your core point, and but what I would say is that we need to speed up our understanding. We need to speed up our adaptation to it. We need to speed up our reskilling and, you know, be prepared or preparation. At the same time, I’m very sympathetic to the idea that those core capabilities, you know, there was just another statement that come out, these statements are all coming out about what they call it pacing, pacing, pacing the frontier.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:14:36:13 – 00:14:39:17\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Right. Exactly. Which is, you know, that’s on the capability side. So,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:14:39:17 – 00:14:54:10\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>so the way I think about it is that there are these two lines. One of them is skyrocketing, which is the capabilities. The other one is our ability to adapt to it, which is barely moving. And that gap is where most of the big problems and challenges and opportunities lie over the next 5 or 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:14:54:11 – 00:15:05:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s where all the action is. Until all my economist friends, you should be focusing on that gap. My part of it is to close the gap from the bottom and like, speed up our understanding. Other people can think about the technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:15:05:16 – 00:15:12:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin:\u003c/strong> You know, we’re talking about sort of the acceleration of an economy, but there’s also this simultaneous thing that that maybe is different.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:15:12:01 – 00:15:31:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like maybe there’s a historical analogy for this, maybe there’s not. I think of it almost as like the weirding of the economy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> Yes\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>And this connects to a couple of things that we’ve talked about. You know, the idea that suddenly there’s no such thing as an entry level worker. Instead, you can only be, you know, a senior software engineer with an army of AI bots, and you’re really good at them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:15:31:00 – 00:15:52:21\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it raises the question of like, where do senior engineers or senior people of any kind come from anymore? Also, you know, again, to to make that industrial Revolution analogy, it’s interesting to consider that when you replace your, you know, horses going around a post with a steam engine, even though that’s new and kind of radical, you fundamentally do understand how that works.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:15:52:23 – 00:16:12:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whereas when you replace your software engineering team with bots, you probably don’t understand how it works anymore. Do these differences I mean, do these matter? Should we really be looking closely at these, this this weirdness?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong> I mean, those are those two parts of your question are so different in my mind. Sure, sure. Yeah. I mean, they’re both weird.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:16:12:20 – 00:16:28:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We can talk. Yeah, I’ll put them on that. So let me let me do one at a time because I think they’re both interesting to talk about. So on the on the junior versus senior this is this is a real problem. Like we describe earlier the data that there’s less demand for these young workers. But where do the middle managers come from.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:16:28:08 – 00:16:44:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Where are the senior workers come from. And you need them. And you need people with that kind of judgment. And we used to have this grand bargain where people come in sometimes do some kind of boring Scott work. But in the process, sort of by osmosis, they would learn how the business ran, learn how to be a lawyer or a doctor or investment bank or whatever.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:16:44:11 – 00:17:01:23\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now they don’t have that opportunity. And I think part of the answer has to be we have to like, consciously and explicitly train them. I was talking to some folks at Infosys and, you know, they their junior people are very much in the bullseye of not being needed as much, but they tell me that they’re still hiring a bunch of them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:17:01:23 – 00:17:23:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But now instead of having them do some of that boring work that AI could now do, they are explicitly training them with an AI system. Actually, AI can be a really good tutor and it can help them learn faster. So that’s that’s part of the. That’s one approach to the answer. I think it’s going to be kind of a new social contract that we have to think about, because we don’t just abandon this whole generation of people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:17:23:12 – 00:17:44:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I mean, I’ll tell you a little bit of a, of a of a sad story. Well, hopefully it has a good ending. A student came to me in my office a couple of months ago graduating from Stanford. Pretty good school. And she said, I don’t have a job. My friends don’t have jobs. Is my generation doomed? And I was like, whoa, yeah.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:17:44:04 – 00:17:59:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I mean, you’re a Stanford student. You should be optimistic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis:\u003c/strong> I know I’m a mindful optimist what do you mean?.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong> You should be. You’re graduating. And what I tried to say was, look, you know, I don’t want to sugarcoat it. There’s a bunch of jobs disappearing, like you just said, but the other on the other side, you know, you can use these tools to do things you never could have before.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:17:59:14 – 00:18:16:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You’ve got superpowers where you can do vibe coding and create all sorts of software. That would have been impossible five years ago or even one year ago, and you needed to lean into those new possibilities. There’s more startups being started than ever before, because a lot of people are seeing this opportunity to create things they couldn’t have done before.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:18:16:08 – 00:18:33:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, you know, that’s what I tried to teach my class. I have a master class that also does this, but I really want people to, you know, you know, I understand the downside, but I think there’s almost too much emphasis on that. And there should be more of a leaning in to AI allowing you to do new things you never could have done before.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:18:33:22 – 00:18:55:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They’re harder to see because a lot of them didn’t exist before, but that’s where the opportunity is. And that’s the part I want to speed up, is that is the transition to those new opportunities. I don’t want to just ossify everything and try to freeze everything in place. I don’t think that’s the strategy. We need to be nimble and have that more flexible opportunity to create new jobs, new opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:18:55:15 – 00:19:16:15\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>another recent historical analogy to this is, you know, self-driving cars, where we essentially see them being, generally speaking, safer drivers than human drivers. But when they do make a mistake, it tends to be sort of a novel mistake or the kind of the way the system breaks down is we could not have anticipated, you know, power outage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:19:16:18 – 00:19:39:05\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: Yeah, it’s like an alien intelligence. Yeah. It is it exactly. Respect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin:\u003c/strong> They respect the cones too much. You know yourself driving cars. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Exactly. They worship the code, but they don’t worship some other things. And, you know, as an economist, actually, you know, this is can be a little dangerous and off putting. It’s also an opportunity like for in economics, gains from trade happen when there’s two entities that are very different from each other.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:19:39:05 – 00:19:55:13\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If they’re identical to each other, there’s not much room for for gains from trade. So actually mostly encourage the folks at the Frontier Labs to lean into making the A’s really good at things that humans are not good at, and let us be good at the things we’re good at. I think too often they do it the other way around.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:19:55:14 – 00:20:14:10\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They’re trying to, like, smooth the edges and and make them good at things that are that’s hard for machines and easy for us, like, you know, buttoning a shirt or, or and ultimately, the fact that it’s an alien intelligence means that we can lean on it to do some amazing things. But there will still be a role for humans, which I think is important.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:20:14:11 – 00:20:14:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:20:14:20 – 00:20:31:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I think it’s good to not replace all the things that humans are doing. I wrote this paper, The Turing Trap, where I basically argued it’s a mistake. It’s to do what Alan Turing said, which is make AI that’s a perfect imitation of humans. We should make it different so we each have something to contribute.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:20:31:10 – 00:20:36:23\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>You know, it’s funny, we can flip this around, you know, almost perfectly here on the podcast and in are there conversations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:20:37:00 – 00:20:56:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexis and I are cautious and often critical of AI, particularly the industry, but we’re also quite enchanted by the the spaces inside these models. You know, these these mysterious high dimensional spaces and their capacity and the things they seem to be able to organize and then kind of cross connect in ways that humans can’t, certainly not at that scale.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:20:56:09 – 00:21:13:05\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And it makes me think of, you know, the old ancient, almost economics debate between central planning and sort of, you know, action at the edges. And you, of course, know this well. But for folks listening to the podcast, there’s a few different ways you can organize an economy. You could have, you know, yeah, you could have planning. Yeah.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:21:13:06 – 00:21:30:01\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Robin and Alexis deciding exactly how much to make of everything, you know, all fashionable t shirts and and cool. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>What a great world that would be. Yeah. And you know, this, this has the benefit of coherency. And you can actually have a plan and execute it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>It can be aligned with the values of your society, at least supposedly in theory, all these things.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:21:30:01 – 00:21:49:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>But then way over on the other side, you have the idea of you have the sense that the real information about how the world works and what people want and what the problems are, of course, where they’re at the edges, you know, in people’s lives all distributed in their kitchens, in their businesses. Sort of the Haken view of like the great sensor of the market.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:21:49:18 – 00:22:12:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now it does seem so that was that was the story, you know, at least up until 2020, 2023. It does seem like maybe we have these machines now with a capacity that could change that balance a little bit. So first of all, I ask you, like do you see some of that potential. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Sure. No. This is a big like let me just say you’ve heard I’m pretty optimistic, excited about the productivity potential and creating a enormous amount of wealth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:22:12:02 – 00:22:31:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the things that I’m most worried about is it could be very badly distributed, where everything gets really, really centralized. And the core reason for that is what you just brought up. You know, Friedrich Hayek wrote this amazing paper called The Use of Knowledge in Society, which, you know, articulate what you just said, that most useful knowledge is, like widely dispersed in the economy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:22:31:07 – 00:22:47:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like, you know, does this do people in this neighborhood like peppermint ice cream or is this truck half empty? And maybe we could put some more stuff on it or whatever. There’s all this, like detailed information. And he argued that there’s no way a central planner, even guy’s as smart as you two, could make all the decisions in the economy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:22:47:04 – 00:23:06:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s just too much of this detailed information. And that was totally true for the 20th century and up until recently. But Zoe Hitzig and I have written a paper called AI’s Use of Knowledge in Society, where we argue that, wait a minute, you know, you could actually go take these trillions of parameters and make all sorts of decisions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:23:07:00 – 00:23:32:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You could use the Internet of Things and other techniques to bring data and bring it all to, say, Bentonville, Arkansas, to pick up arbitrary city. And you’d be able to know all sorts of information about what’s happening and make decisions. And it’s actually beginning to happen. You know, when you look at the data and big centralized retailers are out competing, those mom and pop mom, mom and pop shops, they know more about what people want in each neighborhood and which trucks are empty.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:23:32:13 – 00:23:41:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They have all that detailed information that hikes. It would be impossible, which is great for efficiency, but it may not be the best thing for freedom and democracy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:23:41:21 – 00:23:43:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>we need to think hard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:23:43:02 – 00:24:07:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, while we have some optionality, how can we design a world where we maintain our freedom, maintain our decentralization of decision making, and that if we go too far down the path of disempowering people, it may be very hard to reverse course later. And for what it’s worth, everyone’s noticed. It’s kind of beginning to happen, right? And we better take it seriously because we go much further down that path.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:24:07:04 – 00:24:08:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’ll be too late. Yeah,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:24:08:03 – 00:24:34:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>I did want to ask you. I mean, this is from your book, Second Machine Age, of course, you coauthored \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>with Andy. Andy McAfee. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexis: And you have to paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr. The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice. We think the data support this. We’ve seen not just vast increases in wealth, but also, on the whole, more freedom, more social justice, less violence, and less less harsh conditions for the least fortunate and greater opportunities for more and more people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:24:34:20 – 00:24:52:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I think, like there have been the majority of my life, I think I would have more or less agreed with this. I think in the last ten years, my own kind of priors have been challenged on this. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Not just you. Yeah, no, we wrote that in 2014. I’m glad that I just checked. And it’s like it’s got more and more sales and citations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:24:52:02 – 00:25:10:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So I’m glad that it’s it’s got legs that way. And that was sort of maybe like the peak of this,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexis: Obama era story optimism. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Exactly. But but speaking of Obama, you know, he modified that quote and he said that it bends. You know, I’m going to misquote him, but but the gist of what he was saying was, got a push on the ark.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:25:10:20 – 00:25:27:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: You got to push on it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: It doesn’t happen automatically. We won’t just sit back and watch it happen. And that’s very much, you know, you mentioned I call myself a mindful optimist. You know, that the arc of history bends if and only if we push it. And I think lately it’s been going the wrong way. It’s also long, like Martin Luther King said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:25:27:06 – 00:25:44:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So you know, it’s not going to be monotonic where it always improves every month or every year. So I think it’s fair to say we’ve had some backsliding and some bad things have happened. I’m still optimistic, maybe a little less optimistic than I was in 2014, but I’m hopeful that that work harder. But but this is exactly why I do.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:25:44:06 – 00:26:13:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What I do is I’m not here to predict the future. I’m here to say, here are some possible futures, and here are some levers that matter. And we need to push on them, because most of us do want not just more abundance, but also more freedom and shared prosperity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Can I can I keep pushing on this one a little bit just because I think there’s, you know, even some people in this building here at KQED who their their biggest concern about AI, they have they have many environmental this and other things.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:26:13:02 – 00:26:13:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:26:13:08 – 00:26:42:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>it’s really about particularly being here in San Francisco. You really see it the concentration of wealth. And then, you know, our city politics has been taken over by tech wealth. It’s like it’s also the concentration of power that that goes along \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Those tend to go together, don’t they.? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Yes. Yeah. And I guess the, the maybe more difficult version of this question is do you think that AI, as a result of the what the frontier models need, the amount of capital that you need to deploy to do these things?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:26:42:10 – 00:27:04:22\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Is this a kind of technology that inherently leads to higher concentrations of wealth and therefore a power? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>I don’t want to say inherently, because I don’t want to be in the prediction business, I want to be in the design business. But there’s a lot of strong forces, and there’s two sets that are particularly obvious to me. One is, you know, the scaling laws and the fact that the AI itself tends to work better at large scale.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:27:04:22 – 00:27:28:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s why they’re raising hundreds of billions, trillions of dollars to build bigger and bigger data centers. But yeah, borrowing and and, you know, there’s just this amazing thing that Dario Modi and others noted that you make the model bigger and it works better. So they said, let’s make it even bigger. And it just keeps working. So that tends to lead to kind of a bit of a winner take most outcome.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:27:28:14 – 00:27:44:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Actually, I’ve been somewhat surprised how many frontier labs there still are. It hasn’t all just concentrating to one singleton. But you know, who knows where that’s going to go. It certainly you have to be pretty big to be a player in that, but the one that I’m more concerned about is the other, like 90% of the economy,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:27:44:22 – 00:27:56:18\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>that, you know, whether you’re in retail or manufacturing or health or whatever, you know, having decentralized information may not be as competitive with having it become more centralized.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:27:56:18 – 00:28:15:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And that could also lead. And it has been if you look at the data, there has been more concentration. So we need to think harder about how do we decentralize it. I mean, part of one of the answers that I would put forward is this idea of pushing AI to complement humans rather than substitute for them. But we need to look at all levers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:28:15:22 – 00:28:41:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin:\u003c/strong> Thinking about that discussion about centralization, about kind of where the power, where the money resides is that change in the capital versus labor share of the economy a warning sign? I mean, if that continues, \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>yes, yes, this one I’m not going to hedge on. So so capital is inherently much more concentrated than labor. You know, the cool thing about labor, even though it’s pretty uneven, like we all have basically one brain.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:28:41:09 – 00:28:57:15\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And like some of them, you know, maybe a little smarter than others, but but, you know, it’s distributed through the economy. You know, no matter how smart you are, you can’t run a whole fortune 500 corporation. So you delegate stuff, and the whole economy has all these delegated decisions to all these different brains. But with capital, you can concentrate it much more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:28:57:15 – 00:29:19:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And empirically, you know, the income from capital is much more concentrated in a small fraction of the people. So, you know, we were saying earlier that economic power begets political power. So that’s something I worry about. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>I mean, what would that world even look like? You know, I’ve looked at some other countries that have labor share that’s like much lower.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:29:19:10 – 00:29:39:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yeah, labor share of income is much lower. And it’s not a good set of countries. They’re like resource cursed countries that Saudi Arabia, it’s like mineral mining countries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Exactly, And you get these like gated communities and these people who have a lot of wealth. I was talking to somebody from a Latin American country. She’s very wealthy. And she said, you know, all the wealthy people in my country are in prisons.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:29:39:00 – 00:29:46:22\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And like, what do you mean they’re in prison? She said, well, the prison of our own construction, like we can’t go outside of our houses when we ever. I get into a car, I have like guards on either side of me\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:29:47:00 – 00:30:08:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s like one of those dystopian science fiction movies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Yeah. What? What interventions could we at least start to prepare for now, economically? And obviously there’s a whole suite of politics and, you know, who we elect and how we organize ourselves as a city. But just thinking about economic policy, what what are what would be some smart things to start thinking about right now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:30:08:12 – 00:30:31:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>So I think we have some levers to push back against this, and that’s why I care about it. So I did write this paper, The Turing Trap, about how it’s a trap to have AI that just replaces and imitates humans. So a couple of things we can push back on. First off, there’s a lot of economic incentives right now that I think mistakenly steer us towards favoring capital over labor, like in the United States and most countries for that matter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:30:31:13 – 00:30:55:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Tax policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Tax policy is much, you know, capitalist taxed much cheaper than labor. So you have two brilliant entrepreneurs, you know, one of which says, I’m going to make a $100 billion company with thousands of employees. And the other ones, I’m going to make $100 billion company with like no employees, but lots of robots. Yeah. The US government says, oh, the first person you know, Alice, you’re going to have to like, pay a lot more taxes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:30:55:00 – 00:31:11:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your whole organization is going to pay a lot more taxes. And the second one is going to pay less. And, you know, the first rule of taxation is like, whatever you tax more, you get less of. So we’re basically putting our thumb on the scale, saying we’re going to get more capital intensive and less labor intensive. Like for most of history, maybe that didn’t matter that much.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:31:11:06 – 00:31:34:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It wasn’t that much leverage to to do things different ways. Now we really have the potential and there’s a lot of other tax things you can do. My friend Darren Asamoah, who has written a lot about this Pascual Restrepo. So those are some things that we can do. Like, you know, they’re a really hard core. I’m an economist, but I’ve come to think that actually culture and the way people think about it is more important than the like hard dollars.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:31:34:02 – 00:31:59:13\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So here in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, I run into a lot of people who have this mindset that like the goal of AI is to replace humans, and that’s just wrong, I think. And when they all the benchmarks that you see being published, almost all of them are geared towards like, how well can this machine by itself do the task with Andy Hopped and we’ve developed a new set of benchmarks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:31:59:13 – 00:32:18:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We call them Centaur benchmarks, sort of like part human, part machine. And the the idea is to say, hey guys, think about not how well a machine by itself can do it, but how can a human and machine together do it? And in many cases, in most cases, the human machine can do better than the machine by itself or the human by itself, but it requires a different architecture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:32:18:20 – 00:32:41:15\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You know, Doug Engelbart years ago, you know, talked about how we should make machines that amplify humans. Steve Jobs called it bicycles for the mind, and that that philosophy has kind of been lost out a little bit. I want to revive it more. And if we design machines more to to augment humans and to complement what we’re doing, we’re likely to keep people in the loop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:32:41:15 – 00:32:48:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And ultimately, I think that’s going to not just be fairer. I think it’s going to create a lot more value than trying to get the machine to do everything by itself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:32:48:20 – 00:33:23:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Eric, talking about your your early apprehension of the curve we were in and kind of the trajectory of AI, let’s talk situational awareness for people on the ground level. So outside of OpenAI headquarters here in San Francisco, imagine you’re somebody who works at one of the Kaiser hospitals. Great day to day job. How are you going to know that it really is taking off, that you’re inside this exponential, and that this prediction of of a transformational AI era happening pretty fast rather than predictably slow is true.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:33:23:20 – 00:33:44:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like day to day, week to week. What what should I be watching for? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Well, you can come to the AI economic indicators and we’ll have we’ll have a monthly update of all those metrics. You know, I’m not I’m not joking about that because I just see so many anecdotes and stories. And honestly, it’s a little frustrating because, you know, every month there’s hundreds of thousands of jobs destroyed, hundreds of thousands created.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:33:44:12 – 00:34:01:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re a reporter with an angle, you can you can definitely find anecdotes that support your story. And you’ll have some men in the street who tells you what you know, what the people. And I’ve been reading those and I just don’t know how to aggregate them. So, you know, I’m a data person. I’m a statistician. I’m an economist.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:34:01:02 – 00:34:21:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So so, you know, getting the stuff aggregated, I think is the way to do it. The problem is that most of our indicators are kind of lagging indicators. And we need more so forward looking leading indicators. And we’re trying to invest in creating those. But but I think that that’s my answer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Promise me when the day comes that you’re like, oh, you’re just going to put it all in one big blink tech.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:34:21:16 – 00:34:42:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yeah. It’s just like a little siren. Yeah, yeah.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong> Well, we do actually have these color coded like the transformation tracker. We’ve got like the 12 different metrics, and we color code them by like which ones are moving in the direction. Right now only two of the 12 are moving in that direction. You know, above a significant level. They’re all kind of moving a little bit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:34:42:12 – 00:35:02:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So yeah, we can we can you can take a look at that. I just want is it happening dot Stanford. Yes. All right. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You give me an idea, we’ll put a little sign up sheet that like if you want, we’ll send you a text message. You know, it’ll be like all 12 indicators. 459 on Thursday. Okay. We were officially hitting the singularity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:35:02:21 – 00:35:16:18\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Okay. Until then, yes, until next Thursday. Yeah. Thank you so much. Thanks for your time. Such a pleasure. Yeah. Wonderful.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:35:16:20 – 00:35:20:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> I don’t want to say inherently, because I don’t want to be in the prediction business, I want to be in the design business. But there’s a lot of strong forces,the AI itself tends to work better at large scale. That’s why they’re raising hundreds of billions, trillions of dollars. You make the model bigger and it works better. So they said, let’s make it even bigger. And it just keeps working. So that tends to lead to kind of a bit of a winner take most outcome.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: I’m Alexis Madrigal,\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin\u003c/strong>: I’m Robin Sloan, and this is Dream Machines. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>It’s a podcast about how AI works, also about how it feels.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And of course, we make it right here in San Francisco, where it’s all happening. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>And nobody really disagrees at this point that AI is going to transform the economy in some way. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But one of the questions that is still really open and hotly debated is how fast that is going to happen.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And also the question of how would we know that it’s being transformed? You certainly read a lot of headlines and see a lot of stock prices go up. But like what’s actually happening out there in offices?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Do we have the economic data that we need to make sense? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Yeah, exactly. It’s sort of the question of like, what would be the canary in the coal mine?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And as we were looking around for answers to these questions, turns out there’s a paper called \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin & Alexis: \u003c/strong>Canary in the Coal Mine \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Out of the Stanford Digital Economy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Yeah. That’s right. And it’s the work of a scholar there named Erik Brynjolfsson.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He was at MIT for 30 years before coming to Stanford, very early in his understanding of the potentially transformative effects of AI, and has become one of the folks who is really trying to shine a light into the kind of mysterious recesses of the economy so that the rest of us can know, like what is happening and how fast.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Yeah,\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because it really matters the time scale. Right? If we have this incredible transformation in three months or in three years or in three decades, it will mean tremendously different society. And we need someone who can tell us, like, where are we on this, on this chart? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Because it really matters the time scale. Right? If we have this incredible transformation in three months or in three years or in three decades, it will mean tremendously different society. And we need someone who can tell us, like, where are we on this, on this chart? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>So here is our very own canary in the coal mine Erik\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brynjolfsson.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>There’s a lot of, as you know, definitions of AI, you know, superintelligence, AGI, you know, just like advanced AI, I’m quite taken by the definition that you used in sort of a formative ad.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yeah. Transformative AI. You laid this out in a research agenda, you know, for kind of the, the community last year. And there’s a bit more to it. But the core of it is, as you said, we’ll know it’s transformative AI because it’ll have this significant economic effect. It’ll accelerate economic growth from sort of the the baseline that we’ve become accustomed to for a long time now, maybe around 2%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’ll it’ll multiply that by by 3 or 5 times almost without talking about AI specifically, it’d be really interesting to have you dramatize like what that means for for an economy. You know, if that did happen, \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>transformative AI?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Transformative AI that and that growth rate like, like how would that change our our day, our week, our year, our jobs?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Well, these way for me to think of it as by analogy. And so we don’t know for sure what’s going to happen going forward. But we can look back at, say, the industrial revolution. And in the Second Machine Age, Andy McAfee and I wrote about how we went through this big transition from an agricultural society to an industrial society, and we call it the second Machine age, because now we’re having in the early stages of a second big transition like that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The first one was about machines doing what our muscles could do, an animal muscles, and that took growth from being sort of growing very, very slow tenths of a percent per year to growing about 2% per year, which may not sound like much, but you compound it. And now we’re like 30 or 50 times richer than our ancestors were a couple hundred years ago.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The first one was about machines doing what our muscles could do, an animal muscles, and that took growth from being sort of growing very, very slow tenths of a percent per year to growing about 2% per year, which may not sound like much, but you compound it. And now we’re like 30 or 50 times richer than our ancestors were a couple hundred years ago.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I think that doing now, now, we were able to use machines to augment our minds, our brains. And I think that’s going to be at least as big as what the Industrial Revolution did. And it will transform society at least as much, not just in growth rate, but also like, you know, just what we do in our daily lives.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Think of the way farmers versus people in factories or modern society, how different that is. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Using that analogy, I feel like I should probably know this, but during the Industrial revolution, did people’s lives change in a decade in terms of the kind of work they did, how they worked in the world, the kind of goods and services they, they had access to?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Did it? Was it more of a generational change, like what was the pace of that?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> It was actually pretty slow. In fact, there’s something called Engels pause. This period of like several decades, 40, 50 years where there wasn’t much of an improvement in living standards. If you read Charles Dickens, you know, actually life could be pretty miserable, even worse than it was for the people living in agricultural society.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>As life expectancy declined, people got shorter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Yeah, yeah. All that smoke and soot and and kids working in factories and stuff, you know, it was pretty miserable for the majority of the population. But under the surface, things were changing. And you were beginning to have this productivity gain. But it took a while and eventually it started taking off.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This time around, it’s also going to take longer than I think some of our friends here in San Francisco and Silicon Valley think, but but certainly a lot faster than the last time around\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Let’s go back into the historical example. I think it’s actually really useful for people to think about this, right?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You have this general purpose technology of \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>general purpose technology, \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>which is a term of art, I love it, \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>and also I do we were talking about this earlier. I it had not occurred to me that it’s the twin GPT. It seems a little uncanny\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong>. Yeah. So my, my my friend and student, former student Daniel Rock, he wrote a great paper with some folks at OpenAI called GPT RPGs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yeah, generative pre-trained transformers and general purpose technologies. It used to be when I said GPT to economists, we all knew we were talking about general purpose technologies, but the AI people have pretty much stolen that acronym \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>and branded it. Yeah. And for the into it into a global brand\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> So be it. Yeah. But but but general purpose technology is pretty much what drives all economic growth.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s all these inventions, but there’s just a handful that really raise our living standards. The steam engine was the first really powerful general purpose technology electricity, computers and now AI, which is kind of like the mother of all general purpose technology, I think. So, you know, Demis Hassabis has this. I was over at Google DeepMind a few weeks ago in London.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They had this mission statement. They want to let me see if I can get it right. They want to solve intelligence and then use that to solve all the other problems in the world. So, you know, modest little mission statement. But but, you know, there’s a lot of truth to the fact that if you really could solve intelligence, there’s so many other things you could solve.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Yeah, that is, of course, if you trusted that that’s what people who had solved intelligence would actually do with this intelligence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Well, that’s a very good question. There’s a bunch of things that you can use it for. And also, to be fair, as I’ve come to think harder about the problem, intelligence is not the be all and end all.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A lot of very smart people think and wish it was, but when you get into the real world, you know, just look around us. There’s there’s lots of PhDs in the economy and they don’t like, rule the economy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: Seven PhDs just right in there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: Yeah. Imagine\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>imagine you pull up with a bus and you say, okay, good news. You know, we’ve got Einstein, we’ve got a bus of 200 Einsteins. They’re going to come help you. I think the manager over there be like, oh, well, like, do they know how to push a broom? I mean, what are they going to do? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>I love that\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>because that that kind of argument and just even that that playful vision gets into the real crunchy details of like, what happens in an economy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s not just, you know, sugar and eggs, whip them together and voila, you get growth and productivity. It’s really crunchy. And the thing I like best about your work is that kind of ongoing attempt to to dig in and sort of look for signals. You had the paper called Canary in a coal mine, which feels like exactly what we need most right now.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We need those kind of early signals. You know, they might be warning signals in some cases. They might be like hopeful beacons. We’re going to steer towards \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: the Canaries. metaphor for is a little dark at times. Yeah. We didn’t really mean it that way. We meant it in the more general metaphors, like an early warning signal. Yeah. And it’s very uneven.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And that’s part of it. You know, going back to the intelligence point, you know, I just want to finish that earlier point about about these general purpose technologies. They tend to take a long time to play out, because even when you speed up one part, there are other parts that are bottlenecks or weak links to take longer to emerge.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But that that gets to your question about the Canaries paper, where we did find that there are certain jobs that are already beginning to be affected and others that are actually going the other way, that are becoming more valuable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>That’s interesting. I mean, so one of the findings, at least as I read it, you can correct me if I’m wrong, is that if there is an impact, it seems to be maybe, as you’d expect on entry level workers, the people who whose contributions can perhaps most seamlessly be replaced by Claude or ChatGPT or whatever.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>I didn’t necessarily expect that in Vance. I should credit my coauthors, Baratunde and Russian, who did most of the heavy lifting on this, and the folks at ADP who provided all the data. And we went into it, you know, with with a blank slate. We just were open to whatever. Actually,\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s not much happening, actually. You know, the overall labor market, it wasn’t that much happening. And we’re kicking around like, okay, maybe write a paper that all these headlines, these newspaper articles are all kind of overblown. And then, you know, Borat and Rudy looked in a little more deeply and they said, wait a minute. There’s like, there’s one group that’s really being affected.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So one of the things you can do with you can take all the jobs in the economy. 950, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And each of them, you can break down to a bundle of individual tasks. And once you do, at that fine grained level, you can really make headway.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s hard to say whether that AI will replace a radiologist, some people say, but it’s much easier to look at a specific thing. Can it read a medical image? And that’s one of the 26 things that a radiologist does when you break it down to those tasks. And by the way, the paper that did that the best was this GPT are GPTs paper we were just talking about, when you break it down that way, you can rank all the occupations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>then when you also look at the age, you find that the combination of the most exposed occupations with the youngest workers had about a 16% decline in employment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin\u003c/strong>: So there’s a couple threads to pull on there and I want to do them both. One is the young workers, kind of the entry level workers and just the whole idea of like careers and and experience and everything else.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the other one is the data. My perception is that right now we as a country, a society, maybe a planet probably don’t have as much data as we would like.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Oh, no.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>it’s a tragedy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I spent a lot of time with our friends in Washington who are, like, working in the statistical agencies, and they’re having their budgets cut. It’s getting, you know, there’s more and more need for better data and less and less resources going into it. I think it’s incredibly foolish. One of the things we’re doing at Stanford is trying to help with that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We created something just last month called the Stanford AI Economic Indicators. That is like a dashboard that brings together all this data from a lot of private sources, as well as public sources, so people can look at it in one place instead of all these sort of dueling anecdotes, you know, everyone can see the data\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>The timing around this technological change of these major changes feels to me like it should be a deflationary narrative about how quickly AI is going to be deployed. But I’m kind of hearing from you, like sort of the opposite of that,\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>that that you feel like there are that, that we are going to deploy this much faster than in these previous instances, even though historically we haven’t been able to do that, that it’s just there’s all this inertia across so many different sectors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And it also sounds to me a little bit from the data board that like that is what’s happening. It is taking longer, you know, and I know both of us well.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Erik: Well, I think both of those things are true.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What I would say, you know, I wrote about the need for these complementary investments. I wrote a paper called about the productivity paradox, about the first wave and then about this wave, and most importantly, a paper called The Productivity J curve with Chad Stephenson and Daniel Rock.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And they all make this point that, you know,\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>just because you have amazing technology, it doesn’t translate into productivity, business changes, transformation of the economy. That said that said, I think it’s happening a lot faster this time than with the Industrial revolution or with electricity, which also took like 30 years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>just because you have amazing technology, it doesn’t translate into productivity, business changes, transformation of the economy. That said that said, I think it’s happening a lot faster this time than with the Industrial revolution or with electricity, which also took like 30 years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s just a lot of structural reasons why it’s going faster.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For one thing, you know, the internet has been built out, so we can just go from 0 to 100 million users of ChatGPT and like, you know, what was it, 60 days and now it’s a billion. Yeah, but like just going super fast and and a lot of the cognitive work, you can, you know, like software, you can do it a lot faster now than you could.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s still there’s still a lot of bottlenecks which you know, so I find myself sort of between these worlds when I talk to most economists and, you know, in New York or Washington or in businesses, you know, they see all the the structural barriers. When I talk to the guys at the Frontier Labs, they’re like, oh, we’re going to have RSI, recursive self-improvement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s all going to happen super fast. And I point out a bottleneck and they’re like, oh, AI will solve that. Yeah, yeah. And I’m kind of I’m kind of between them I put myself, you know, they’re like probably two orders of magnitude apart from each other in terms of rate of speed. And I’m at the geometric mean like one order of magnitude.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And so I do think it’s faster than most people in the rest of the world are ready for. And that’s why we create that statement about we must act now. I do also, at the same time think that that most of the technologists, they haven’t really spent as much time in big companies as I have and realized like how hard it is to get them to change.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: Can I ask this though, knowing that you have a company that is essentially trying to accelerate the change? Is there an argument to be made that letting this take some time is actually a good thing for society? Because this kind of disjunction in a labor market, or in just the value of intelligence or any of the ways that we might describe this transformation, is actually kind of a good thing to let it settle in more slowly.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>I agree with your core point, and but what I would say is that we need to speed up our understanding. We need to speed up our adaptation to it. We need to speed up our reskilling and, you know, be prepared or preparation. At the same time, I’m very sympathetic to the idea that those core capabilities, you know, there was just another statement that come out, these statements are all coming out about what they call it pacing, pacing, pacing the frontier.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Right. Exactly. Which is, you know, that’s on the capability side. So,\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>so the way I think about it is that there are these two lines. One of them is skyrocketing, which is the capabilities. The other one is our ability to adapt to it, which is barely moving. And that gap is where most of the big problems and challenges and opportunities lie over the next 5 or 10 years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s where all the action is. Until all my economist friends, you should be focusing on that gap. My part of it is to close the gap from the bottom and like, speed up our understanding. Other people can think about the technology.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin:\u003c/strong> You know, we’re talking about sort of the acceleration of an economy, but there’s also this simultaneous thing that that maybe is different.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like maybe there’s a historical analogy for this, maybe there’s not. I think of it almost as like the weirding of the economy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> Yes\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>And this connects to a couple of things that we’ve talked about. You know, the idea that suddenly there’s no such thing as an entry level worker. Instead, you can only be, you know, a senior software engineer with an army of AI bots, and you’re really good at them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But it raises the question of like, where do senior engineers or senior people of any kind come from anymore? Also, you know, again, to to make that industrial Revolution analogy, it’s interesting to consider that when you replace your, you know, horses going around a post with a steam engine, even though that’s new and kind of radical, you fundamentally do understand how that works.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But it raises the question of like, where do senior engineers or senior people of any kind come from anymore? Also, you know, again, to to make that industrial Revolution analogy, it’s interesting to consider that when you replace your, you know, horses going around a post with a steam engine, even though that’s new and kind of radical, you fundamentally do understand how that works.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whereas when you replace your software engineering team with bots, you probably don’t understand how it works anymore. Do these differences I mean, do these matter? Should we really be looking closely at these, this this weirdness?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Whereas when you replace your software engineering team with bots, you probably don’t understand how it works anymore. Do these differences I mean, do these matter? Should we really be looking closely at these, this this weirdness?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong> I mean, those are those two parts of your question are so different in my mind. Sure, sure. Yeah. I mean, they’re both weird.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong> I mean, those are those two parts of your question are so different in my mind. Sure, sure. Yeah. I mean, they’re both weird.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We can talk. Yeah, I’ll put them on that. So let me let me do one at a time because I think they’re both interesting to talk about. So on the on the junior versus senior this is this is a real problem. Like we describe earlier the data that there’s less demand for these young workers. But where do the middle managers come from.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We can talk. Yeah, I’ll put them on that. So let me let me do one at a time because I think they’re both interesting to talk about. So on the on the junior versus senior this is this is a real problem. Like we describe earlier the data that there’s less demand for these young workers. But where do the middle managers come from.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Where are the senior workers come from. And you need them. And you need people with that kind of judgment. And we used to have this grand bargain where people come in sometimes do some kind of boring Scott work. But in the process, sort of by osmosis, they would learn how the business ran, learn how to be a lawyer or a doctor or investment bank or whatever.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now they don’t have that opportunity. And I think part of the answer has to be we have to like, consciously and explicitly train them. I was talking to some folks at Infosys and, you know, they their junior people are very much in the bullseye of not being needed as much, but they tell me that they’re still hiring a bunch of them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But now instead of having them do some of that boring work that AI could now do, they are explicitly training them with an AI system. Actually, AI can be a really good tutor and it can help them learn faster. So that’s that’s part of the. That’s one approach to the answer. I think it’s going to be kind of a new social contract that we have to think about, because we don’t just abandon this whole generation of people.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I mean, I’ll tell you a little bit of a, of a of a sad story. Well, hopefully it has a good ending. A student came to me in my office a couple of months ago graduating from Stanford. Pretty good school. And she said, I don’t have a job. My friends don’t have jobs. Is my generation doomed? And I was like, whoa, yeah.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I mean, you’re a Stanford student. You should be optimistic. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis:\u003c/strong> I know I’m a mindful optimist what do you mean?.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong> You should be. You’re graduating. And what I tried to say was, look, you know, I don’t want to sugarcoat it. There’s a bunch of jobs disappearing, like you just said, but the other on the other side, you know, you can use these tools to do things you never could have before.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong> You should be. You’re graduating. And what I tried to say was, look, you know, I don’t want to sugarcoat it. There’s a bunch of jobs disappearing, like you just said, but the other on the other side, you know, you can use these tools to do things you never could have before.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You’ve got superpowers where you can do vibe coding and create all sorts of software. That would have been impossible five years ago or even one year ago, and you needed to lean into those new possibilities. There’s more startups being started than ever before, because a lot of people are seeing this opportunity to create things they couldn’t have done before.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You’ve got superpowers where you can do vibe coding and create all sorts of software. That would have been impossible five years ago or even one year ago, and you needed to lean into those new possibilities. There’s more startups being started than ever before, because a lot of people are seeing this opportunity to create things they couldn’t have done before.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So, you know, that’s what I tried to teach my class. I have a master class that also does this, but I really want people to, you know, you know, I understand the downside, but I think there’s almost too much emphasis on that. And there should be more of a leaning in to AI allowing you to do new things you never could have done before.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They’re harder to see because a lot of them didn’t exist before, but that’s where the opportunity is. And that’s the part I want to speed up, is that is the transition to those new opportunities. I don’t want to just ossify everything and try to freeze everything in place. I don’t think that’s the strategy. We need to be nimble and have that more flexible opportunity to create new jobs, new opportunities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They’re harder to see because a lot of them didn’t exist before, but that’s where the opportunity is. And that’s the part I want to speed up, is that is the transition to those new opportunities. I don’t want to just ossify everything and try to freeze everything in place. I don’t think that’s the strategy. We need to be nimble and have that more flexible opportunity to create new jobs, new opportunities.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>another recent historical analogy to this is, you know, self-driving cars, where we essentially see them being, generally speaking, safer drivers than human drivers. But when they do make a mistake, it tends to be sort of a novel mistake or the kind of the way the system breaks down is we could not have anticipated, you know, power outage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>another recent historical analogy to this is, you know, self-driving cars, where we essentially see them being, generally speaking, safer drivers than human drivers. But when they do make a mistake, it tends to be sort of a novel mistake or the kind of the way the system breaks down is we could not have anticipated, you know, power outage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: Yeah, it’s like an alien intelligence. Yeah. It is it exactly. Respect.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin:\u003c/strong> They respect the cones too much. You know yourself driving cars. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Exactly. They worship the code, but they don’t worship some other things. And, you know, as an economist, actually, you know, this is can be a little dangerous and off putting. It’s also an opportunity like for in economics, gains from trade happen when there’s two entities that are very different from each other.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Exactly. They worship the code, but they don’t worship some other things. And, you know, as an economist, actually, you know, this is can be a little dangerous and off putting. It’s also an opportunity like for in economics, gains from trade happen when there’s two entities that are very different from each other.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If they’re identical to each other, there’s not much room for for gains from trade. So actually mostly encourage the folks at the Frontier Labs to lean into making the A’s really good at things that humans are not good at, and let us be good at the things we’re good at. I think too often they do it the other way around.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They’re trying to, like, smooth the edges and and make them good at things that are that’s hard for machines and easy for us, like, you know, buttoning a shirt or, or and ultimately, the fact that it’s an alien intelligence means that we can lean on it to do some amazing things. But there will still be a role for humans, which I think is important.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I think it’s good to not replace all the things that humans are doing. I wrote this paper, The Turing Trap, where I basically argued it’s a mistake. It’s to do what Alan Turing said, which is make AI that’s a perfect imitation of humans. We should make it different so we each have something to contribute.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>You know, it’s funny, we can flip this around, you know, almost perfectly here on the podcast and in are there conversations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alexis and I are cautious and often critical of AI, particularly the industry, but we’re also quite enchanted by the the spaces inside these models. You know, these these mysterious high dimensional spaces and their capacity and the things they seem to be able to organize and then kind of cross connect in ways that humans can’t, certainly not at that scale.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And it makes me think of, you know, the old ancient, almost economics debate between central planning and sort of, you know, action at the edges. And you, of course, know this well. But for folks listening to the podcast, there’s a few different ways you can organize an economy. You could have, you know, yeah, you could have planning. Yeah.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Robin and Alexis deciding exactly how much to make of everything, you know, all fashionable t shirts and and cool. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>What a great world that would be. Yeah. And you know, this, this has the benefit of coherency. And you can actually have a plan and execute it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>It can be aligned with the values of your society, at least supposedly in theory, all these things.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>But then way over on the other side, you have the idea of you have the sense that the real information about how the world works and what people want and what the problems are, of course, where they’re at the edges, you know, in people’s lives all distributed in their kitchens, in their businesses. Sort of the Haken view of like the great sensor of the market.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now it does seem so that was that was the story, you know, at least up until 2020, 2023. It does seem like maybe we have these machines now with a capacity that could change that balance a little bit. So first of all, I ask you, like do you see some of that potential. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Sure. No. This is a big like let me just say you’ve heard I’m pretty optimistic, excited about the productivity potential and creating a enormous amount of wealth.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the things that I’m most worried about is it could be very badly distributed, where everything gets really, really centralized. And the core reason for that is what you just brought up. You know, Friedrich Hayek wrote this amazing paper called The Use of Knowledge in Society, which, you know, articulate what you just said, that most useful knowledge is, like widely dispersed in the economy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like, you know, does this do people in this neighborhood like peppermint ice cream or is this truck half empty? And maybe we could put some more stuff on it or whatever. There’s all this, like detailed information. And he argued that there’s no way a central planner, even guy’s as smart as you two, could make all the decisions in the economy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s just too much of this detailed information. And that was totally true for the 20th century and up until recently. But Zoe Hitzig and I have written a paper called AI’s Use of Knowledge in Society, where we argue that, wait a minute, you know, you could actually go take these trillions of parameters and make all sorts of decisions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You could use the Internet of Things and other techniques to bring data and bring it all to, say, Bentonville, Arkansas, to pick up arbitrary city. And you’d be able to know all sorts of information about what’s happening and make decisions. And it’s actually beginning to happen. You know, when you look at the data and big centralized retailers are out competing, those mom and pop mom, mom and pop shops, they know more about what people want in each neighborhood and which trucks are empty.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They have all that detailed information that hikes. It would be impossible, which is great for efficiency, but it may not be the best thing for freedom and democracy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>we need to think hard.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, while we have some optionality, how can we design a world where we maintain our freedom, maintain our decentralization of decision making, and that if we go too far down the path of disempowering people, it may be very hard to reverse course later. And for what it’s worth, everyone’s noticed. It’s kind of beginning to happen, right? And we better take it seriously because we go much further down that path.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’ll be too late. Yeah,\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>I did want to ask you. I mean, this is from your book, Second Machine Age, of course, you coauthored \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>with Andy. Andy McAfee. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alexis: And you have to paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr. The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice. We think the data support this. We’ve seen not just vast increases in wealth, but also, on the whole, more freedom, more social justice, less violence, and less less harsh conditions for the least fortunate and greater opportunities for more and more people.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I think, like there have been the majority of my life, I think I would have more or less agreed with this. I think in the last ten years, my own kind of priors have been challenged on this. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Not just you. Yeah, no, we wrote that in 2014. I’m glad that I just checked. And it’s like it’s got more and more sales and citations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So I’m glad that it’s it’s got legs that way. And that was sort of maybe like the peak of this,\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alexis: Obama era story optimism. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Exactly. But but speaking of Obama, you know, he modified that quote and he said that it bends. You know, I’m going to misquote him, but but the gist of what he was saying was, got a push on the ark.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: You got to push on it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: It doesn’t happen automatically. We won’t just sit back and watch it happen. And that’s very much, you know, you mentioned I call myself a mindful optimist. You know, that the arc of history bends if and only if we push it. And I think lately it’s been going the wrong way. It’s also long, like Martin Luther King said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So you know, it’s not going to be monotonic where it always improves every month or every year. So I think it’s fair to say we’ve had some backsliding and some bad things have happened. I’m still optimistic, maybe a little less optimistic than I was in 2014, but I’m hopeful that that work harder. But but this is exactly why I do.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What I do is I’m not here to predict the future. I’m here to say, here are some possible futures, and here are some levers that matter. And we need to push on them, because most of us do want not just more abundance, but also more freedom and shared prosperity. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Can I can I keep pushing on this one a little bit just because I think there’s, you know, even some people in this building here at KQED who their their biggest concern about AI, they have they have many environmental this and other things.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>it’s really about particularly being here in San Francisco. You really see it the concentration of wealth. And then, you know, our city politics has been taken over by tech wealth. It’s like it’s also the concentration of power that that goes along \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Those tend to go together, don’t they.? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Yes. Yeah. And I guess the, the maybe more difficult version of this question is do you think that AI, as a result of the what the frontier models need, the amount of capital that you need to deploy to do these things?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Is this a kind of technology that inherently leads to higher concentrations of wealth and therefore a power? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>I don’t want to say inherently, because I don’t want to be in the prediction business, I want to be in the design business. But there’s a lot of strong forces, and there’s two sets that are particularly obvious to me. One is, you know, the scaling laws and the fact that the AI itself tends to work better at large scale.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s why they’re raising hundreds of billions, trillions of dollars to build bigger and bigger data centers. But yeah, borrowing and and, you know, there’s just this amazing thing that Dario Modi and others noted that you make the model bigger and it works better. So they said, let’s make it even bigger. And it just keeps working. So that tends to lead to kind of a bit of a winner take most outcome.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That’s why they’re raising hundreds of billions, trillions of dollars to build bigger and bigger data centers. But yeah, borrowing and and, you know, there’s just this amazing thing that Dario Modi and others noted that you make the model bigger and it works better. So they said, let’s make it even bigger. And it just keeps working. So that tends to lead to kind of a bit of a winner take most outcome.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Actually, I’ve been somewhat surprised how many frontier labs there still are. It hasn’t all just concentrating to one singleton. But you know, who knows where that’s going to go. It certainly you have to be pretty big to be a player in that, but the one that I’m more concerned about is the other, like 90% of the economy,\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>that, you know, whether you’re in retail or manufacturing or health or whatever, you know, having decentralized information may not be as competitive with having it become more centralized.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And that could also lead. And it has been if you look at the data, there has been more concentration. So we need to think harder about how do we decentralize it. I mean, part of one of the answers that I would put forward is this idea of pushing AI to complement humans rather than substitute for them. But we need to look at all levers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin:\u003c/strong> Thinking about that discussion about centralization, about kind of where the power, where the money resides is that change in the capital versus labor share of the economy a warning sign? I mean, if that continues, \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin:\u003c/strong> Thinking about that discussion about centralization, about kind of where the power, where the money resides is that change in the capital versus labor share of the economy a warning sign? I mean, if that continues, \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>yes, yes, this one I’m not going to hedge on. So so capital is inherently much more concentrated than labor. You know, the cool thing about labor, even though it’s pretty uneven, like we all have basically one brain.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>yes, yes, this one I’m not going to hedge on. So so capital is inherently much more concentrated than labor. You know, the cool thing about labor, even though it’s pretty uneven, like we all have basically one brain.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And like some of them, you know, maybe a little smarter than others, but but, you know, it’s distributed through the economy. You know, no matter how smart you are, you can’t run a whole fortune 500 corporation. So you delegate stuff, and the whole economy has all these delegated decisions to all these different brains. But with capital, you can concentrate it much more.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And empirically, you know, the income from capital is much more concentrated in a small fraction of the people. So, you know, we were saying earlier that economic power begets political power. So that’s something I worry about. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>I mean, what would that world even look like? You know, I’ve looked at some other countries that have labor share that’s like much lower.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>I mean, what would that world even look like? You know, I’ve looked at some other countries that have labor share that’s like much lower.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yeah, labor share of income is much lower. And it’s not a good set of countries. They’re like resource cursed countries that Saudi Arabia, it’s like mineral mining countries. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Exactly, And you get these like gated communities and these people who have a lot of wealth. I was talking to somebody from a Latin American country. She’s very wealthy. And she said, you know, all the wealthy people in my country are in prisons.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And like, what do you mean they’re in prison? She said, well, the prison of our own construction, like we can’t go outside of our houses when we ever. I get into a car, I have like guards on either side of me\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And like, what do you mean they’re in prison? She said, well, the prison of our own construction, like we can’t go outside of our houses when we ever. I get into a car, I have like guards on either side of me\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s like one of those dystopian science fiction movies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Yeah. What? What interventions could we at least start to prepare for now, economically? And obviously there’s a whole suite of politics and, you know, who we elect and how we organize ourselves as a city. But just thinking about economic policy, what what are what would be some smart things to start thinking about right now.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Yeah. What? What interventions could we at least start to prepare for now, economically? And obviously there’s a whole suite of politics and, you know, who we elect and how we organize ourselves as a city. But just thinking about economic policy, what what are what would be some smart things to start thinking about right now.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>So I think we have some levers to push back against this, and that’s why I care about it. So I did write this paper, The Turing Trap, about how it’s a trap to have AI that just replaces and imitates humans. So a couple of things we can push back on. First off, there’s a lot of economic incentives right now that I think mistakenly steer us towards favoring capital over labor, like in the United States and most countries for that matter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Tax policy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Tax policy is much, you know, capitalist taxed much cheaper than labor. So you have two brilliant entrepreneurs, you know, one of which says, I’m going to make a $100 billion company with thousands of employees. And the other ones, I’m going to make $100 billion company with like no employees, but lots of robots. Yeah. The US government says, oh, the first person you know, Alice, you’re going to have to like, pay a lot more taxes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Your whole organization is going to pay a lot more taxes. And the second one is going to pay less. And, you know, the first rule of taxation is like, whatever you tax more, you get less of. So we’re basically putting our thumb on the scale, saying we’re going to get more capital intensive and less labor intensive. Like for most of history, maybe that didn’t matter that much.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Your whole organization is going to pay a lot more taxes. And the second one is going to pay less. And, you know, the first rule of taxation is like, whatever you tax more, you get less of. So we’re basically putting our thumb on the scale, saying we’re going to get more capital intensive and less labor intensive. Like for most of history, maybe that didn’t matter that much.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It wasn’t that much leverage to to do things different ways. Now we really have the potential and there’s a lot of other tax things you can do. My friend Darren Asamoah, who has written a lot about this Pascual Restrepo. So those are some things that we can do. Like, you know, they’re a really hard core. I’m an economist, but I’ve come to think that actually culture and the way people think about it is more important than the like hard dollars.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So here in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, I run into a lot of people who have this mindset that like the goal of AI is to replace humans, and that’s just wrong, I think. And when they all the benchmarks that you see being published, almost all of them are geared towards like, how well can this machine by itself do the task with Andy Hopped and we’ve developed a new set of benchmarks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You know, Doug Engelbart years ago, you know, talked about how we should make machines that amplify humans. Steve Jobs called it bicycles for the mind, and that that philosophy has kind of been lost out a little bit. I want to revive it more. And if we design machines more to to augment humans and to complement what we’re doing, we’re likely to keep people in the loop.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Eric, talking about your your early apprehension of the curve we were in and kind of the trajectory of AI, let’s talk situational awareness for people on the ground level. So outside of OpenAI headquarters here in San Francisco, imagine you’re somebody who works at one of the Kaiser hospitals. Great day to day job. How are you going to know that it really is taking off, that you’re inside this exponential, and that this prediction of of a transformational AI era happening pretty fast rather than predictably slow is true.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like day to day, week to week. What what should I be watching for? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Well, you can come to the AI economic indicators and we’ll have we’ll have a monthly update of all those metrics. You know, I’m not I’m not joking about that because I just see so many anecdotes and stories. And honestly, it’s a little frustrating because, you know, every month there’s hundreds of thousands of jobs destroyed, hundreds of thousands created.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you’re a reporter with an angle, you can you can definitely find anecdotes that support your story. And you’ll have some men in the street who tells you what you know, what the people. And I’ve been reading those and I just don’t know how to aggregate them. So, you know, I’m a data person. I’m a statistician. I’m an economist.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So so, you know, getting the stuff aggregated, I think is the way to do it. The problem is that most of our indicators are kind of lagging indicators. And we need more so forward looking leading indicators. And we’re trying to invest in creating those. But but I think that that’s my answer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So yeah, we can we can you can take a look at that. I just want is it happening dot Stanford. Yes. All right. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>AI is advancing at a breakneck pace, but how quickly will that \u003cstrong>actually\u003c/strong> transform the economy? Dream Machines hosts Alexis Madrigal and Robin Sloan talk to Stanford economist Erik Brynjolfsson about what the data can tell us so far, why previous technological revolutions took decades to reshape everyday life, and whether this time will be different. They discuss early signs that AI may already be affecting young workers, what happens to the career ladder when machines take over junior tasks, and where the biggest challenges — and opportunities — lie.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Guest: Erik Brynjolfsson, economist and Director of the \u003ca href=\"https://digitaleconomy.stanford.edu/\">Stanford Digital Economy Lab\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/5HI0RBP-jDk'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/5HI0RBP-jDk'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Episode transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:00:00:00 – 00:00:06:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Is this a kind of technology that inherently leads to higher concentrations of wealth and therefore a power?\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>00:00:06:14 – 00:00:12:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> I don’t want to say inherently, because I don’t want to be in the prediction business, I want to be in the design business. But there’s a lot of strong forces,the AI itself tends to work better at large scale. That’s why they’re raising hundreds of billions, trillions of dollars. You make the model bigger and it works better. So they said, let’s make it even bigger. And it just keeps working. So that tends to lead to kind of a bit of a winner take most outcome.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:00:31:16 – 00:00:39:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: I’m Alexis Madrigal,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin\u003c/strong>: I’m Robin Sloan, and this is Dream Machines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>It’s a podcast about how AI works, also about how it feels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:00:39:14 – 00:00:49:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And of course, we make it right here in San Francisco, where it’s all happening. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>And nobody really disagrees at this point that AI is going to transform the economy in some way. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:00:49:16 – 00:00:54:23\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But one of the questions that is still really open and hotly debated is how fast that is going to happen.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:00:55:01 – 00:01:12:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And also the question of how would we know that it’s being transformed? You certainly read a lot of headlines and see a lot of stock prices go up. But like what’s actually happening out there in offices?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Do we have the economic data that we need to make sense? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Yeah, exactly. It’s sort of the question of like, what would be the canary in the coal mine?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:01:12:12 – 00:01:25:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And as we were looking around for answers to these questions, turns out there’s a paper called \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin & Alexis: \u003c/strong>Canary in the Coal Mine \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Out of the Stanford Digital Economy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Yeah. That’s right. And it’s the work of a scholar there named Erik Brynjolfsson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:01:25:08 – 00:01:46:22\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was at MIT for 30 years before coming to Stanford, very early in his understanding of the potentially transformative effects of AI, and has become one of the folks who is really trying to shine a light into the kind of mysterious recesses of the economy so that the rest of us can know, like what is happening and how fast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:01:46:23 – 00:01:47:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Yeah,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:01:47:11 – 00:02:08:22\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because it really matters the time scale. Right? If we have this incredible transformation in three months or in three years or in three decades, it will mean tremendously different society. And we need someone who can tell us, like, where are we on this, on this chart? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>So here is our very own canary in the coal mine Erik\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:02:08:22 – 00:02:10:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brynjolfsson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:02:10:11 – 00:02:25:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>There’s a lot of, as you know, definitions of AI, you know, superintelligence, AGI, you know, just like advanced AI, I’m quite taken by the definition that you used in sort of a formative ad.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:02:25:22 – 00:02:47:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yeah. Transformative AI. You laid this out in a research agenda, you know, for kind of the, the community last year. And there’s a bit more to it. But the core of it is, as you said, we’ll know it’s transformative AI because it’ll have this significant economic effect. It’ll accelerate economic growth from sort of the the baseline that we’ve become accustomed to for a long time now, maybe around 2%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:02:47:17 – 00:03:09:10\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’ll it’ll multiply that by by 3 or 5 times almost without talking about AI specifically, it’d be really interesting to have you dramatize like what that means for for an economy. You know, if that did happen, \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>transformative AI?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Transformative AI that and that growth rate like, like how would that change our our day, our week, our year, our jobs?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:03:09:11 – 00:03:35:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Well, these way for me to think of it as by analogy. And so we don’t know for sure what’s going to happen going forward. But we can look back at, say, the industrial revolution. And in the Second Machine Age, Andy McAfee and I wrote about how we went through this big transition from an agricultural society to an industrial society, and we call it the second Machine age, because now we’re having in the early stages of a second big transition like that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:03:35:20 – 00:03:56:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The first one was about machines doing what our muscles could do, an animal muscles, and that took growth from being sort of growing very, very slow tenths of a percent per year to growing about 2% per year, which may not sound like much, but you compound it. And now we’re like 30 or 50 times richer than our ancestors were a couple hundred years ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:03:56:03 – 00:04:13:13\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I think that doing now, now, we were able to use machines to augment our minds, our brains. And I think that’s going to be at least as big as what the Industrial Revolution did. And it will transform society at least as much, not just in growth rate, but also like, you know, just what we do in our daily lives.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:04:13:13 – 00:04:33:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Think of the way farmers versus people in factories or modern society, how different that is. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Using that analogy, I feel like I should probably know this, but during the Industrial revolution, did people’s lives change in a decade in terms of the kind of work they did, how they worked in the world, the kind of goods and services they, they had access to?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:04:33:01 – 00:04:53:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Did it? Was it more of a generational change, like what was the pace of that?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> It was actually pretty slow. In fact, there’s something called Engels pause. This period of like several decades, 40, 50 years where there wasn’t much of an improvement in living standards. If you read Charles Dickens, you know, actually life could be pretty miserable, even worse than it was for the people living in agricultural society.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:04:53:06 – 00:05:11:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>As life expectancy declined, people got shorter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Yeah, yeah. All that smoke and soot and and kids working in factories and stuff, you know, it was pretty miserable for the majority of the population. But under the surface, things were changing. And you were beginning to have this productivity gain. But it took a while and eventually it started taking off.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:05:11:11 – 00:05:19:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This time around, it’s also going to take longer than I think some of our friends here in San Francisco and Silicon Valley think, but but certainly a lot faster than the last time around\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:05:19:19 – 00:05:24:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Let’s go back into the historical example. I think it’s actually really useful for people to think about this, right?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:05:24:05 – 00:05:44:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You have this general purpose technology of \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>general purpose technology, \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>which is a term of art, I love it, \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>and also I do we were talking about this earlier. I it had not occurred to me that it’s the twin GPT. It seems a little uncanny\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong>. Yeah. So my, my my friend and student, former student Daniel Rock, he wrote a great paper with some folks at OpenAI called GPT RPGs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:05:44:12 – 00:06:03:18\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yeah, generative pre-trained transformers and general purpose technologies. It used to be when I said GPT to economists, we all knew we were talking about general purpose technologies, but the AI people have pretty much stolen that acronym \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>and branded it. Yeah. And for the into it into a global brand\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> So be it. Yeah. But but but general purpose technology is pretty much what drives all economic growth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:06:03:18 – 00:06:23:15\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s all these inventions, but there’s just a handful that really raise our living standards. The steam engine was the first really powerful general purpose technology electricity, computers and now AI, which is kind of like the mother of all general purpose technology, I think. So, you know, Demis Hassabis has this. I was over at Google DeepMind a few weeks ago in London.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:06:23:16 – 00:06:41:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They had this mission statement. They want to let me see if I can get it right. They want to solve intelligence and then use that to solve all the other problems in the world. So, you know, modest little mission statement. But but, you know, there’s a lot of truth to the fact that if you really could solve intelligence, there’s so many other things you could solve.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:06:41:11 – 00:06:56:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Yeah, that is, of course, if you trusted that that’s what people who had solved intelligence would actually do with this intelligence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Well, that’s a very good question. There’s a bunch of things that you can use it for. And also, to be fair, as I’ve come to think harder about the problem, intelligence is not the be all and end all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:06:56:01 – 00:07:06:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A lot of very smart people think and wish it was, but when you get into the real world, you know, just look around us. There’s there’s lots of PhDs in the economy and they don’t like, rule the economy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:06:12 – 00:07:14:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You know, you go into a I was at the Starbucks across the street just before coming here, and you walk in there and l\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: Seven PhDs just right in there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:14:05 – 00:07:14:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: Yeah. Imagine\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:14:17 – 00:07:27:21\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>imagine you pull up with a bus and you say, okay, good news. You know, we’ve got Einstein, we’ve got a bus of 200 Einsteins. They’re going to come help you. I think the manager over there be like, oh, well, like, do they know how to push a broom? I mean, what are they going to do? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>I love that\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:27:23 – 00:07:33:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>because that that kind of argument and just even that that playful vision gets into the real crunchy details of like, what happens in an economy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:33:19 – 00:07:54:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s not just, you know, sugar and eggs, whip them together and voila, you get growth and productivity. It’s really crunchy. And the thing I like best about your work is that kind of ongoing attempt to to dig in and sort of look for signals. You had the paper called Canary in a coal mine, which feels like exactly what we need most right now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:07:54:09 – 00:08:11:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We need those kind of early signals. You know, they might be warning signals in some cases. They might be like hopeful beacons. We’re going to steer towards \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: the Canaries. metaphor for is a little dark at times. Yeah. We didn’t really mean it that way. We meant it in the more general metaphors, like an early warning signal. Yeah. And it’s very uneven.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:08:11:20 – 00:08:27:13\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And that’s part of it. You know, going back to the intelligence point, you know, I just want to finish that earlier point about about these general purpose technologies. They tend to take a long time to play out, because even when you speed up one part, there are other parts that are bottlenecks or weak links to take longer to emerge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:08:27:17 – 00:09:00:22\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that that gets to your question about the Canaries paper, where we did find that there are certain jobs that are already beginning to be affected and others that are actually going the other way, that are becoming more valuable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>That’s interesting. I mean, so one of the findings, at least as I read it, you can correct me if I’m wrong, is that if there is an impact, it seems to be maybe, as you’d expect on entry level workers, the people who whose contributions can perhaps most seamlessly be replaced by Claude or ChatGPT or whatever.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:00:23 – 00:09:14:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>I didn’t necessarily expect that in Vance. I should credit my coauthors, Baratunde and Russian, who did most of the heavy lifting on this, and the folks at ADP who provided all the data. And we went into it, you know, with with a blank slate. We just were open to whatever. Actually,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:14:10 – 00:09:16:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>the first cut at it, we looked at the top line.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:16:15 – 00:09:32:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s not much happening, actually. You know, the overall labor market, it wasn’t that much happening. And we’re kicking around like, okay, maybe write a paper that all these headlines, these newspaper articles are all kind of overblown. And then, you know, Borat and Rudy looked in a little more deeply and they said, wait a minute. There’s like, there’s one group that’s really being affected.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:32:14 – 00:09:36:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Early career workers, especially in the most exposed occupations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:36:21 – 00:09:50:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So one of the things you can do with you can take all the jobs in the economy. 950, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And each of them, you can break down to a bundle of individual tasks. And once you do, at that fine grained level, you can really make headway.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:09:50:19 – 00:10:14:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s hard to say whether that AI will replace a radiologist, some people say, but it’s much easier to look at a specific thing. Can it read a medical image? And that’s one of the 26 things that a radiologist does when you break it down to those tasks. And by the way, the paper that did that the best was this GPT are GPTs paper we were just talking about, when you break it down that way, you can rank all the occupations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:14:15 – 00:10:14:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:14:23 – 00:10:24:05\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>then when you also look at the age, you find that the combination of the most exposed occupations with the youngest workers had about a 16% decline in employment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:24:05 – 00:10:33:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin\u003c/strong>: So there’s a couple threads to pull on there and I want to do them both. One is the young workers, kind of the entry level workers and just the whole idea of like careers and and experience and everything else.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:33:03 – 00:10:44:17\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the other one is the data. My perception is that right now we as a country, a society, maybe a planet probably don’t have as much data as we would like.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:44:19 – 00:10:45:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Oh, no.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:45:09 – 00:10:46:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>it’s a tragedy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:10:46:04 – 00:11:01:05\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I spent a lot of time with our friends in Washington who are, like, working in the statistical agencies, and they’re having their budgets cut. It’s getting, you know, there’s more and more need for better data and less and less resources going into it. I think it’s incredibly foolish. One of the things we’re doing at Stanford is trying to help with that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:01:06 – 00:11:17:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We created something just last month called the Stanford AI Economic Indicators. That is like a dashboard that brings together all this data from a lot of private sources, as well as public sources, so people can look at it in one place instead of all these sort of dueling anecdotes, you know, everyone can see the data\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:17:11 – 00:11:31:07\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>The timing around this technological change of these major changes feels to me like it should be a deflationary narrative about how quickly AI is going to be deployed. But I’m kind of hearing from you, like sort of the opposite of that,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:31:07 – 00:11:45:21\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>that that you feel like there are that, that we are going to deploy this much faster than in these previous instances, even though historically we haven’t been able to do that, that it’s just there’s all this inertia across so many different sectors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:45:21 – 00:11:54:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And it also sounds to me a little bit from the data board that like that is what’s happening. It is taking longer, you know, and I know both of us well.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:54:10 – 00:11:56:01\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Erik: Well, I think both of those things are true.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:11:56:02 – 00:12:11:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What I would say, you know, I wrote about the need for these complementary investments. I wrote a paper called about the productivity paradox, about the first wave and then about this wave, and most importantly, a paper called The Productivity J curve with Chad Stephenson and Daniel Rock.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:12:11:02 – 00:12:13:07\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And they all make this point that, you know,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:12:13:07 – 00:12:31:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>just because you have amazing technology, it doesn’t translate into productivity, business changes, transformation of the economy. That said that said, I think it’s happening a lot faster this time than with the Industrial revolution or with electricity, which also took like 30 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:12:31:10 – 00:12:34:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s just a lot of structural reasons why it’s going faster.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:12:34:08 – 00:12:53:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For one thing, you know, the internet has been built out, so we can just go from 0 to 100 million users of ChatGPT and like, you know, what was it, 60 days and now it’s a billion. Yeah, but like just going super fast and and a lot of the cognitive work, you can, you know, like software, you can do it a lot faster now than you could.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:12:53:07 – 00:13:10:21\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s still there’s still a lot of bottlenecks which you know, so I find myself sort of between these worlds when I talk to most economists and, you know, in New York or Washington or in businesses, you know, they see all the the structural barriers. When I talk to the guys at the Frontier Labs, they’re like, oh, we’re going to have RSI, recursive self-improvement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:13:10:21 – 00:13:26:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s all going to happen super fast. And I point out a bottleneck and they’re like, oh, AI will solve that. Yeah, yeah. And I’m kind of I’m kind of between them I put myself, you know, they’re like probably two orders of magnitude apart from each other in terms of rate of speed. And I’m at the geometric mean like one order of magnitude.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:13:26:11 – 00:13:45:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And so I do think it’s faster than most people in the rest of the world are ready for. And that’s why we create that statement about we must act now. I do also, at the same time think that that most of the technologists, they haven’t really spent as much time in big companies as I have and realized like how hard it is to get them to change.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:13:45:04 – 00:14:11:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: Can I ask this though, knowing that you have a company that is essentially trying to accelerate the change? Is there an argument to be made that letting this take some time is actually a good thing for society? Because this kind of disjunction in a labor market, or in just the value of intelligence or any of the ways that we might describe this transformation, is actually kind of a good thing to let it settle in more slowly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:14:11:16 – 00:14:36:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>I agree with your core point, and but what I would say is that we need to speed up our understanding. We need to speed up our adaptation to it. We need to speed up our reskilling and, you know, be prepared or preparation. At the same time, I’m very sympathetic to the idea that those core capabilities, you know, there was just another statement that come out, these statements are all coming out about what they call it pacing, pacing, pacing the frontier.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:14:36:13 – 00:14:39:17\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Right. Exactly. Which is, you know, that’s on the capability side. So,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:14:39:17 – 00:14:54:10\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>so the way I think about it is that there are these two lines. One of them is skyrocketing, which is the capabilities. The other one is our ability to adapt to it, which is barely moving. And that gap is where most of the big problems and challenges and opportunities lie over the next 5 or 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:14:54:11 – 00:15:05:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s where all the action is. Until all my economist friends, you should be focusing on that gap. My part of it is to close the gap from the bottom and like, speed up our understanding. Other people can think about the technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:15:05:16 – 00:15:12:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin:\u003c/strong> You know, we’re talking about sort of the acceleration of an economy, but there’s also this simultaneous thing that that maybe is different.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:15:12:01 – 00:15:31:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like maybe there’s a historical analogy for this, maybe there’s not. I think of it almost as like the weirding of the economy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik:\u003c/strong> Yes\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>And this connects to a couple of things that we’ve talked about. You know, the idea that suddenly there’s no such thing as an entry level worker. Instead, you can only be, you know, a senior software engineer with an army of AI bots, and you’re really good at them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:15:31:00 – 00:15:52:21\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But it raises the question of like, where do senior engineers or senior people of any kind come from anymore? Also, you know, again, to to make that industrial Revolution analogy, it’s interesting to consider that when you replace your, you know, horses going around a post with a steam engine, even though that’s new and kind of radical, you fundamentally do understand how that works.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:15:52:23 – 00:16:12:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whereas when you replace your software engineering team with bots, you probably don’t understand how it works anymore. Do these differences I mean, do these matter? Should we really be looking closely at these, this this weirdness?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong> I mean, those are those two parts of your question are so different in my mind. Sure, sure. Yeah. I mean, they’re both weird.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:16:12:20 – 00:16:28:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We can talk. Yeah, I’ll put them on that. So let me let me do one at a time because I think they’re both interesting to talk about. So on the on the junior versus senior this is this is a real problem. Like we describe earlier the data that there’s less demand for these young workers. But where do the middle managers come from.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:16:28:08 – 00:16:44:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Where are the senior workers come from. And you need them. And you need people with that kind of judgment. And we used to have this grand bargain where people come in sometimes do some kind of boring Scott work. But in the process, sort of by osmosis, they would learn how the business ran, learn how to be a lawyer or a doctor or investment bank or whatever.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:16:44:11 – 00:17:01:23\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now they don’t have that opportunity. And I think part of the answer has to be we have to like, consciously and explicitly train them. I was talking to some folks at Infosys and, you know, they their junior people are very much in the bullseye of not being needed as much, but they tell me that they’re still hiring a bunch of them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:17:01:23 – 00:17:23:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But now instead of having them do some of that boring work that AI could now do, they are explicitly training them with an AI system. Actually, AI can be a really good tutor and it can help them learn faster. So that’s that’s part of the. That’s one approach to the answer. I think it’s going to be kind of a new social contract that we have to think about, because we don’t just abandon this whole generation of people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:17:23:12 – 00:17:44:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I mean, I’ll tell you a little bit of a, of a of a sad story. Well, hopefully it has a good ending. A student came to me in my office a couple of months ago graduating from Stanford. Pretty good school. And she said, I don’t have a job. My friends don’t have jobs. Is my generation doomed? And I was like, whoa, yeah.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:17:44:04 – 00:17:59:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I mean, you’re a Stanford student. You should be optimistic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis:\u003c/strong> I know I’m a mindful optimist what do you mean?.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong> You should be. You’re graduating. And what I tried to say was, look, you know, I don’t want to sugarcoat it. There’s a bunch of jobs disappearing, like you just said, but the other on the other side, you know, you can use these tools to do things you never could have before.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:17:59:14 – 00:18:16:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You’ve got superpowers where you can do vibe coding and create all sorts of software. That would have been impossible five years ago or even one year ago, and you needed to lean into those new possibilities. There’s more startups being started than ever before, because a lot of people are seeing this opportunity to create things they couldn’t have done before.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:18:16:08 – 00:18:33:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So, you know, that’s what I tried to teach my class. I have a master class that also does this, but I really want people to, you know, you know, I understand the downside, but I think there’s almost too much emphasis on that. And there should be more of a leaning in to AI allowing you to do new things you never could have done before.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:18:33:22 – 00:18:55:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They’re harder to see because a lot of them didn’t exist before, but that’s where the opportunity is. And that’s the part I want to speed up, is that is the transition to those new opportunities. I don’t want to just ossify everything and try to freeze everything in place. I don’t think that’s the strategy. We need to be nimble and have that more flexible opportunity to create new jobs, new opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:18:55:15 – 00:19:16:15\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>another recent historical analogy to this is, you know, self-driving cars, where we essentially see them being, generally speaking, safer drivers than human drivers. But when they do make a mistake, it tends to be sort of a novel mistake or the kind of the way the system breaks down is we could not have anticipated, you know, power outage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:19:16:18 – 00:19:39:05\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: Yeah, it’s like an alien intelligence. Yeah. It is it exactly. Respect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin:\u003c/strong> They respect the cones too much. You know yourself driving cars. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Exactly. They worship the code, but they don’t worship some other things. And, you know, as an economist, actually, you know, this is can be a little dangerous and off putting. It’s also an opportunity like for in economics, gains from trade happen when there’s two entities that are very different from each other.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:19:39:05 – 00:19:55:13\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If they’re identical to each other, there’s not much room for for gains from trade. So actually mostly encourage the folks at the Frontier Labs to lean into making the A’s really good at things that humans are not good at, and let us be good at the things we’re good at. I think too often they do it the other way around.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:19:55:14 – 00:20:14:10\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They’re trying to, like, smooth the edges and and make them good at things that are that’s hard for machines and easy for us, like, you know, buttoning a shirt or, or and ultimately, the fact that it’s an alien intelligence means that we can lean on it to do some amazing things. But there will still be a role for humans, which I think is important.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:20:14:11 – 00:20:14:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:20:14:20 – 00:20:31:08\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I think it’s good to not replace all the things that humans are doing. I wrote this paper, The Turing Trap, where I basically argued it’s a mistake. It’s to do what Alan Turing said, which is make AI that’s a perfect imitation of humans. We should make it different so we each have something to contribute.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:20:31:10 – 00:20:36:23\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>You know, it’s funny, we can flip this around, you know, almost perfectly here on the podcast and in are there conversations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:20:37:00 – 00:20:56:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexis and I are cautious and often critical of AI, particularly the industry, but we’re also quite enchanted by the the spaces inside these models. You know, these these mysterious high dimensional spaces and their capacity and the things they seem to be able to organize and then kind of cross connect in ways that humans can’t, certainly not at that scale.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:20:56:09 – 00:21:13:05\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And it makes me think of, you know, the old ancient, almost economics debate between central planning and sort of, you know, action at the edges. And you, of course, know this well. But for folks listening to the podcast, there’s a few different ways you can organize an economy. You could have, you know, yeah, you could have planning. Yeah.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:21:13:06 – 00:21:30:01\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Robin and Alexis deciding exactly how much to make of everything, you know, all fashionable t shirts and and cool. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>What a great world that would be. Yeah. And you know, this, this has the benefit of coherency. And you can actually have a plan and execute it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>It can be aligned with the values of your society, at least supposedly in theory, all these things.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:21:30:01 – 00:21:49:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>But then way over on the other side, you have the idea of you have the sense that the real information about how the world works and what people want and what the problems are, of course, where they’re at the edges, you know, in people’s lives all distributed in their kitchens, in their businesses. Sort of the Haken view of like the great sensor of the market.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:21:49:18 – 00:22:12:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now it does seem so that was that was the story, you know, at least up until 2020, 2023. It does seem like maybe we have these machines now with a capacity that could change that balance a little bit. So first of all, I ask you, like do you see some of that potential. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Sure. No. This is a big like let me just say you’ve heard I’m pretty optimistic, excited about the productivity potential and creating a enormous amount of wealth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:22:12:02 – 00:22:31:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the things that I’m most worried about is it could be very badly distributed, where everything gets really, really centralized. And the core reason for that is what you just brought up. You know, Friedrich Hayek wrote this amazing paper called The Use of Knowledge in Society, which, you know, articulate what you just said, that most useful knowledge is, like widely dispersed in the economy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:22:31:07 – 00:22:47:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like, you know, does this do people in this neighborhood like peppermint ice cream or is this truck half empty? And maybe we could put some more stuff on it or whatever. There’s all this, like detailed information. And he argued that there’s no way a central planner, even guy’s as smart as you two, could make all the decisions in the economy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:22:47:04 – 00:23:06:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s just too much of this detailed information. And that was totally true for the 20th century and up until recently. But Zoe Hitzig and I have written a paper called AI’s Use of Knowledge in Society, where we argue that, wait a minute, you know, you could actually go take these trillions of parameters and make all sorts of decisions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:23:07:00 – 00:23:32:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You could use the Internet of Things and other techniques to bring data and bring it all to, say, Bentonville, Arkansas, to pick up arbitrary city. And you’d be able to know all sorts of information about what’s happening and make decisions. And it’s actually beginning to happen. You know, when you look at the data and big centralized retailers are out competing, those mom and pop mom, mom and pop shops, they know more about what people want in each neighborhood and which trucks are empty.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:23:32:13 – 00:23:41:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They have all that detailed information that hikes. It would be impossible, which is great for efficiency, but it may not be the best thing for freedom and democracy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:23:41:21 – 00:23:43:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>we need to think hard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:23:43:02 – 00:24:07:04\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, while we have some optionality, how can we design a world where we maintain our freedom, maintain our decentralization of decision making, and that if we go too far down the path of disempowering people, it may be very hard to reverse course later. And for what it’s worth, everyone’s noticed. It’s kind of beginning to happen, right? And we better take it seriously because we go much further down that path.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:24:07:04 – 00:24:08:03\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’ll be too late. Yeah,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:24:08:03 – 00:24:34:16\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>I did want to ask you. I mean, this is from your book, Second Machine Age, of course, you coauthored \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>with Andy. Andy McAfee. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexis: And you have to paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr. The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice. We think the data support this. We’ve seen not just vast increases in wealth, but also, on the whole, more freedom, more social justice, less violence, and less less harsh conditions for the least fortunate and greater opportunities for more and more people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:24:34:20 – 00:24:52:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I think, like there have been the majority of my life, I think I would have more or less agreed with this. I think in the last ten years, my own kind of priors have been challenged on this. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Not just you. Yeah, no, we wrote that in 2014. I’m glad that I just checked. And it’s like it’s got more and more sales and citations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:24:52:02 – 00:25:10:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So I’m glad that it’s it’s got legs that way. And that was sort of maybe like the peak of this,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexis: Obama era story optimism. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Exactly. But but speaking of Obama, you know, he modified that quote and he said that it bends. You know, I’m going to misquote him, but but the gist of what he was saying was, got a push on the ark.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:25:10:20 – 00:25:27:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis\u003c/strong>: You got to push on it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik\u003c/strong>: It doesn’t happen automatically. We won’t just sit back and watch it happen. And that’s very much, you know, you mentioned I call myself a mindful optimist. You know, that the arc of history bends if and only if we push it. And I think lately it’s been going the wrong way. It’s also long, like Martin Luther King said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:25:27:06 – 00:25:44:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So you know, it’s not going to be monotonic where it always improves every month or every year. So I think it’s fair to say we’ve had some backsliding and some bad things have happened. I’m still optimistic, maybe a little less optimistic than I was in 2014, but I’m hopeful that that work harder. But but this is exactly why I do.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:25:44:06 – 00:26:13:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What I do is I’m not here to predict the future. I’m here to say, here are some possible futures, and here are some levers that matter. And we need to push on them, because most of us do want not just more abundance, but also more freedom and shared prosperity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Can I can I keep pushing on this one a little bit just because I think there’s, you know, even some people in this building here at KQED who their their biggest concern about AI, they have they have many environmental this and other things.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:26:13:02 – 00:26:13:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:26:13:08 – 00:26:42:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>it’s really about particularly being here in San Francisco. You really see it the concentration of wealth. And then, you know, our city politics has been taken over by tech wealth. It’s like it’s also the concentration of power that that goes along \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Those tend to go together, don’t they.? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Yes. Yeah. And I guess the, the maybe more difficult version of this question is do you think that AI, as a result of the what the frontier models need, the amount of capital that you need to deploy to do these things?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:26:42:10 – 00:27:04:22\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Is this a kind of technology that inherently leads to higher concentrations of wealth and therefore a power? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>I don’t want to say inherently, because I don’t want to be in the prediction business, I want to be in the design business. But there’s a lot of strong forces, and there’s two sets that are particularly obvious to me. One is, you know, the scaling laws and the fact that the AI itself tends to work better at large scale.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:27:04:22 – 00:27:28:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s why they’re raising hundreds of billions, trillions of dollars to build bigger and bigger data centers. But yeah, borrowing and and, you know, there’s just this amazing thing that Dario Modi and others noted that you make the model bigger and it works better. So they said, let’s make it even bigger. And it just keeps working. So that tends to lead to kind of a bit of a winner take most outcome.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:27:28:14 – 00:27:44:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Actually, I’ve been somewhat surprised how many frontier labs there still are. It hasn’t all just concentrating to one singleton. But you know, who knows where that’s going to go. It certainly you have to be pretty big to be a player in that, but the one that I’m more concerned about is the other, like 90% of the economy,\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:27:44:22 – 00:27:56:18\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>that, you know, whether you’re in retail or manufacturing or health or whatever, you know, having decentralized information may not be as competitive with having it become more centralized.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:27:56:18 – 00:28:15:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And that could also lead. And it has been if you look at the data, there has been more concentration. So we need to think harder about how do we decentralize it. I mean, part of one of the answers that I would put forward is this idea of pushing AI to complement humans rather than substitute for them. But we need to look at all levers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:28:15:22 – 00:28:41:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin:\u003c/strong> Thinking about that discussion about centralization, about kind of where the power, where the money resides is that change in the capital versus labor share of the economy a warning sign? I mean, if that continues, \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>yes, yes, this one I’m not going to hedge on. So so capital is inherently much more concentrated than labor. You know, the cool thing about labor, even though it’s pretty uneven, like we all have basically one brain.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:28:41:09 – 00:28:57:15\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And like some of them, you know, maybe a little smarter than others, but but, you know, it’s distributed through the economy. You know, no matter how smart you are, you can’t run a whole fortune 500 corporation. So you delegate stuff, and the whole economy has all these delegated decisions to all these different brains. But with capital, you can concentrate it much more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:28:57:15 – 00:29:19:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And empirically, you know, the income from capital is much more concentrated in a small fraction of the people. So, you know, we were saying earlier that economic power begets political power. So that’s something I worry about. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>I mean, what would that world even look like? You know, I’ve looked at some other countries that have labor share that’s like much lower.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:29:19:10 – 00:29:39:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yeah, labor share of income is much lower. And it’s not a good set of countries. They’re like resource cursed countries that Saudi Arabia, it’s like mineral mining countries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Exactly, And you get these like gated communities and these people who have a lot of wealth. I was talking to somebody from a Latin American country. She’s very wealthy. And she said, you know, all the wealthy people in my country are in prisons.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:29:39:00 – 00:29:46:22\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And like, what do you mean they’re in prison? She said, well, the prison of our own construction, like we can’t go outside of our houses when we ever. I get into a car, I have like guards on either side of me\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:29:47:00 – 00:30:08:11\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s like one of those dystopian science fiction movies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Yeah. What? What interventions could we at least start to prepare for now, economically? And obviously there’s a whole suite of politics and, you know, who we elect and how we organize ourselves as a city. But just thinking about economic policy, what what are what would be some smart things to start thinking about right now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:30:08:12 – 00:30:31:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>So I think we have some levers to push back against this, and that’s why I care about it. So I did write this paper, The Turing Trap, about how it’s a trap to have AI that just replaces and imitates humans. So a couple of things we can push back on. First off, there’s a lot of economic incentives right now that I think mistakenly steer us towards favoring capital over labor, like in the United States and most countries for that matter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:30:31:13 – 00:30:55:00\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Tax policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Tax policy is much, you know, capitalist taxed much cheaper than labor. So you have two brilliant entrepreneurs, you know, one of which says, I’m going to make a $100 billion company with thousands of employees. And the other ones, I’m going to make $100 billion company with like no employees, but lots of robots. Yeah. The US government says, oh, the first person you know, Alice, you’re going to have to like, pay a lot more taxes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:30:55:00 – 00:31:11:06\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your whole organization is going to pay a lot more taxes. And the second one is going to pay less. And, you know, the first rule of taxation is like, whatever you tax more, you get less of. So we’re basically putting our thumb on the scale, saying we’re going to get more capital intensive and less labor intensive. Like for most of history, maybe that didn’t matter that much.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:31:11:06 – 00:31:34:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It wasn’t that much leverage to to do things different ways. Now we really have the potential and there’s a lot of other tax things you can do. My friend Darren Asamoah, who has written a lot about this Pascual Restrepo. So those are some things that we can do. Like, you know, they’re a really hard core. I’m an economist, but I’ve come to think that actually culture and the way people think about it is more important than the like hard dollars.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:31:34:02 – 00:31:59:13\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So here in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, I run into a lot of people who have this mindset that like the goal of AI is to replace humans, and that’s just wrong, I think. And when they all the benchmarks that you see being published, almost all of them are geared towards like, how well can this machine by itself do the task with Andy Hopped and we’ve developed a new set of benchmarks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:31:59:13 – 00:32:18:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We call them Centaur benchmarks, sort of like part human, part machine. And the the idea is to say, hey guys, think about not how well a machine by itself can do it, but how can a human and machine together do it? And in many cases, in most cases, the human machine can do better than the machine by itself or the human by itself, but it requires a different architecture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:32:18:20 – 00:32:41:15\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You know, Doug Engelbart years ago, you know, talked about how we should make machines that amplify humans. Steve Jobs called it bicycles for the mind, and that that philosophy has kind of been lost out a little bit. I want to revive it more. And if we design machines more to to augment humans and to complement what we’re doing, we’re likely to keep people in the loop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:32:41:15 – 00:32:48:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And ultimately, I think that’s going to not just be fairer. I think it’s going to create a lot more value than trying to get the machine to do everything by itself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:32:48:20 – 00:33:23:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Robin: \u003c/strong>Eric, talking about your your early apprehension of the curve we were in and kind of the trajectory of AI, let’s talk situational awareness for people on the ground level. So outside of OpenAI headquarters here in San Francisco, imagine you’re somebody who works at one of the Kaiser hospitals. Great day to day job. How are you going to know that it really is taking off, that you’re inside this exponential, and that this prediction of of a transformational AI era happening pretty fast rather than predictably slow is true.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:33:23:20 – 00:33:44:12\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like day to day, week to week. What what should I be watching for? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong>Well, you can come to the AI economic indicators and we’ll have we’ll have a monthly update of all those metrics. You know, I’m not I’m not joking about that because I just see so many anecdotes and stories. And honestly, it’s a little frustrating because, you know, every month there’s hundreds of thousands of jobs destroyed, hundreds of thousands created.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:33:44:12 – 00:34:01:02\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re a reporter with an angle, you can you can definitely find anecdotes that support your story. And you’ll have some men in the street who tells you what you know, what the people. And I’ve been reading those and I just don’t know how to aggregate them. So, you know, I’m a data person. I’m a statistician. I’m an economist.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:34:01:02 – 00:34:21:14\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So so, you know, getting the stuff aggregated, I think is the way to do it. The problem is that most of our indicators are kind of lagging indicators. And we need more so forward looking leading indicators. And we’re trying to invest in creating those. But but I think that that’s my answer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexis: \u003c/strong>Promise me when the day comes that you’re like, oh, you’re just going to put it all in one big blink tech.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:34:21:16 – 00:34:42:09\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unknown\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yeah. It’s just like a little siren. Yeah, yeah.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Erik: \u003c/strong> Well, we do actually have these color coded like the transformation tracker. We’ve got like the 12 different metrics, and we color code them by like which ones are moving in the direction. Right now only two of the 12 are moving in that direction. You know, above a significant level. They’re all kind of moving a little bit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:34:42:12 – 00:35:02:19\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So yeah, we can we can you can take a look at that. I just want is it happening dot Stanford. Yes. All right. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You give me an idea, we’ll put a little sign up sheet that like if you want, we’ll send you a text message. You know, it’ll be like all 12 indicators. 459 on Thursday. Okay. We were officially hitting the singularity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:35:02:21 – 00:35:16:18\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Okay. Until then, yes, until next Thursday. Yeah. Thank you so much. Thanks for your time. Such a pleasure. Yeah. Wonderful.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>00:35:16:20 – 00:35:20:20\u003c/p>\n\n\n\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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"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
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"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
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"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
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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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