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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/healthnews\">Health\u003c/a> officials in San Francisco say the city now has its \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-department-of-public-health-confirms-first-clade-i-mpox-case-in-san-francisco\">first\u003c/a> case of a newer, potentially more severe mpox strain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This variant of mpox — the disease formerly called monkeypox — is known as clade I, and has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/outbreaks/2023/index.html\">circulating in eastern and central Africa since 2023\u003c/a>, where it’s caused more than 53,000 cases among children and adults and at least 200 deaths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The disease usually spreads through close skin-to-skin contact, including sex.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, the San Francisco Department of Public Health announced that the city’s first clade I mpox case had been confirmed in a resident earlier this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The patient, who had not received the mpox vaccine, was hospitalized and is improving, according to SFPDH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency said that this clade I mpox patient had reported close contact with another person who had traveled internationally.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A more potentially severe strain\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that until now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/outbreaks/2023/index.html\">15 cases of clade I mpox \u003c/a>have been detected in the U.S. since late 2024. Over a quarter of these cases were diagnosed in March 2026 alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the CDC, all U.S. cases of clade I mpox — which are not linked — were in people who had either recently traveled to areas associated with the outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa or parts of Western Europe with more recent outbreaks, or, like the San Francisco case, were linked to travel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11988132\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988132\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1315\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743-800x548.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743-1020x699.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743-1536x1052.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A pharmacist prepares a dose of the Jynneos mpox vaccine at a pop-up vaccination clinic opened by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health at the West Hollywood Library on Aug. 3, 2022, in West Hollywood, California. \u003ccite>(Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Whatarethesymptomsofmpox\">What are the symptoms of mpox?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>\u003ca href=\"#WhoseligibleforanmpoxvaccineintheBayArea\">Who’s eligible for an mpox vaccine in the Bay Area?\u003c/a>\u003c/b>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In other parts of the world, clade I has proven a more severe strain of mpox compared to the clade II strain that caused an outbreak\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919070/monkeypox-in-the-bay-area-from-symptoms-to-how-to-find-a-vaccine-heres-what-we-know\"> in the Bay Area in 2022\u003c/a>, and that’s still circulating at low levels. But SFDPH said officials are still determining whether clade I mpox causes more severe disease than clade II mpox in the U.S., and stress that the risk of exposure to mpox “is low for individuals who are not in higher‑risk groups.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While anyone can get mpox, most reported cases in the United States are among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, as well as transgender persons who have sex with men,” the agency said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11921529\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11921529\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"People lined up to get the monkeypox vaccine.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds of people wait in a walk-in line for an mpox vaccine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mpox/vaccines/index.html\">A two-dose vaccine\u003c/a>, which offers protection against both clade I and clade II, remains available for eligible people at higher risk of infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This development reminds us just how important it is to be fully vaccinated against mpox if you are at risk,” said Dr. Susan Philip, San Francisco health officer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With summer travel and events quickly approaching, now is a great time to seek the mpox vaccine,” Philip said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what we know about this new Bay Area case of clade I mpox, how mpox spreads, what symptoms to be aware of and who should get an mpox vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What is clade I mpox, and where has it spread?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The mpox virus spreads through close contact with someone who is infected and causes mpox disease. As the name might suggest, the virus is related to the smallpox virus, but it’s generally less severe and much less contagious than smallpox, according to the California Department of Public Health. In addition to fever, chills, headache and muscle pain, mpox can cause a painful rash — also known as lesions — that appears on many parts of the body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, the World Health Organization declared a clade I \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988079/2024-mpox-vaccine-formerly-monkeypox-symptoms-rash\">mpox\u003c/a> outbreak that began in late 2023 in eastern and central Africa \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12000319/mpox-is-declared-a-global-emergency-again-heres-what-to-know\">a global emergency\u003c/a>. Historically, this strain has caused more severe illness and higher fatality rates than the other type of mpox, clade II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11939831\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11939831\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1.jpg\" alt=\"a man in a blue shirt wearing a mask receives a vaccine shot from a nurse with black hair in a dark blue shirt\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fresno resident Gonzalo Garcia receives the mpox vaccine on Aug. 24, 2022. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Since Jan. 1, 2024, more than 53,000 clade I mpox cases and more than 200 deaths have been confirmed in several countries throughout Central and Eastern Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (which was originally the epicenter of the outbreak), Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since March 2025, over 30 countries have reported over 37,000 cases of the strain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first clade I mpox case outside the African continent \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/mpox-sweden-congo-9923d0ee8deb362b2af5416bb273d629\">was detected in Sweden\u003c/a> in August 2024. In November of that year, the first U.S. clade I mpox case was confirmed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12014961/the-first-us-clade-i-mpox-case-has-been-found-in-the-bay-area-heres-what-to-know\">in a Bay Area resident\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How is clade I different from the clade II mpox that hit the Bay Area in 2022?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919070/monkeypox-in-the-bay-area-from-symptoms-to-how-to-find-a-vaccine-heres-what-we-know\">The 2022 mpox outbreak in the United States \u003c/a>— which particularly affected gay and bisexual men, as well as trans and nonbinary people who have sex with men — was caused by clade II mpox, the less severe strain. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12000319/mpox-is-declared-a-global-emergency-again-heres-what-to-know#mpox-wastewater\">Read more about the 2022 outbreak.\u003c/a>[aside postID=news_12074909 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/PandaExpressRestaurantSignGetty.jpg']Wastewater \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CjEQASABSABSBmU5ZTg3ZVIGMzc0MzBhWgpNUFhWX0cyUl9HeIkBigEGOTY3NzIwwAEB&selectedChartId=967720\">data\u003c/a> shows that four years after the initial 2022 outbreak, clade II of mpox is still occasionally detected in the Bay Area’s wastewater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the CDPH, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Mpox-Data.aspx\">San Francisco\u003c/a> has seen over 1,000 cases of clade II mpox since the 2022 outbreak, but the state’s most recent data shows the average of new cases has dropped to under two people a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clade I cases in Central and Eastern African countries “at first spread through heterosexual intimate or sexual contact between adults, then spread likely occurred within households, including to children,” the CDC said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the agency notes that while the first cases outside that continent were primarily linked to travel to Central and Eastern African countries, as of late 2025 central Western European countries began reporting clade I mpox cases “among individuals who had no documented history of international travel” — cases which the CDC concludes were “likely related to intimate or sexual exposure among men who have sex with men.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC now “expect[s] additional cases” of clade I in Europe and the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Whatarethesymptomsofmpox\">\u003c/a>What are the symptoms of mpox, and how does it spread?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The mpox virus spreads through close — usually skin-to-skin — contact with someone who is infected. This could be direct contact with the infectious rashes or scabs someone with mpox develops, scabs, having intimate physical contact with someone who has mpox, such as kissing, cuddling or sex. Coming into contact with infected bodily fluids or items that have been touched by rashes or fluids from an infected person can also expose you to the virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The symptoms of clade I and clade II mpox are similar, SFDPH’s Janssen said, and they can often start as flu-like conditions, which is worth bearing in mind as the Bay Area enters respiratory virus season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mpox virus also appears as a rash or sores or spots that can resemble pimples or blisters on the skin anywhere on the body, including the face, inside the mouth, hands, feet, chest, genitals and anus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12014828\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12014828\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/AP24321658476826-scaled-e1776375452652.jpg\" alt=\"Blobs of brown with white and greenish smaller dots in the background.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This colorized electron microscope image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2024 shows Mpox virus particles, orange, found within infected cells, green. \u003ccite>(NIAID via AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These spots often start as red, flat spots that then become bumps before the bumps become filled with pus and turn into scabs when they break. These symptoms can be extremely painful. If you’re unsure about recognizing an mpox rash, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/signs-symptoms/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/symptoms/index.html\">the CDC has a photo guide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/signs-symptoms/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/symptoms/index.html\">Mpox can have a long incubation period\u003c/a> — that is, the time between when you’re exposed to mpox and when you start to develop symptoms — that can range from three to 17 days, according to the CDC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you suspect you might have mpox symptoms — even if they’re subtle — see your health care provider right away or \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-medicine\">consult one of SFPDH’s clinics for mpox testing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WhoseligibleforanmpoxvaccineintheBayArea\">\u003c/a>Who’s eligible for an mpox vaccine in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The vaccine currently available in the U.S. (brand name: Jynneos) is a two-dose series, with roughly a month between doses. Maximal immunity will build two weeks after your second dose. If you only got one dose previously, go ahead and seek out your second dose ASAP.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vaccine “provides the best protection against the mpox virus and protects against both clade I and clade II,” according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-department-of-public-health-confirms-first-clade-i-mpox-case-in-san-francisco\">a statement \u003c/a>from the SFDPH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC recommends the two-dose mpox vaccine to gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, as well as transgender, nonbinary or gender-diverse people who in the past 6 months have had:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>More than one sexual partner and/or\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted infections.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CDC’s vaccine recommendations also include anyone who has had sex at a commercial sex venue like a sex club or bathhouse. See the\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mpox/vaccines/index.html\"> CDC’s full mpox vaccine eligibility recommendations.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11921194\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11921194\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A long line of men wait in line in front of a Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds of people wait in a walk-in line for a the mpox vaccine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Aug. 1, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-treatment\">San Francisco additionally recommends vaccination\u003c/a> for anyone living with HIV, anyone taking PrEP or who’s eligible to take it and sex workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, the CDC updated its vaccination recommendations to extend to people traveling to countries \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/outbreaks/2023/index.html\">with clade I outbreaks\u003c/a>. The agency recommends getting both doses of the vaccine “if you anticipate experiencing any of the following” while traveling to these countries:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Sex with a new partner\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Sex at a commercial sex venue, such as a sex club or bathhouse\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Sex in exchange for money, goods, drugs or other trade\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Sex in association with a large public event, such as a rave, party or festival.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The mpox vaccine was also originally only available for people aged 18 and older, but in 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency-use authorization that allows providers to also give the vaccine to young people aged under 18 who are “determined to be at high risk” of infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where can I find an mpox vaccine?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you have a regular health care provider, SFDPH recommends you ask them first about getting the mpox vaccine. Your vaccine will be free, but you may be charged a regular copay for seeing your provider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re eligible for the vaccine, your health insurance should cover the costs thanks to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mpox/vaccines/index.html\">the CDC’s recommendations\u003c/a>. If you don’t have a regular health care provider or insurance, SFDPH said you can visit one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-treatment\">these three recommended clinics in the city\u003c/a>. You can opt to schedule an appointment or choose a walk-in clinic, depending on what works best for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(As with the COVID-19 vaccine, receiving an mpox vaccine won’t make you \u003ca href=\"https://documentedny.com/2021/04/04/public-charge-rule-explained/\">a public charge\u003c/a> or affect any future immigration processes you may enter into, and you won’t be asked about your immigration status to receive the mpox vaccine.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>If you live in or near San Francisco:\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>See \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-treatment\">a full list of mpox vaccine sites near you in San Francisco\u003c/a>. SFDPH confirms that you don’t have to be a city resident to get vaccinated for mpox in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also find an mpox vaccine clinic near you using \u003ca href=\"https://myturn.ca.gov/\">the state’s myturn.ca.gov site.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Getting an mpox vaccine at a pharmacy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some pharmacies offer mpox vaccination appointments online, along with other vaccines like COVID-19 and flu. But if you choose this route, you’ll be asked for insurance details — and it’s important to verify with your insurer ahead of time that they’ll cover the cost of an mpox vaccine at a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens, as the out-of-pocket costs you’ll be quoted may be steep. If you find your insurance doesn’t fully cover the cost, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-treatment\">SFDPH said you can seek your vaccine at one of their clinics, while supplies last.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12021632\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12021632\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Department of Public Health on Feb. 6, 2014. \u003ccite>(Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you get your health care through a health system like Kaiser Permanente, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get your mpox vaccine covered by insurance at a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens — the way you can’t get your COVID-19 or flu shot covered by Kaiser at a pharmacy either — and may have to seek it directly from a Kaiser provider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re able to make an appointment online at a pharmacy for your mpox vaccine, you should consider calling that location ahead of time to verify that they do indeed have supplies in stock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story includes reporting from KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ccabreralomeli\">\u003cem>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nkhan\">\u003cem>Nisa Khan\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The case, detected in San Francisco, is the 16th in the U.S. so far of the newer, potentially more severe strain. ",
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"title": "San Francisco Reports Its First Clade I Mpox Case — What to Know and How to Find a Vaccine | KQED",
"description": "The case, detected in San Francisco, is the 16th in the U.S. so far of the newer, potentially more severe strain. ",
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"headline": "San Francisco Reports Its First Clade I Mpox Case — What to Know and How to Find a Vaccine",
"datePublished": "2026-04-17T14:22:45-07:00",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/healthnews\">Health\u003c/a> officials in San Francisco say the city now has its \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-department-of-public-health-confirms-first-clade-i-mpox-case-in-san-francisco\">first\u003c/a> case of a newer, potentially more severe mpox strain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This variant of mpox — the disease formerly called monkeypox — is known as clade I, and has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/outbreaks/2023/index.html\">circulating in eastern and central Africa since 2023\u003c/a>, where it’s caused more than 53,000 cases among children and adults and at least 200 deaths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The disease usually spreads through close skin-to-skin contact, including sex.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, the San Francisco Department of Public Health announced that the city’s first clade I mpox case had been confirmed in a resident earlier this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The patient, who had not received the mpox vaccine, was hospitalized and is improving, according to SFPDH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency said that this clade I mpox patient had reported close contact with another person who had traveled internationally.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A more potentially severe strain\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that until now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/outbreaks/2023/index.html\">15 cases of clade I mpox \u003c/a>have been detected in the U.S. since late 2024. Over a quarter of these cases were diagnosed in March 2026 alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the CDC, all U.S. cases of clade I mpox — which are not linked — were in people who had either recently traveled to areas associated with the outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa or parts of Western Europe with more recent outbreaks, or, like the San Francisco case, were linked to travel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11988132\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988132\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1315\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743-800x548.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743-1020x699.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1412778743-1536x1052.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A pharmacist prepares a dose of the Jynneos mpox vaccine at a pop-up vaccination clinic opened by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health at the West Hollywood Library on Aug. 3, 2022, in West Hollywood, California. \u003ccite>(Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Whatarethesymptomsofmpox\">What are the symptoms of mpox?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cb>\u003ca href=\"#WhoseligibleforanmpoxvaccineintheBayArea\">Who’s eligible for an mpox vaccine in the Bay Area?\u003c/a>\u003c/b>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In other parts of the world, clade I has proven a more severe strain of mpox compared to the clade II strain that caused an outbreak\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919070/monkeypox-in-the-bay-area-from-symptoms-to-how-to-find-a-vaccine-heres-what-we-know\"> in the Bay Area in 2022\u003c/a>, and that’s still circulating at low levels. But SFDPH said officials are still determining whether clade I mpox causes more severe disease than clade II mpox in the U.S., and stress that the risk of exposure to mpox “is low for individuals who are not in higher‑risk groups.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While anyone can get mpox, most reported cases in the United States are among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, as well as transgender persons who have sex with men,” the agency said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11921529\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11921529\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"People lined up to get the monkeypox vaccine.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57502_007_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds of people wait in a walk-in line for an mpox vaccine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mpox/vaccines/index.html\">A two-dose vaccine\u003c/a>, which offers protection against both clade I and clade II, remains available for eligible people at higher risk of infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This development reminds us just how important it is to be fully vaccinated against mpox if you are at risk,” said Dr. Susan Philip, San Francisco health officer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With summer travel and events quickly approaching, now is a great time to seek the mpox vaccine,” Philip said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what we know about this new Bay Area case of clade I mpox, how mpox spreads, what symptoms to be aware of and who should get an mpox vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What is clade I mpox, and where has it spread?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The mpox virus spreads through close contact with someone who is infected and causes mpox disease. As the name might suggest, the virus is related to the smallpox virus, but it’s generally less severe and much less contagious than smallpox, according to the California Department of Public Health. In addition to fever, chills, headache and muscle pain, mpox can cause a painful rash — also known as lesions — that appears on many parts of the body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, the World Health Organization declared a clade I \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988079/2024-mpox-vaccine-formerly-monkeypox-symptoms-rash\">mpox\u003c/a> outbreak that began in late 2023 in eastern and central Africa \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12000319/mpox-is-declared-a-global-emergency-again-heres-what-to-know\">a global emergency\u003c/a>. Historically, this strain has caused more severe illness and higher fatality rates than the other type of mpox, clade II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11939831\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11939831\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1.jpg\" alt=\"a man in a blue shirt wearing a mask receives a vaccine shot from a nurse with black hair in a dark blue shirt\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/082422_MonkeyPoxClinicFresno_LV__012-CM-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fresno resident Gonzalo Garcia receives the mpox vaccine on Aug. 24, 2022. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Since Jan. 1, 2024, more than 53,000 clade I mpox cases and more than 200 deaths have been confirmed in several countries throughout Central and Eastern Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (which was originally the epicenter of the outbreak), Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since March 2025, over 30 countries have reported over 37,000 cases of the strain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first clade I mpox case outside the African continent \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/mpox-sweden-congo-9923d0ee8deb362b2af5416bb273d629\">was detected in Sweden\u003c/a> in August 2024. In November of that year, the first U.S. clade I mpox case was confirmed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12014961/the-first-us-clade-i-mpox-case-has-been-found-in-the-bay-area-heres-what-to-know\">in a Bay Area resident\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How is clade I different from the clade II mpox that hit the Bay Area in 2022?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11919070/monkeypox-in-the-bay-area-from-symptoms-to-how-to-find-a-vaccine-heres-what-we-know\">The 2022 mpox outbreak in the United States \u003c/a>— which particularly affected gay and bisexual men, as well as trans and nonbinary people who have sex with men — was caused by clade II mpox, the less severe strain. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12000319/mpox-is-declared-a-global-emergency-again-heres-what-to-know#mpox-wastewater\">Read more about the 2022 outbreak.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Wastewater \u003ca href=\"https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/?charts=CjEQASABSABSBmU5ZTg3ZVIGMzc0MzBhWgpNUFhWX0cyUl9HeIkBigEGOTY3NzIwwAEB&selectedChartId=967720\">data\u003c/a> shows that four years after the initial 2022 outbreak, clade II of mpox is still occasionally detected in the Bay Area’s wastewater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the CDPH, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Mpox-Data.aspx\">San Francisco\u003c/a> has seen over 1,000 cases of clade II mpox since the 2022 outbreak, but the state’s most recent data shows the average of new cases has dropped to under two people a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clade I cases in Central and Eastern African countries “at first spread through heterosexual intimate or sexual contact between adults, then spread likely occurred within households, including to children,” the CDC said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the agency notes that while the first cases outside that continent were primarily linked to travel to Central and Eastern African countries, as of late 2025 central Western European countries began reporting clade I mpox cases “among individuals who had no documented history of international travel” — cases which the CDC concludes were “likely related to intimate or sexual exposure among men who have sex with men.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC now “expect[s] additional cases” of clade I in Europe and the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Whatarethesymptomsofmpox\">\u003c/a>What are the symptoms of mpox, and how does it spread?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The mpox virus spreads through close — usually skin-to-skin — contact with someone who is infected. This could be direct contact with the infectious rashes or scabs someone with mpox develops, scabs, having intimate physical contact with someone who has mpox, such as kissing, cuddling or sex. Coming into contact with infected bodily fluids or items that have been touched by rashes or fluids from an infected person can also expose you to the virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The symptoms of clade I and clade II mpox are similar, SFDPH’s Janssen said, and they can often start as flu-like conditions, which is worth bearing in mind as the Bay Area enters respiratory virus season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mpox virus also appears as a rash or sores or spots that can resemble pimples or blisters on the skin anywhere on the body, including the face, inside the mouth, hands, feet, chest, genitals and anus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12014828\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12014828\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/AP24321658476826-scaled-e1776375452652.jpg\" alt=\"Blobs of brown with white and greenish smaller dots in the background.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This colorized electron microscope image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2024 shows Mpox virus particles, orange, found within infected cells, green. \u003ccite>(NIAID via AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These spots often start as red, flat spots that then become bumps before the bumps become filled with pus and turn into scabs when they break. These symptoms can be extremely painful. If you’re unsure about recognizing an mpox rash, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/signs-symptoms/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/symptoms/index.html\">the CDC has a photo guide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/signs-symptoms/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/symptoms/index.html\">Mpox can have a long incubation period\u003c/a> — that is, the time between when you’re exposed to mpox and when you start to develop symptoms — that can range from three to 17 days, according to the CDC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you suspect you might have mpox symptoms — even if they’re subtle — see your health care provider right away or \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-medicine\">consult one of SFPDH’s clinics for mpox testing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WhoseligibleforanmpoxvaccineintheBayArea\">\u003c/a>Who’s eligible for an mpox vaccine in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The vaccine currently available in the U.S. (brand name: Jynneos) is a two-dose series, with roughly a month between doses. Maximal immunity will build two weeks after your second dose. If you only got one dose previously, go ahead and seek out your second dose ASAP.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vaccine “provides the best protection against the mpox virus and protects against both clade I and clade II,” according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-san-francisco-department-of-public-health-confirms-first-clade-i-mpox-case-in-san-francisco\">a statement \u003c/a>from the SFDPH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC recommends the two-dose mpox vaccine to gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, as well as transgender, nonbinary or gender-diverse people who in the past 6 months have had:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>More than one sexual partner and/or\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted infections.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CDC’s vaccine recommendations also include anyone who has had sex at a commercial sex venue like a sex club or bathhouse. See the\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mpox/vaccines/index.html\"> CDC’s full mpox vaccine eligibility recommendations.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11921194\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11921194\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A long line of men wait in line in front of a Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/RS57498_005_KQED_MonkeypoxVaccineLineSFGen_08012022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds of people wait in a walk-in line for a the mpox vaccine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Aug. 1, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-treatment\">San Francisco additionally recommends vaccination\u003c/a> for anyone living with HIV, anyone taking PrEP or who’s eligible to take it and sex workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, the CDC updated its vaccination recommendations to extend to people traveling to countries \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/monkeypox/outbreaks/2023/index.html\">with clade I outbreaks\u003c/a>. The agency recommends getting both doses of the vaccine “if you anticipate experiencing any of the following” while traveling to these countries:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Sex with a new partner\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Sex at a commercial sex venue, such as a sex club or bathhouse\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Sex in exchange for money, goods, drugs or other trade\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Sex in association with a large public event, such as a rave, party or festival.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The mpox vaccine was also originally only available for people aged 18 and older, but in 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency-use authorization that allows providers to also give the vaccine to young people aged under 18 who are “determined to be at high risk” of infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where can I find an mpox vaccine?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you have a regular health care provider, SFDPH recommends you ask them first about getting the mpox vaccine. Your vaccine will be free, but you may be charged a regular copay for seeing your provider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re eligible for the vaccine, your health insurance should cover the costs thanks to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mpox/vaccines/index.html\">the CDC’s recommendations\u003c/a>. If you don’t have a regular health care provider or insurance, SFDPH said you can visit one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-treatment\">these three recommended clinics in the city\u003c/a>. You can opt to schedule an appointment or choose a walk-in clinic, depending on what works best for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(As with the COVID-19 vaccine, receiving an mpox vaccine won’t make you \u003ca href=\"https://documentedny.com/2021/04/04/public-charge-rule-explained/\">a public charge\u003c/a> or affect any future immigration processes you may enter into, and you won’t be asked about your immigration status to receive the mpox vaccine.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>If you live in or near San Francisco:\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>See \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-treatment\">a full list of mpox vaccine sites near you in San Francisco\u003c/a>. SFDPH confirms that you don’t have to be a city resident to get vaccinated for mpox in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can also find an mpox vaccine clinic near you using \u003ca href=\"https://myturn.ca.gov/\">the state’s myturn.ca.gov site.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Getting an mpox vaccine at a pharmacy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some pharmacies offer mpox vaccination appointments online, along with other vaccines like COVID-19 and flu. But if you choose this route, you’ll be asked for insurance details — and it’s important to verify with your insurer ahead of time that they’ll cover the cost of an mpox vaccine at a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens, as the out-of-pocket costs you’ll be quoted may be steep. If you find your insurance doesn’t fully cover the cost, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/get-mpox-vaccines-testing-and-treatment\">SFDPH said you can seek your vaccine at one of their clinics, while supplies last.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12021632\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12021632\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/SFDepartmentPublicHealth-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Department of Public Health on Feb. 6, 2014. \u003ccite>(Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you get your health care through a health system like Kaiser Permanente, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get your mpox vaccine covered by insurance at a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens — the way you can’t get your COVID-19 or flu shot covered by Kaiser at a pharmacy either — and may have to seek it directly from a Kaiser provider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re able to make an appointment online at a pharmacy for your mpox vaccine, you should consider calling that location ahead of time to verify that they do indeed have supplies in stock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story includes reporting from KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ccabreralomeli\">\u003cem>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/nkhan\">\u003cem>Nisa Khan\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "want-to-save-on-groceries-you-can-grow-your-own-garden",
"title": "Want to Save on Groceries? You Can Grow Your Own Garden",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem> \u003cstrong>How We Get By\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem> full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’ve been feeling the sticker shock of grocery prices these days, it’s not just you. The cost of food at Bay Area grocery stores went up by almost 6% in the last year alone, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/consumerpriceindex_sanfrancisco.htm\">according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scouring the shelves for deals, buying off-brand or purchasing items in bulk are some options for reducing your food bills. But here in the Bay Area, with our year-round good weather, you could consider growing your own food — even if you’ve never done it before, or don’t have a big yard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So how can you get started growing your own garden, and what could you grow here in the Bay Area that might help reduce your grocery bill? We talked to the experts for their top tips and practical information for starting your own garden, no matter how small.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#ThreesimplefoodstogrowhereintheBayArea\">Three simple foods to grow here in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Thebeginnermistakeseveryonemakesthatyoucanavoid\">The beginner mistakes everyone makes (that you can avoid)\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Why grow your own garden?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Take it from the experts: Growing your own food at home isn’t just beneficial to your wallet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Almost as important as saving money on your food is, what you grow is likely to be healthier,” said Maggie Mah, one of the University of California’s Master Gardeners who specialize in helping people grow their own food here in the Bay Area and nationwide. The food you grow is “going to be fresher,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080116\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080116\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maggie Mah, Marketing & Media Co-Chair and UC Master Gardener, stands beside her car with trays of tomato plants at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can also have greater control over the food itself, she said, by growing a pesticide-free garden and producing the fruits and veggies you know you’ll eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But on top of that is really the sense of being empowered,” Mah said. “I find that it’s just great to be able to go out and pick big handfuls of green beans that I grew myself, or tomatoes or whatever it is.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a sense of reclaiming yourself in this day and age,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Start small\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The first thing you should do, Mah said, is assess how much space you have and let that determine your gardening potential — and your path forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And don’t worry: You don’t need all that much space. All it takes is \u003cem>some \u003c/em>access to the outdoors, even if that’s just a windowsill or railing which can hold a pot big enough for basics like herbs, some lettuce, tomatoes or even potatoes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, advised Mah, decide what you want to grow. If your square footage is small, consider plants that produce a lot of fruits or veggies relative to their size — like tomatoes, rather than a space-intensive plant like a watermelon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080118\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080118\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Helen Lew removes deep-rooted weeds while seated in a demonstration garden at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And if you’re really pressed for space, remember you can always utilize vertical space for crops like pole beans or squash. You could even try \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/blog/hort-coco-uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa/article/companion-planting-vegetable-garden\">inter-cropping or companion planting,\u003c/a> which is pairing similar plants to make the most of your space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Start small, and then as you build success and you build learning about your particular location and what works and what doesn’t work, you can really build upon that,” Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plants like tomatoes or broccoli thrive \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/container-gardening-basics\">even in somewhat small pots or buckets\u003c/a>. And lettuces need just a few inches of soil. Arugula in particular is a very quick, easy and nutritious crop, Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You throw the seeds in the ground and a couple of days later, you’ve got arugula — and you can keep on harvesting it,” Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Assess conditions\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While you can work with different space limitations, one nonnegotiable when it comes to growing your own food is consistent access to sun, Mah said. “It takes six to eight hours of sun to be successful growing pretty much anything,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, “you don’t want to plant something that’s going to take a bunch of months to be able to harvest,” Mah said — so you’ll want to look for varieties that mature quickly, and that might depend on exactly where you’re located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080117\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080117\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Robeson tomato seedlings grow among dozens of varieties cultivated at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can find that information on the seed packet itself — but be aware that how quickly your food will grow is entirely location-dependent. And the Bay Area’s fog and microclimates, which can create dramatically different temperatures just a few miles away, can heavily influence a plant’s timeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before choosing a plant, you should also consult a \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mgsmsf/edible-gardening-and-planting-calendars\">planting calendar\u003c/a>, Mah said, and make sure you’re planting something that can grow at this time of year. The calendars are \u003ca href=\"https://ecologycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/seed_chart.pdf\">location-specific\u003c/a> and often available where seeds and plants are sold or lent, so be sure you’re looking at information for your specific geographic region.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Prep your soil\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Once you’ve decided on a plant, make sure your soil is prepared. You can get soil and — more importantly — compost from many different sources. \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/ucce-master-gardeners-stanislaus-county/composting-basics\">Compost is decomposed organic material\u003c/a> that helps add nutrients to your soil and boosts its health, and as a result, boosts the growth potential for your plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For one, you can get free compost via giveaway programs like the one for Berkeley residents \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/city-services/trash-recycling/free-compost-program\">at the Berkeley Marina.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eddie Mendoza, who works at the marina, said the compost is usually delivered on Fridays from the Central Valley and that the supply lasts through the weekend. They sometimes also have \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/program/uc-master-gardener-program/mulch\">woodchips and mulch\u003c/a> available, which can also boost the health of your soil or help with drainage, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12080270 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1262\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr-1536x969.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Velveteen Bean produces and sells small-batch compost and teaches people how to build and maintain their own compost piles. \u003ccite>(Brian Hicks/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But you have to bring your own tools to the marina — Mendoza suggested you pack a shovel and a few buckets — and it’s best to get there early, especially during peak weekends during the summer, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By Monday morning, it’s all gone,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can even make your own compost pile, although Mah warned it might take a few months if starting from scratch. It’s easier than many people imagine, said Maggie Owsley, whose East Bay group \u003ca href=\"https://www.thevelveteenbean.com/\">The Velveteen Bean\u003c/a> produces and sells small-batch compost and teaches people how to build and maintain their own compost piles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a myth that you need a huge bag of compost to start seeds, to start a garden,” Owsley said. “You actually can do a lot with what you’re making at home or what your neighbors are making.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Decide whether you’ll choose seeds or plants — and get to know your local resources\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seeds are the least expensive option when it comes to starting your garden — but be aware that where they lack in cost, they more than make up in time. So only go the seed route if you’re not in a hurry to harvest, said Odette Pollar, executive director of the East Bay-based Plant Exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you have the time, “seeds are always the easiest, the least expensive way to go,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While you can purchase seeds at a garden store, you could also head to your local seed lending library for free seeds, where you’ll be highly encouraged to then harvest seeds from whatever resulting plant you grow and donate them back to the library (more on this below). The San Francisco Public Library system maintains a \u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/locations/potrero/potrero-branch-seed-lending-library\">Seed Lending Library at its Potrero Branch\u003c/a>, as does the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.org/seed-lending/\">Oakland Public Library\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://smcl.org/blogs/post/san-mateo-county-libraries-has-seed-libraries/\">many Peninsula libraries\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080123\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080123\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anne Blenman Hare, a UC Master Gardener since 2003, trims tomato plant stems at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Berkeley Ecology Center, too, now hosts the \u003ca href=\"https://ecologycenter.org/basil/\">Bay Area Seed Interchange Library\u003c/a>, which is open Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. and also does periodic seed exchange events, where participants can come learn about seed saving and shop for free seeds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really cool to see these little things go in the dirt and you think, oh, this is never going to happen,” Mah said. “Then, all of a sudden, ‘boom.’ It’s really fun.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is one advantage to starting with a plant: “You know they were alive when you brought them home,” Pollar said. You can get plants for relatively cheap at nurseries or at large stores like Home Depot.[aside postID=news_12040961 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/GettyImages-1312721999-1020x680.jpg']You can also find free (albeit mostly non-edible) plants at places like \u003ca href=\"https://theplantexchange.com/\">The Plant Exchange\u003c/a>, along with the pots to grow them in. While this East Bay group isn’t fully operational anymore since executive director Pollar retired in 2023, the group still promotes grassroots exchanges, cohosts events with other organizations and throws one-day plant sale events every few months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At sales like these, you can find an abundance of tools like rakes and shovels, soil, decorative rocks and pots — and they’re all priced to sell, Pollar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our goal is for all neighborhoods to have exchanges,” Pollar said. “Just do it — throw it in your driveway. It’s a great way to get to know neighbors, but also to reuse and recycle and rehome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollar also suggested scouring thrift stores, secondhand stores and online forums like Craigslist for free or low-cost gardening supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the most effective way to lower your overall food costs at home, Pollar said, is to start growing plants like herbs that take up relatively little space but tend to be expensive at the grocery store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And from there, you can graduate from herbs to experimenting with slightly bigger plants like tomatoes, and even dwarf citrus fruit trees in pots.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lean on community\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The absolutely best free resource you’ll find, Pollar said, is people with experience in gardening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You might find them at your local nursery or garden store, or even at your local gardening club, where Pollar suggested you can meet people with experience and get your questions answered immediately. “And then that keeps \u003cem>you \u003c/em>motivated as well,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You could also source expertise from your neighbors or your local \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040961/in-the-bay-area-community-gardens-can-help-you-make-the-most-of-spring\">community garden\u003c/a>, Owsley said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080122\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080122\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Susan Patton-Fox and Kathy Fleming trim tomato plant stems among dense foliage at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Connect with people in your neighborhood,” Owsley said. “Connect with your community garden. Connect with someone who has nice pots outside their house. They are probably more than willing to talk to you about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Gardeners are also extremely generous, and they’ll generally give you a clipping if you ask for it,” Pollar said. “They’ll usually offer — ‘do you want some?’ That’s a great way to start.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alternatively, you could draw wisdom from a \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mgsmsf\">UC Master Gardener\u003c/a> like Mah. She’s one of a whole staff that is available to help people grow their own food, for free. Their planting calendar, books and other no-cost resources are on hand to help anyone start a garden here in the Bay Area and beyond.[aside postID=news_12078915 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_011-KQED.jpg']The UC Master Gardeners’ best resource is their free help line, which “will give very detailed personal responses to people who call in with problems” about gardening, Mah said. You can reach the help line at 650-276-7430 for San Francisco and San Mateo counties, or 510-670-5645 for Alameda County. You can also reach the master gardeners via email or by \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/counties\">visiting their office in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the right advice, struggling gardeners often end up with the opposite problem: an overabundance of what they’ve grown. And soon, you’ll be the one giving back to the community, Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Start small, and focus on what you and your family are going to eat reasonably,” she said. “Because it becomes kind of addictive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you have one successfully producing plant, you can propagate it for your or others’ future use — or find out \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/seed-saving-basics\">how to save seeds\u003c/a> to use in the future or donate back to your local seed library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there’s one thing Rebecca Newburn, who founded the \u003ca href=\"https://www.richmondgrowsseeds.org/\">Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library\u003c/a>, has learned from growing her own garden and the gardening community, it’s generosity, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You plant a lettuce plant, and you’re gonna get 500 from one,” she said. “It’s the most generous part of the universe — just planting a seed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Thebeginnermistakeseveryonemakesthatyoucanavoid\">\u003c/a>What \u003cem>not\u003c/em> to do when gardening\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mah said the key to gardening — and where many new gardeners get tripped up — is putting “the right plant in the right place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means not only keeping your plant healthy, but also giving it the particular balance of sun, drainage and compost it needs to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollar warned about over- and under-watering, especially for beginner gardeners. Bugs can also be a problem, she said, but growing a garden in a planter or on a deck can help mitigate pests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080121\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080121\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kathy Fleming, the UC Master Gardener Program’s first president, laughs as volunteers prepare plants for the Spring Garden Market sale at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Keep your expectations realistic and start slow, Pollar said: “What you want to do is have fun with this and not say, ‘OK, now half my vegetable intake I will be growing immediately,’” she said. “Maybe not so much.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’re really intent on making a dent in your food bill, you’ll need to plan ahead, Mah said. “There’s a rotation to pay attention to — what you’re planting and when,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-placer-county/article/vegetable-crop-rotation\">Rotating your crops\u003c/a> not only ensures you’ll have food all year round, but it is also critical to keeping your soil healthy. Luckily, even “\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/cover-crops-soil-enhancement\">cover crops\u003c/a>” — the ones intended to replenish the nutrients in your soil, like fava beans — can be delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"ThreesimplefoodstogrowhereintheBayArea\">\u003c/a>How to grow three simple produce staples at home in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Broccoli\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can grow \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/broccoli\">broccoli\u003c/a> both in the spring and the fall, so no matter when you get your garden started, the planting season won’t be too far away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can even start your broccoli seeds indoors to avoid any near-freezing temperatures — which may stunt the growth of young plants — then transfer them outside after six weeks into a bucket or planter at least 1 foot deep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12080267 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Broccoli is a vegetable that can grow in the spring and fall. \u003ccite>(Ann Gahagen/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Make sure your plants are 12 inches apart (or maybe just start with one plant) and that your soil has adequate drainage and enough water, watering two to three times a week or less if leaves begin to turn yellow. And always harvest broccoli as soon as it’s mature and firm. You can keep harvesting even after you remove the main head, as smaller offshoots will start to form.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be sure to rotate this crop — by planting something else or moving its location between seasons — to avoid pest buildups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener broccoli guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/broccoli\">Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/broccoli\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mg-sonoma/broccoli\">Sonoma County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tomatoes\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The big thing to know about \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/guide-growing-tomatoes\">tomatoes \u003c/a>is that they’re sun-lovers — they need at least 6 full hours of direct sunlight per day — so make sure you can provide that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can start your tomatoes as seeds or full plants, but wait to put them outside until daytime temperatures are regularly above 70 degrees and nights are above 50 degrees. Until then, keep them indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080273\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080273\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2-160x98.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2-1536x942.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tomatoes. \u003ccite>(Thomas Johnson/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tomatoes should be planted in at least 18 inches of soil to let them take root and need to be watered consistently, so don’t let them dry out. You may need stakes to support the plants if they’re especially tall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harvest tomatoes when they have a little bit of “give” to them and aren’t rock hard, but before they’re fully soft. The more you harvest them, the more fruit they produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener tomato guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/guide-growing-tomatoes\">Alameda County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/tomatoes\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2025-06/5795_FactSheet_Growing%20Container%20Tomatoes%20in%20SF_v6.6.pdf\">San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Potatoes\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most fun and easy staple to grow is the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/potato\">potato\u003c/a>, which can be planted all the way through the spring and summer, depending on your local microclimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You don’t even need seeds for this one, as you can actually plant an entire potato or just a piece of it. Just make sure any potato chunk you plant has an “eye”: the discolored, pocked part of the potato.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A honeybee pollinates a flowering plant in the demonstration garden at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Just dig about 8 inches down into a bucket or planter (it should be at least 18 inches deep with soil) and place your potato pieces around a foot apart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep adding soil once the plant starts to grow and water the tubers once or twice a week — but only lightly to avoid rot. Once the leaves of the plant have gone yellow, use your hands to dig up the potatoes and discard any green ones, as those are toxic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener potato guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/potato\">Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/potatoes\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/blog/hort-coco-uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa/article/growing-potatoes-grow-bags\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Not interested in any of these veggies? Take a look at the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/your-alameda-county-garden-month-month\">Alameda County month-by-month planting calendar\u003c/a> for more ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem> \u003cstrong>How We Get By\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem> full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’ve been feeling the sticker shock of grocery prices these days, it’s not just you. The cost of food at Bay Area grocery stores went up by almost 6% in the last year alone, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/consumerpriceindex_sanfrancisco.htm\">according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scouring the shelves for deals, buying off-brand or purchasing items in bulk are some options for reducing your food bills. But here in the Bay Area, with our year-round good weather, you could consider growing your own food — even if you’ve never done it before, or don’t have a big yard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So how can you get started growing your own garden, and what could you grow here in the Bay Area that might help reduce your grocery bill? We talked to the experts for their top tips and practical information for starting your own garden, no matter how small.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#ThreesimplefoodstogrowhereintheBayArea\">Three simple foods to grow here in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Thebeginnermistakeseveryonemakesthatyoucanavoid\">The beginner mistakes everyone makes (that you can avoid)\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Why grow your own garden?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Take it from the experts: Growing your own food at home isn’t just beneficial to your wallet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Almost as important as saving money on your food is, what you grow is likely to be healthier,” said Maggie Mah, one of the University of California’s Master Gardeners who specialize in helping people grow their own food here in the Bay Area and nationwide. The food you grow is “going to be fresher,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080116\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080116\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maggie Mah, Marketing & Media Co-Chair and UC Master Gardener, stands beside her car with trays of tomato plants at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can also have greater control over the food itself, she said, by growing a pesticide-free garden and producing the fruits and veggies you know you’ll eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But on top of that is really the sense of being empowered,” Mah said. “I find that it’s just great to be able to go out and pick big handfuls of green beans that I grew myself, or tomatoes or whatever it is.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a sense of reclaiming yourself in this day and age,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Start small\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The first thing you should do, Mah said, is assess how much space you have and let that determine your gardening potential — and your path forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And don’t worry: You don’t need all that much space. All it takes is \u003cem>some \u003c/em>access to the outdoors, even if that’s just a windowsill or railing which can hold a pot big enough for basics like herbs, some lettuce, tomatoes or even potatoes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, advised Mah, decide what you want to grow. If your square footage is small, consider plants that produce a lot of fruits or veggies relative to their size — like tomatoes, rather than a space-intensive plant like a watermelon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080118\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080118\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Helen Lew removes deep-rooted weeds while seated in a demonstration garden at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And if you’re really pressed for space, remember you can always utilize vertical space for crops like pole beans or squash. You could even try \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/blog/hort-coco-uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa/article/companion-planting-vegetable-garden\">inter-cropping or companion planting,\u003c/a> which is pairing similar plants to make the most of your space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Start small, and then as you build success and you build learning about your particular location and what works and what doesn’t work, you can really build upon that,” Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plants like tomatoes or broccoli thrive \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/container-gardening-basics\">even in somewhat small pots or buckets\u003c/a>. And lettuces need just a few inches of soil. Arugula in particular is a very quick, easy and nutritious crop, Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You throw the seeds in the ground and a couple of days later, you’ve got arugula — and you can keep on harvesting it,” Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Assess conditions\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While you can work with different space limitations, one nonnegotiable when it comes to growing your own food is consistent access to sun, Mah said. “It takes six to eight hours of sun to be successful growing pretty much anything,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, “you don’t want to plant something that’s going to take a bunch of months to be able to harvest,” Mah said — so you’ll want to look for varieties that mature quickly, and that might depend on exactly where you’re located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080117\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080117\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Robeson tomato seedlings grow among dozens of varieties cultivated at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can find that information on the seed packet itself — but be aware that how quickly your food will grow is entirely location-dependent. And the Bay Area’s fog and microclimates, which can create dramatically different temperatures just a few miles away, can heavily influence a plant’s timeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before choosing a plant, you should also consult a \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mgsmsf/edible-gardening-and-planting-calendars\">planting calendar\u003c/a>, Mah said, and make sure you’re planting something that can grow at this time of year. The calendars are \u003ca href=\"https://ecologycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/seed_chart.pdf\">location-specific\u003c/a> and often available where seeds and plants are sold or lent, so be sure you’re looking at information for your specific geographic region.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Prep your soil\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Once you’ve decided on a plant, make sure your soil is prepared. You can get soil and — more importantly — compost from many different sources. \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/ucce-master-gardeners-stanislaus-county/composting-basics\">Compost is decomposed organic material\u003c/a> that helps add nutrients to your soil and boosts its health, and as a result, boosts the growth potential for your plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For one, you can get free compost via giveaway programs like the one for Berkeley residents \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/city-services/trash-recycling/free-compost-program\">at the Berkeley Marina.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eddie Mendoza, who works at the marina, said the compost is usually delivered on Fridays from the Central Valley and that the supply lasts through the weekend. They sometimes also have \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/program/uc-master-gardener-program/mulch\">woodchips and mulch\u003c/a> available, which can also boost the health of your soil or help with drainage, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12080270 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1262\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr-1536x969.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Velveteen Bean produces and sells small-batch compost and teaches people how to build and maintain their own compost piles. \u003ccite>(Brian Hicks/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But you have to bring your own tools to the marina — Mendoza suggested you pack a shovel and a few buckets — and it’s best to get there early, especially during peak weekends during the summer, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By Monday morning, it’s all gone,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can even make your own compost pile, although Mah warned it might take a few months if starting from scratch. It’s easier than many people imagine, said Maggie Owsley, whose East Bay group \u003ca href=\"https://www.thevelveteenbean.com/\">The Velveteen Bean\u003c/a> produces and sells small-batch compost and teaches people how to build and maintain their own compost piles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a myth that you need a huge bag of compost to start seeds, to start a garden,” Owsley said. “You actually can do a lot with what you’re making at home or what your neighbors are making.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Decide whether you’ll choose seeds or plants — and get to know your local resources\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seeds are the least expensive option when it comes to starting your garden — but be aware that where they lack in cost, they more than make up in time. So only go the seed route if you’re not in a hurry to harvest, said Odette Pollar, executive director of the East Bay-based Plant Exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you have the time, “seeds are always the easiest, the least expensive way to go,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While you can purchase seeds at a garden store, you could also head to your local seed lending library for free seeds, where you’ll be highly encouraged to then harvest seeds from whatever resulting plant you grow and donate them back to the library (more on this below). The San Francisco Public Library system maintains a \u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/locations/potrero/potrero-branch-seed-lending-library\">Seed Lending Library at its Potrero Branch\u003c/a>, as does the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.org/seed-lending/\">Oakland Public Library\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://smcl.org/blogs/post/san-mateo-county-libraries-has-seed-libraries/\">many Peninsula libraries\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080123\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080123\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anne Blenman Hare, a UC Master Gardener since 2003, trims tomato plant stems at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Berkeley Ecology Center, too, now hosts the \u003ca href=\"https://ecologycenter.org/basil/\">Bay Area Seed Interchange Library\u003c/a>, which is open Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. and also does periodic seed exchange events, where participants can come learn about seed saving and shop for free seeds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really cool to see these little things go in the dirt and you think, oh, this is never going to happen,” Mah said. “Then, all of a sudden, ‘boom.’ It’s really fun.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is one advantage to starting with a plant: “You know they were alive when you brought them home,” Pollar said. You can get plants for relatively cheap at nurseries or at large stores like Home Depot.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>You can also find free (albeit mostly non-edible) plants at places like \u003ca href=\"https://theplantexchange.com/\">The Plant Exchange\u003c/a>, along with the pots to grow them in. While this East Bay group isn’t fully operational anymore since executive director Pollar retired in 2023, the group still promotes grassroots exchanges, cohosts events with other organizations and throws one-day plant sale events every few months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At sales like these, you can find an abundance of tools like rakes and shovels, soil, decorative rocks and pots — and they’re all priced to sell, Pollar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our goal is for all neighborhoods to have exchanges,” Pollar said. “Just do it — throw it in your driveway. It’s a great way to get to know neighbors, but also to reuse and recycle and rehome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollar also suggested scouring thrift stores, secondhand stores and online forums like Craigslist for free or low-cost gardening supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the most effective way to lower your overall food costs at home, Pollar said, is to start growing plants like herbs that take up relatively little space but tend to be expensive at the grocery store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And from there, you can graduate from herbs to experimenting with slightly bigger plants like tomatoes, and even dwarf citrus fruit trees in pots.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lean on community\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The absolutely best free resource you’ll find, Pollar said, is people with experience in gardening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You might find them at your local nursery or garden store, or even at your local gardening club, where Pollar suggested you can meet people with experience and get your questions answered immediately. “And then that keeps \u003cem>you \u003c/em>motivated as well,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You could also source expertise from your neighbors or your local \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040961/in-the-bay-area-community-gardens-can-help-you-make-the-most-of-spring\">community garden\u003c/a>, Owsley said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080122\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080122\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Susan Patton-Fox and Kathy Fleming trim tomato plant stems among dense foliage at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Connect with people in your neighborhood,” Owsley said. “Connect with your community garden. Connect with someone who has nice pots outside their house. They are probably more than willing to talk to you about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Gardeners are also extremely generous, and they’ll generally give you a clipping if you ask for it,” Pollar said. “They’ll usually offer — ‘do you want some?’ That’s a great way to start.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alternatively, you could draw wisdom from a \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mgsmsf\">UC Master Gardener\u003c/a> like Mah. She’s one of a whole staff that is available to help people grow their own food, for free. Their planting calendar, books and other no-cost resources are on hand to help anyone start a garden here in the Bay Area and beyond.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The UC Master Gardeners’ best resource is their free help line, which “will give very detailed personal responses to people who call in with problems” about gardening, Mah said. You can reach the help line at 650-276-7430 for San Francisco and San Mateo counties, or 510-670-5645 for Alameda County. You can also reach the master gardeners via email or by \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/counties\">visiting their office in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the right advice, struggling gardeners often end up with the opposite problem: an overabundance of what they’ve grown. And soon, you’ll be the one giving back to the community, Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Start small, and focus on what you and your family are going to eat reasonably,” she said. “Because it becomes kind of addictive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you have one successfully producing plant, you can propagate it for your or others’ future use — or find out \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/seed-saving-basics\">how to save seeds\u003c/a> to use in the future or donate back to your local seed library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there’s one thing Rebecca Newburn, who founded the \u003ca href=\"https://www.richmondgrowsseeds.org/\">Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library\u003c/a>, has learned from growing her own garden and the gardening community, it’s generosity, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You plant a lettuce plant, and you’re gonna get 500 from one,” she said. “It’s the most generous part of the universe — just planting a seed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Thebeginnermistakeseveryonemakesthatyoucanavoid\">\u003c/a>What \u003cem>not\u003c/em> to do when gardening\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mah said the key to gardening — and where many new gardeners get tripped up — is putting “the right plant in the right place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means not only keeping your plant healthy, but also giving it the particular balance of sun, drainage and compost it needs to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollar warned about over- and under-watering, especially for beginner gardeners. Bugs can also be a problem, she said, but growing a garden in a planter or on a deck can help mitigate pests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080121\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080121\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kathy Fleming, the UC Master Gardener Program’s first president, laughs as volunteers prepare plants for the Spring Garden Market sale at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Keep your expectations realistic and start slow, Pollar said: “What you want to do is have fun with this and not say, ‘OK, now half my vegetable intake I will be growing immediately,’” she said. “Maybe not so much.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’re really intent on making a dent in your food bill, you’ll need to plan ahead, Mah said. “There’s a rotation to pay attention to — what you’re planting and when,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-placer-county/article/vegetable-crop-rotation\">Rotating your crops\u003c/a> not only ensures you’ll have food all year round, but it is also critical to keeping your soil healthy. Luckily, even “\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/cover-crops-soil-enhancement\">cover crops\u003c/a>” — the ones intended to replenish the nutrients in your soil, like fava beans — can be delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"ThreesimplefoodstogrowhereintheBayArea\">\u003c/a>How to grow three simple produce staples at home in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Broccoli\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can grow \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/broccoli\">broccoli\u003c/a> both in the spring and the fall, so no matter when you get your garden started, the planting season won’t be too far away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can even start your broccoli seeds indoors to avoid any near-freezing temperatures — which may stunt the growth of young plants — then transfer them outside after six weeks into a bucket or planter at least 1 foot deep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12080267 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Broccoli is a vegetable that can grow in the spring and fall. \u003ccite>(Ann Gahagen/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Make sure your plants are 12 inches apart (or maybe just start with one plant) and that your soil has adequate drainage and enough water, watering two to three times a week or less if leaves begin to turn yellow. And always harvest broccoli as soon as it’s mature and firm. You can keep harvesting even after you remove the main head, as smaller offshoots will start to form.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be sure to rotate this crop — by planting something else or moving its location between seasons — to avoid pest buildups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener broccoli guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/broccoli\">Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/broccoli\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mg-sonoma/broccoli\">Sonoma County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tomatoes\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The big thing to know about \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/guide-growing-tomatoes\">tomatoes \u003c/a>is that they’re sun-lovers — they need at least 6 full hours of direct sunlight per day — so make sure you can provide that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can start your tomatoes as seeds or full plants, but wait to put them outside until daytime temperatures are regularly above 70 degrees and nights are above 50 degrees. Until then, keep them indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080273\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080273\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2-160x98.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2-1536x942.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tomatoes. \u003ccite>(Thomas Johnson/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tomatoes should be planted in at least 18 inches of soil to let them take root and need to be watered consistently, so don’t let them dry out. You may need stakes to support the plants if they’re especially tall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harvest tomatoes when they have a little bit of “give” to them and aren’t rock hard, but before they’re fully soft. The more you harvest them, the more fruit they produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener tomato guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/guide-growing-tomatoes\">Alameda County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/tomatoes\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2025-06/5795_FactSheet_Growing%20Container%20Tomatoes%20in%20SF_v6.6.pdf\">San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Potatoes\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most fun and easy staple to grow is the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/potato\">potato\u003c/a>, which can be planted all the way through the spring and summer, depending on your local microclimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You don’t even need seeds for this one, as you can actually plant an entire potato or just a piece of it. Just make sure any potato chunk you plant has an “eye”: the discolored, pocked part of the potato.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A honeybee pollinates a flowering plant in the demonstration garden at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Just dig about 8 inches down into a bucket or planter (it should be at least 18 inches deep with soil) and place your potato pieces around a foot apart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep adding soil once the plant starts to grow and water the tubers once or twice a week — but only lightly to avoid rot. Once the leaves of the plant have gone yellow, use your hands to dig up the potatoes and discard any green ones, as those are toxic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener potato guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/potato\">Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/potatoes\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/blog/hort-coco-uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa/article/growing-potatoes-grow-bags\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Not interested in any of these veggies? Take a look at the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/your-alameda-county-garden-month-month\">Alameda County month-by-month planting calendar\u003c/a> for more ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "UC Patient Care and Service Workers Plan Open-Ended Strike Starting Next Month",
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"content": "\u003cp>Tens of thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/university-of-california\">University of California\u003c/a> patient care and service workers plan to walk off the job May 14 with no return date in sight, union officials announced Wednesday, after long contract negotiations have failed to yield an agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The strike would disrupt operations at UC campuses and medical facilities statewide in a historic move, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents some of the university’s lowest-paid employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It will be incredibly hard on our families, but we know UC is proposing a future where workers’ rights are ignored and we fall further and further behind,” union president Michael Avant said at a press conference outside UCSF’s Mission Bay Medical Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We aren’t demanding millions of dollars in salaries like they give to the executives,” said Avant, who works transporting patients at UC San Diego’s health system. “We are asking for our employer, California’s third-largest employer, to bargain with us in good faith.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union representing about 42,000 cafeteria and custodial workers, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists and other employees has held five \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12028446/tens-of-thousands-uc-workers-strike-disrupting-campuses-hospitals-labs\">short walkouts\u003c/a> at UC during more than two years of bargaining. Avant said those previous work stoppages failed to move the university on workers’ top issues: housing affordability and health care costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064418\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064418\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patient care and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 picket at the UCSF Medical Center Mission Bay campus on Nov. 17, 2025, striking for living wages, affordable health care, housing benefits and safe staffing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>AFSCME patient care employees have been working without a contract since August 2024, and service workers since November of that year. As housing and health care costs rise, many of the employees are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064357/uc-service-workers-strike-saying-wages-arent-enough-to-afford-cost-of-living\">struggling to make ends meet\u003c/a>, union officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, university representatives rejected the union’s accusations of unfair labor practices and said the UC system remained committed to giving employees wage increases and other benefits as quickly as possible, recognizing the cost-of-living challenges that many of its workers face.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The University of California remains focused on reaching an agreement that delivers real, immediate benefits for employees and is sustainable over the long term,” the \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-highlights-323-pay-proposal-urges-continued-bargaining-following-afscme-strike-notice\">statement\u003c/a> said. “We are disappointed that AFSCME is moving toward an open-ended strike despite the significant progress made at the bargaining table.”[aside postID=news_12064357 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-08-BL.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since bargaining began in January 2024, the university said it has proposed to increase total pay by 32.3% through 2029, adding that the hourly wage for its lowest-paid employees was raised to $25 last year. UC has also offered workers a bonus of up to $1,000, extra payments for long-serving employees, and monthly stipends and other measures to help manage rising health care costs. More than 16,000 AFSCME members pay less than $100 a month in health care premiums, the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This represents substantial movement and a good-faith effort to respond directly to employee priorities,” the university said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union representatives said UC’s total pay raise offer was in reality lower, slamming the 32.3% figure as based on “fuzzy math.” They argued that the university proposals have made an affordability crisis worse, including for workers living in homeless shelters and out of their cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Liz Perlman, executive director of AFSCME Local 3299, said UC has unilaterally increased health care premiums for employees, sometimes doubling their costs. The university has also refused to discuss a union proposal to provide emergency financial assistance to workers at risk of eviction or foreclosure, based on a program already in place at UC Davis, she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our members don’t eat percentages; they pay gas with dollars. Right now they are choosing between buying inhalers and buying a tank of gas,” said Perlman, adding that members earn $62,000 a year on average. “Your take-home pay is going to be so small … We live on so few dollars that any increase is putting people at a breaking point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Tens of thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/university-of-california\">University of California\u003c/a> patient care and service workers plan to walk off the job May 14 with no return date in sight, union officials announced Wednesday, after long contract negotiations have failed to yield an agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The strike would disrupt operations at UC campuses and medical facilities statewide in a historic move, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents some of the university’s lowest-paid employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It will be incredibly hard on our families, but we know UC is proposing a future where workers’ rights are ignored and we fall further and further behind,” union president Michael Avant said at a press conference outside UCSF’s Mission Bay Medical Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We aren’t demanding millions of dollars in salaries like they give to the executives,” said Avant, who works transporting patients at UC San Diego’s health system. “We are asking for our employer, California’s third-largest employer, to bargain with us in good faith.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union representing about 42,000 cafeteria and custodial workers, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists and other employees has held five \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12028446/tens-of-thousands-uc-workers-strike-disrupting-campuses-hospitals-labs\">short walkouts\u003c/a> at UC during more than two years of bargaining. Avant said those previous work stoppages failed to move the university on workers’ top issues: housing affordability and health care costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064418\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064418\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patient care and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 picket at the UCSF Medical Center Mission Bay campus on Nov. 17, 2025, striking for living wages, affordable health care, housing benefits and safe staffing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>AFSCME patient care employees have been working without a contract since August 2024, and service workers since November of that year. As housing and health care costs rise, many of the employees are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064357/uc-service-workers-strike-saying-wages-arent-enough-to-afford-cost-of-living\">struggling to make ends meet\u003c/a>, union officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, university representatives rejected the union’s accusations of unfair labor practices and said the UC system remained committed to giving employees wage increases and other benefits as quickly as possible, recognizing the cost-of-living challenges that many of its workers face.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The University of California remains focused on reaching an agreement that delivers real, immediate benefits for employees and is sustainable over the long term,” the \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-highlights-323-pay-proposal-urges-continued-bargaining-following-afscme-strike-notice\">statement\u003c/a> said. “We are disappointed that AFSCME is moving toward an open-ended strike despite the significant progress made at the bargaining table.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since bargaining began in January 2024, the university said it has proposed to increase total pay by 32.3% through 2029, adding that the hourly wage for its lowest-paid employees was raised to $25 last year. UC has also offered workers a bonus of up to $1,000, extra payments for long-serving employees, and monthly stipends and other measures to help manage rising health care costs. More than 16,000 AFSCME members pay less than $100 a month in health care premiums, the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This represents substantial movement and a good-faith effort to respond directly to employee priorities,” the university said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union representatives said UC’s total pay raise offer was in reality lower, slamming the 32.3% figure as based on “fuzzy math.” They argued that the university proposals have made an affordability crisis worse, including for workers living in homeless shelters and out of their cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Liz Perlman, executive director of AFSCME Local 3299, said UC has unilaterally increased health care premiums for employees, sometimes doubling their costs. The university has also refused to discuss a union proposal to provide emergency financial assistance to workers at risk of eviction or foreclosure, based on a program already in place at UC Davis, she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our members don’t eat percentages; they pay gas with dollars. Right now they are choosing between buying inhalers and buying a tank of gas,” said Perlman, adding that members earn $62,000 a year on average. “Your take-home pay is going to be so small … We live on so few dollars that any increase is putting people at a breaking point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "pollution-release-at-chevrons-richmond-refinery-was-triggered-by-a-bird-company-says",
"title": "Pollution Release at Chevron’s Richmond Refinery Was Triggered by a Bird",
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"headTitle": "Pollution Release at Chevron’s Richmond Refinery Was Triggered by a Bird | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>One of the largest refineries on the West Coast lost electricity earlier this year and belched out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11887837/chevron-pbf-sue-air-district-over-new-bay-area-refinery-pollution-rule\">pollution for hours\u003c/a>, thanks in part to an animal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A power outage at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/chevron-refinery\">Chevron’s refinery\u003c/a> in Richmond on Jan. 9 led to a flaring operation that released more than 3,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide into the air, the company has told regulators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pacific Gas and Electric provides power to the refinery from two power lines. The day before the outage, the utility removed one of those lines for maintenance. The second line then experienced a “sudden fault,” which meant Chevron lost all of the outside electricity it relies on, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/compliance-and-enforcement/flares/causal-reports/2026/2026_0109_a0010_s6039_01-pdf.pdf?rev=3152a6f8241b441881ac0325c87c7944&sc_lang=en\">report\u003c/a> the refinery filed with the Bay Area Air District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With no outside power, Chevron sent gases to its flares for the next eight hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It appears a bird contact was what triggered the safety relay on the second source, so we have a cause,” said Tamar Sarkissian, a PG&E spokesperson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bird was a raptor, Sarkissian said, that came in contact with “a wire and tower at the same time” and caused, basically, a short circuit that immediately interrupted “the flow of electricity on that line, as a safety measure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079878\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12079878 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-CHEVRON-FLARE-TH-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-CHEVRON-FLARE-TH-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-CHEVRON-FLARE-TH-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-CHEVRON-FLARE-TH-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Smoke from a refinery flaring operation at Chevron’s Richmond refinery on Jan. 9, 2026. It was triggered by a bird contacting power equipment. \u003ccite>(Tyche Hendricks/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When the flaring took place, Chevron issued a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/health-and-safety-information/hazmat-programs/community-warning-system\">Level One Community Warning System alert\u003c/a> to notify county residents of the incident. The smoke coming from Chevron’s flares in San Francisco Bay could be seen by people on the Bay Bridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district and the California Public Utilities Commission are investigating the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When inhaled, sulfur dioxide can cause wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and other harmful effects on the lungs, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/what-makes-air-unhealthy/sulfur-dioxide\">according to the American Lung Association\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Chevron refinery has a power system on site known as a “cogeneration plant” that creates its own electricity, but it does not provide enough to power the entire facility.[aside postID=news_11981762 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/231027-CHEVRON-RICHMOND-REFINERY-MD-03_qut-1020x680.jpg']“We also need external electricity,” said Caitlin Powell, a Chevron Richmond representative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company emphasized that the refinery’s flare system, a safety technique aimed at preventing the buildup of pressure inside a refinery, successfully averted a bigger facility problem during the January incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The loss of outside power meant the refinery had to suddenly shut down its units, leaving gases building up pressure in the facility that needed to be vented into the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our flares and safety systems are designed to protect our workforce, the community and our equipment during operational disruptions, even those externally caused. We are proud of our team’s quick work to keep the refinery operating safely,” Powell said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The number of flaring incidents at Chevron’s Richmond refinery has dropped significantly in recent years. The refinery logged close to 40 flaring events in 2019, more than any other petroleum processing facility in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chevron had just 10 such incidents in 2024, according to air district \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/board-of-directors/2026/ssc_presentations_040826_op-pdf.pdf?rev=d82f2f8d99a544688521705d6b1ef253&sc_lang=en\">data\u003c/a> presented to an agency committee last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A raptor came in contact with electricity infrastructure outside Chevron’s Richmond refinery, cutting power to the facility and triggering the release of thousands of pounds of sulfur dioxide. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>One of the largest refineries on the West Coast lost electricity earlier this year and belched out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11887837/chevron-pbf-sue-air-district-over-new-bay-area-refinery-pollution-rule\">pollution for hours\u003c/a>, thanks in part to an animal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A power outage at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/chevron-refinery\">Chevron’s refinery\u003c/a> in Richmond on Jan. 9 led to a flaring operation that released more than 3,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide into the air, the company has told regulators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pacific Gas and Electric provides power to the refinery from two power lines. The day before the outage, the utility removed one of those lines for maintenance. The second line then experienced a “sudden fault,” which meant Chevron lost all of the outside electricity it relies on, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/compliance-and-enforcement/flares/causal-reports/2026/2026_0109_a0010_s6039_01-pdf.pdf?rev=3152a6f8241b441881ac0325c87c7944&sc_lang=en\">report\u003c/a> the refinery filed with the Bay Area Air District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With no outside power, Chevron sent gases to its flares for the next eight hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It appears a bird contact was what triggered the safety relay on the second source, so we have a cause,” said Tamar Sarkissian, a PG&E spokesperson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bird was a raptor, Sarkissian said, that came in contact with “a wire and tower at the same time” and caused, basically, a short circuit that immediately interrupted “the flow of electricity on that line, as a safety measure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079878\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12079878 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-CHEVRON-FLARE-TH-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-CHEVRON-FLARE-TH-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-CHEVRON-FLARE-TH-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260414-CHEVRON-FLARE-TH-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Smoke from a refinery flaring operation at Chevron’s Richmond refinery on Jan. 9, 2026. It was triggered by a bird contacting power equipment. \u003ccite>(Tyche Hendricks/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When the flaring took place, Chevron issued a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/health-and-safety-information/hazmat-programs/community-warning-system\">Level One Community Warning System alert\u003c/a> to notify county residents of the incident. The smoke coming from Chevron’s flares in San Francisco Bay could be seen by people on the Bay Bridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air district and the California Public Utilities Commission are investigating the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When inhaled, sulfur dioxide can cause wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and other harmful effects on the lungs, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/what-makes-air-unhealthy/sulfur-dioxide\">according to the American Lung Association\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Chevron refinery has a power system on site known as a “cogeneration plant” that creates its own electricity, but it does not provide enough to power the entire facility.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We also need external electricity,” said Caitlin Powell, a Chevron Richmond representative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company emphasized that the refinery’s flare system, a safety technique aimed at preventing the buildup of pressure inside a refinery, successfully averted a bigger facility problem during the January incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The loss of outside power meant the refinery had to suddenly shut down its units, leaving gases building up pressure in the facility that needed to be vented into the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our flares and safety systems are designed to protect our workforce, the community and our equipment during operational disruptions, even those externally caused. We are proud of our team’s quick work to keep the refinery operating safely,” Powell said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The number of flaring incidents at Chevron’s Richmond refinery has dropped significantly in recent years. The refinery logged close to 40 flaring events in 2019, more than any other petroleum processing facility in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chevron had just 10 such incidents in 2024, according to air district \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/board-of-directors/2026/ssc_presentations_040826_op-pdf.pdf?rev=d82f2f8d99a544688521705d6b1ef253&sc_lang=en\">data\u003c/a> presented to an agency committee last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-airport-plans-a-big-expansion-environmental-groups-want-to-hit-pause",
"title": "Oakland Airport Plans a Big Expansion. Environmental Groups Want to Hit Pause",
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"headTitle": "Oakland Airport Plans a Big Expansion. Environmental Groups Want to Hit Pause | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Environmental groups are asking an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> judge to halt the city’s major airport expansion, which would significantly increase air travel through the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three lawsuits opposing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-airport\">Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport\u003c/a>’s major renovation say the Port of Oakland violated environmental laws when it approved plans for the modernization project and argue that it should not be allowed to move forward without further assessment by public health experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Communities for a Better Environment, Advocates for the Environment, and Stop OAK Expansion Coalition also say the project will exacerbate poor environmental health impacts in already disproportionately polluted neighborhoods of East Oakland. The groups’ lawsuits were heard simultaneously on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This expansion should not happen until there is an objective health impact assessment conducted by people with the public health expertise to make a prediction of what … based on data and research, the impact would be on the people who live near the airport,” said Dr. Mark Jacobson, a professor of medicine emeritus at UC San Francisco and a member of the Stop OAK Expansion Coalition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The airport modernization project includes planned renovations to its two terminals, which opened in 1962 and 1985, upgrades for aging facilities, an expanded international arrivals area and 16 new gates — about a 55% increase from the airport’s current 29.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Port of Oakland said the renovation is meant to “meet the regional demand and provide a world class experience” for fliers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065092\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065092\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/OaklandAirportGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/OaklandAirportGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/OaklandAirportGetty-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/OaklandAirportGetty-1536x1034.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A traveler walks through baggage claim in Terminal 2 at Oakland International Airport on April 12, 2024, in Oakland, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The groups that filed suit allege that an environmental review certified by the Port of Oakland is inadequate and are asking the court to require a health impact assessment conducted by the Alameda County Public Health Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Jacobson, a health impact report, separate from the environmental impact report, would take into consideration the underlying health of populations expected to be most affected by the expansion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>East Oakland, a predominantly Black and Latino community, “already bears the brunt of toxic land uses and other environmental stressors,” the lawsuits say.[aside postID=news_12056544 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250918-Oakland-Arms-Folo-JCL-01-KQED.jpg']“The health of community members living near Oakland Airport is already severely compromised by existing airport operations, nearby transportation corridors and industrial activities,” Communities for a Better Environment argued in its legal complaint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>East Oakland residents who live closest to the airport are in the 100th percentile of asthma rates in the state, according to the suit. Some of the area’s neighborhoods are also ranked among the \u003ca href=\"https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/11d2f52282a54ceebcac7428e6184203/page/CalEnviroScreen-4_0\">most burdened by multiple sources of pollution in California\u003c/a>, according to a mapping tool created by the California Environmental Protection Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jacobson said neighborhoods adjacent to the airport have the highest rate of mortality due to heart attacks and the highest rate of pediatric emergency room visits for asthma exacerbations in Alameda County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The harmful health effects are largely due to the ultrafine particles, or small bits of carbon, that are released into the atmosphere when airplane fuel combusts, he said. The particles are associated with increased risk of heart attack, atherosclerotic disease and lung disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jacobson also said airplane exhaust releases benzene, a carcinogen that causes lymphoma and leukemia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While neighboring Alameda has developed a noise abatement policy with the Port of Oakland, Gustavo Gutierrez, an East Oakland organizer with Communities for a Better Environment, said similar settlements weren’t offered to Oakland neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036220\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036220\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Port of Oakland on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Organizers have raised concerns that the settlement with Alameda could increase air traffic over some East Oakland neighborhoods, but airport officials say that’s not true. According to the Port of Oakland, the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic plan for the Oakland airport does not route planes over the East Oakland flatlands, and the project does not propose any changes to the current air traffic routes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>OAK flight maps show that planes departing from its commercial runway take off northwest, over the San Francisco Bay, and the majority of arrivals approach the airport from the south. Because of the runway configurations at San Francisco International Airport, some flights leaving from SFO do follow departure paths over the East Bay, including Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the environmental review process, Gutierrez said the nonprofit and a coalition of activists opposed to the expansion pushed for a health impact report, but the port refused to conduct one, in part leading to the suit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052396\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052396\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trucks leave the Port of Oakland on Sept. 28, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the nonprofit also pursued the suit because the environmental impact review that the port completed “grossly understates what the scope of the project is.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Port of Oakland spokesperson Justin Berton said the port’s “outreach and community engagement efforts with residents exceeded requirements” during the environmental impact review process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Port met with several groups over several years to discuss noise abatement, air quality, and other environmental resources of concern that was in the EIR,” he said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit from Communities for a Better Environment argues that the report provides an incomplete description of the modernization project, including the scope of its expansion of activity, and relies on outdated airport activity data from before the COVID-19 pandemic, which reflects higher rates of travel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12047651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12047651\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/003_KQED_Oakland_Airport_04142020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/003_KQED_Oakland_Airport_04142020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/003_KQED_Oakland_Airport_04142020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/003_KQED_Oakland_Airport_04142020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland International Airport on April 14, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gutierrez said increasing air travel would also increase the number of freight trucks in the area, since the Oakland airport is a hub for FedEx.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Berton said the environmental impact review certified by the port’s Board of Commissioners followed a “comprehensive review by staff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Final [Environmental Impact Report] was based on substantial evidence and expert analysis, and the Port looks forward to defending the EIR and the project in public hearings,” he said via email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>April 17: This story was updated with additional comments from the Port of Oakland about flight paths over the city.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Environmental groups are asking an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> judge to halt the city’s major airport expansion, which would significantly increase air travel through the East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three lawsuits opposing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-airport\">Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport\u003c/a>’s major renovation say the Port of Oakland violated environmental laws when it approved plans for the modernization project and argue that it should not be allowed to move forward without further assessment by public health experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Communities for a Better Environment, Advocates for the Environment, and Stop OAK Expansion Coalition also say the project will exacerbate poor environmental health impacts in already disproportionately polluted neighborhoods of East Oakland. The groups’ lawsuits were heard simultaneously on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This expansion should not happen until there is an objective health impact assessment conducted by people with the public health expertise to make a prediction of what … based on data and research, the impact would be on the people who live near the airport,” said Dr. Mark Jacobson, a professor of medicine emeritus at UC San Francisco and a member of the Stop OAK Expansion Coalition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The airport modernization project includes planned renovations to its two terminals, which opened in 1962 and 1985, upgrades for aging facilities, an expanded international arrivals area and 16 new gates — about a 55% increase from the airport’s current 29.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Port of Oakland said the renovation is meant to “meet the regional demand and provide a world class experience” for fliers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065092\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065092\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/OaklandAirportGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/OaklandAirportGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/OaklandAirportGetty-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/OaklandAirportGetty-1536x1034.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A traveler walks through baggage claim in Terminal 2 at Oakland International Airport on April 12, 2024, in Oakland, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The groups that filed suit allege that an environmental review certified by the Port of Oakland is inadequate and are asking the court to require a health impact assessment conducted by the Alameda County Public Health Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Jacobson, a health impact report, separate from the environmental impact report, would take into consideration the underlying health of populations expected to be most affected by the expansion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>East Oakland, a predominantly Black and Latino community, “already bears the brunt of toxic land uses and other environmental stressors,” the lawsuits say.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The health of community members living near Oakland Airport is already severely compromised by existing airport operations, nearby transportation corridors and industrial activities,” Communities for a Better Environment argued in its legal complaint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>East Oakland residents who live closest to the airport are in the 100th percentile of asthma rates in the state, according to the suit. Some of the area’s neighborhoods are also ranked among the \u003ca href=\"https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/11d2f52282a54ceebcac7428e6184203/page/CalEnviroScreen-4_0\">most burdened by multiple sources of pollution in California\u003c/a>, according to a mapping tool created by the California Environmental Protection Agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jacobson said neighborhoods adjacent to the airport have the highest rate of mortality due to heart attacks and the highest rate of pediatric emergency room visits for asthma exacerbations in Alameda County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The harmful health effects are largely due to the ultrafine particles, or small bits of carbon, that are released into the atmosphere when airplane fuel combusts, he said. The particles are associated with increased risk of heart attack, atherosclerotic disease and lung disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jacobson also said airplane exhaust releases benzene, a carcinogen that causes lymphoma and leukemia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While neighboring Alameda has developed a noise abatement policy with the Port of Oakland, Gustavo Gutierrez, an East Oakland organizer with Communities for a Better Environment, said similar settlements weren’t offered to Oakland neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036220\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036220\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250306-PORT-OF-OAKLAND-MD-04_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Port of Oakland on March 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Organizers have raised concerns that the settlement with Alameda could increase air traffic over some East Oakland neighborhoods, but airport officials say that’s not true. According to the Port of Oakland, the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic plan for the Oakland airport does not route planes over the East Oakland flatlands, and the project does not propose any changes to the current air traffic routes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>OAK flight maps show that planes departing from its commercial runway take off northwest, over the San Francisco Bay, and the majority of arrivals approach the airport from the south. Because of the runway configurations at San Francisco International Airport, some flights leaving from SFO do follow departure paths over the East Bay, including Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the environmental review process, Gutierrez said the nonprofit and a coalition of activists opposed to the expansion pushed for a health impact report, but the port refused to conduct one, in part leading to the suit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052396\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052396\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trucks leave the Port of Oakland on Sept. 28, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the nonprofit also pursued the suit because the environmental impact review that the port completed “grossly understates what the scope of the project is.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Port of Oakland spokesperson Justin Berton said the port’s “outreach and community engagement efforts with residents exceeded requirements” during the environmental impact review process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Port met with several groups over several years to discuss noise abatement, air quality, and other environmental resources of concern that was in the EIR,” he said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit from Communities for a Better Environment argues that the report provides an incomplete description of the modernization project, including the scope of its expansion of activity, and relies on outdated airport activity data from before the COVID-19 pandemic, which reflects higher rates of travel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12047651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12047651\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/003_KQED_Oakland_Airport_04142020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/003_KQED_Oakland_Airport_04142020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/003_KQED_Oakland_Airport_04142020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/003_KQED_Oakland_Airport_04142020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland International Airport on April 14, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gutierrez said increasing air travel would also increase the number of freight trucks in the area, since the Oakland airport is a hub for FedEx.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Berton said the environmental impact review certified by the port’s Board of Commissioners followed a “comprehensive review by staff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Final [Environmental Impact Report] was based on substantial evidence and expert analysis, and the Port looks forward to defending the EIR and the project in public hearings,” he said via email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>April 17: This story was updated with additional comments from the Port of Oakland about flight paths over the city.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-fabricators-face-artificial-stone-ban-as-silicosis-cases-mount",
"title": "California Fabricators Face Possible Artificial Stone Ban as Silicosis Cases Mount",
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"headTitle": "California Fabricators Face Possible Artificial Stone Ban as Silicosis Cases Mount | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>As artificial stone became the top countertop material in the U.S. over the last decade, fabricator Gino Scolari told KQED he’s spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to protect his employees from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064693/california-doctors-urge-ban-on-engineered-stone-as-silicosis-cases-surge\">an incurable lung disease\u003c/a> linked to the factory-made product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artificial stone, also known as quartz or engineered stone, now makes up most of the business at Scolari Marble and Granite, after overtaking natural stones in popularity. To keep workers from inhaling toxic silica dust generated when cutting quartz, Scolari invested in automated machines that slice stone slabs under a layer of water, sophisticated personal protective equipment, strict clean-up practices, silica air monitoring and other measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think you can get any more stringent on our protocols right now,” said Scolari, 64, observing workers at his Vallejo facility polish quartz countertop edges while wearing powered-air purifying respirators. “We’re on the guys constantly. That is probably 80% of the fight is making sure the guys follow through with all their protection and standards and just following the protocols.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even as companies invest heavily to comply with California’s strict silica rules, a looming regulatory decision could upend the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California regulators are weighing whether to effectively ban the fabrication of artificial stone amid mounting evidence that even rigorous safety measures may not protect workers from silicosis, an aggressive and often fatal lung disease. The decision could reshape a multibillion-dollar industry while determining whether thousands of workers remain at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As silicosis disables hundreds of stonecutters statewide, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is considering a medical association’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/petition-609.html\">petition\u003c/a> to prohibit the fabrication of artificial stone containing more than 1% crystalline silica at its meeting on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078364\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078364\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlos Orellana polishes a countertop at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A final decision on whether to advance the proposal is expected next month \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">amid fierce industry opposition\u003c/a>. A yes vote would kickstart a rulemaking process, meaning it could be months or years before any ban is fully approved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents argue that the problem lies with unlicensed fabricators violating safety requirements, not the material itself. A major U.S. manufacturer and industry representatives are pushing instead to restrict quartz’s supply to only certified fabrication businesses. But worker advocates say research now shows that crystalline silica particles released by artificial stone are more dangerous than previously known, and that even people at compliant shops risk contracting silicosis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fabricators are in a very difficult position because they’re dealing with what I would characterize as an inherently hazardous product. And yet this is what has evolved into the majority of their business,” said David Harrington, a retired Cal/OSHA officer who worked with Scolari and other motivated fabrication business owners to help them comply with the silica regulations.[aside postID=news_12064693 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251115-DEADLY-LUNG-DISEASE-MD-01-KQED-1.jpg']Artificial stone can contain more than 90% silica, which researchers deem uniquely toxic. Keeping exposures low enough at all times is extremely difficult, according to Harrington. Wet routers and saws may temporarily allow dust to become airborne, workers may not always wear the right respirators, and forklift drivers can carry silica residue in their tracks to unsuspecting workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Implementing the current Cal/OSHA rules, which require the wet cutting of artificial stone to limit dust exposure and other steps, significantly reduces airborne silica particles, according to Harrington. But even if all operations complied, it wouldn’t be enough to prevent some stoneworkers from being overexposed to the hazard, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maybe you slow down the rate of disease, but you’re still going to have people working in this industry who are going to develop silicosis,” said Harrington, who spoke before regulators in support of a ban in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California, the only state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/essdashboard.aspx\">actively tracking\u003c/a> silicosis cases in the industry, confirmed more than 540 stoneworkers have contracted the incurable disease since 2019, most of them Latino immigrants. Dozens have undergone lung transplants, and 29 died. Some of the sick workers, who now need oxygen machines to breathe, are only \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11956246/california-fast-tracks-rules-to-protect-stonecutters-from-horrible-deaths\">in their 20s\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cases have also been reported in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Utah \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067166/health-emergency-california-doctors-urge-ban-of-countertop-material-linked-to-deadly-disease\">and other states\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlos Orellana wears a monitor that measures his silica exposure while working polishing countertops at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Occupational doctors proposing that California prohibit the fabrication of artificial stone believe it would encourage consumers and builders to use safer substitutes. Some quartz manufacturers have started selling products with low or no crystalline silica in the U.S. and Australia, the first country to ban high-silica artificial stone in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Scolari, phasing out the dominant material in the countertop industry would be a “huge shock,” but fabricators like himself would simply adapt, he said. He agrees that reducing the level of toxic silica in all quartz countertop products would help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If one company can do it, make a zero silica content quartz or whatever they’re gonna call it, then yeah, I think they should all go to that. Why not? It just makes sense,” said Scolari, who has worked in the slab fabrication business for about 40 years, when customers preferred granite and marble, which are generally considered safer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078375\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078375 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gino Scolari at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As things stand now, Cal/OSHA inspectors say they don’t have the capacity to visit roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/fabops.aspx\">1,300 fabrication operations\u003c/a> statewide, but evidence suggests many shops are not following the rules. Out of the more than 130 shops the division has inspected, 94% had violations, according to Eric Berg, a top Cal/OSHA official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlicensed fabricators have a financial incentive to work on artificial stone without purchasing tools to implement the required protections, Scolari said. People can earn $2,000 or more per day while cutting slabs dry, in front of someone’s house or backyard, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s a lot of money. It’s very tempting. So I think the only thing that I think we could do industry-wide … controlling access to it. Or just banning it outright. Just get rid of it,” said Scolari, adding that workers’ compensation insurance costs have increased due to the silicosis crisis. “Personally, I think regulating it is the correct way. But if you’re gonna ban it, then let’s ban it and move on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078371\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078371\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signs warn of the risk of silica dust exposure at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Silicosis, an ancient occupational disease among miners and stonemasons, resurfaced in an accelerated form in the U.S., coinciding with the explosion in popularity of artificial stone. Quartz, which is stain-resistant and cheaper than natural stones, can be produced in attractive designs and colors. Once installed, it’s safe for consumers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the combination of crystalline silica powder with resins, dyes and other quartz ingredients is powerfully toxic, said Dr. Robert Blink, a former president of the Western Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association, which petitioned for the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The silica particles generated during fabrication and installation processes are so tiny that they lodge deep into the lungs and cause progressive scarring. To handle artificial stone safely, workers would need to wear a Level A hazmat suit, or “spacesuit,” which is generally unworkable, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078367\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers at Scolari Marble & Granite select a slab for cutting in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Humans really can’t work this material safely. You need a robot,” Blink told regulators at a recent meeting. “There may be problems with other materials, there always have been, but it’s nothing as dangerous as this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A vocal opponent of the petition is Cambria, the largest U.S. manufacturer of artificial stone. Other large quartz manufacturers facing hundreds of lawsuits by sick workers, like Israel-based Caesarstone or Cosentino, which is headquartered in Spain, have developed alternative products with lower or no crystalline silica. But Cambria has not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Minnesota-based company, which also runs its own fabrication shops, supports establishing an industry-led \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070138/stone-industry-proposes-self-policing-as-california-weighs-artificial-stone-ban\">certification program\u003c/a>. State Assemblymember Phillip Chen, who represents parts of Orange and San Bernardino counties, introduced \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2137\">a bill\u003c/a> that would require Cal/OSHA to develop a certification process by Jan. 2028.[aside postID=news_12070138 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/StoneWorkerGetty2.jpg']“We know compliant stone fabrication is happening in good shops. It’s possible. It’s feasible. Because we do it,” Rebecca Schult, chief legal counsel at Cambria, told regulators at a meeting last month. “There are no spacesuits, I assure you. There are real human workers, hundreds of them, working with us for over 20 years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, Schult testified at a congressional hearing in support of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">federal bill\u003c/a> that would immunize artificial stone manufacturers and suppliers from liability, by prohibiting civil lawsuits against stone slab manufacturers or sellers for harm resulting from the alteration of their products. The bill, by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., would also dismiss pending lawsuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a recent event attended by a law firm representing about 400 stonecutters claiming silica-related injuries in California and 15 other states, a former large-scale fabricator doubted a certification program would stop the rise of silicosis in the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aki Vourakis, who ran one of the largest stone fabrication companies in the U.S., said Aegean Stoneworks was repeatedly recognized by major quartz manufacturers and suppliers, yet at least eight of his workers developed silicosis. One died in 2025, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I tell you that even one of the best-run, best-capitalized, award-winning shop in the country cannot keep its workers safe, you should understand what that means for the thousands of smaller, less sophisticated operations across the country,” said Vourakis, now a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thealphaconsultinggroup.com/about\">consultant to attorneys \u003c/a>specializing in silica exposure and engineered stone fabrication and installation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "California artificial stone fabricators face a potential ban as regulators weigh action amid rising silicosis cases, even as shops spend heavily on compliance that doctors say may not prevent the deadly lung disease.",
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"title": "California Fabricators Face Possible Artificial Stone Ban as Silicosis Cases Mount | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As artificial stone became the top countertop material in the U.S. over the last decade, fabricator Gino Scolari told KQED he’s spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to protect his employees from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064693/california-doctors-urge-ban-on-engineered-stone-as-silicosis-cases-surge\">an incurable lung disease\u003c/a> linked to the factory-made product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artificial stone, also known as quartz or engineered stone, now makes up most of the business at Scolari Marble and Granite, after overtaking natural stones in popularity. To keep workers from inhaling toxic silica dust generated when cutting quartz, Scolari invested in automated machines that slice stone slabs under a layer of water, sophisticated personal protective equipment, strict clean-up practices, silica air monitoring and other measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think you can get any more stringent on our protocols right now,” said Scolari, 64, observing workers at his Vallejo facility polish quartz countertop edges while wearing powered-air purifying respirators. “We’re on the guys constantly. That is probably 80% of the fight is making sure the guys follow through with all their protection and standards and just following the protocols.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even as companies invest heavily to comply with California’s strict silica rules, a looming regulatory decision could upend the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California regulators are weighing whether to effectively ban the fabrication of artificial stone amid mounting evidence that even rigorous safety measures may not protect workers from silicosis, an aggressive and often fatal lung disease. The decision could reshape a multibillion-dollar industry while determining whether thousands of workers remain at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As silicosis disables hundreds of stonecutters statewide, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is considering a medical association’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/petition-609.html\">petition\u003c/a> to prohibit the fabrication of artificial stone containing more than 1% crystalline silica at its meeting on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078364\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078364\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlos Orellana polishes a countertop at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A final decision on whether to advance the proposal is expected next month \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">amid fierce industry opposition\u003c/a>. A yes vote would kickstart a rulemaking process, meaning it could be months or years before any ban is fully approved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents argue that the problem lies with unlicensed fabricators violating safety requirements, not the material itself. A major U.S. manufacturer and industry representatives are pushing instead to restrict quartz’s supply to only certified fabrication businesses. But worker advocates say research now shows that crystalline silica particles released by artificial stone are more dangerous than previously known, and that even people at compliant shops risk contracting silicosis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fabricators are in a very difficult position because they’re dealing with what I would characterize as an inherently hazardous product. And yet this is what has evolved into the majority of their business,” said David Harrington, a retired Cal/OSHA officer who worked with Scolari and other motivated fabrication business owners to help them comply with the silica regulations.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Artificial stone can contain more than 90% silica, which researchers deem uniquely toxic. Keeping exposures low enough at all times is extremely difficult, according to Harrington. Wet routers and saws may temporarily allow dust to become airborne, workers may not always wear the right respirators, and forklift drivers can carry silica residue in their tracks to unsuspecting workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Implementing the current Cal/OSHA rules, which require the wet cutting of artificial stone to limit dust exposure and other steps, significantly reduces airborne silica particles, according to Harrington. But even if all operations complied, it wouldn’t be enough to prevent some stoneworkers from being overexposed to the hazard, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maybe you slow down the rate of disease, but you’re still going to have people working in this industry who are going to develop silicosis,” said Harrington, who spoke before regulators in support of a ban in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California, the only state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/essdashboard.aspx\">actively tracking\u003c/a> silicosis cases in the industry, confirmed more than 540 stoneworkers have contracted the incurable disease since 2019, most of them Latino immigrants. Dozens have undergone lung transplants, and 29 died. Some of the sick workers, who now need oxygen machines to breathe, are only \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11956246/california-fast-tracks-rules-to-protect-stonecutters-from-horrible-deaths\">in their 20s\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cases have also been reported in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Utah \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067166/health-emergency-california-doctors-urge-ban-of-countertop-material-linked-to-deadly-disease\">and other states\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlos Orellana wears a monitor that measures his silica exposure while working polishing countertops at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Occupational doctors proposing that California prohibit the fabrication of artificial stone believe it would encourage consumers and builders to use safer substitutes. Some quartz manufacturers have started selling products with low or no crystalline silica in the U.S. and Australia, the first country to ban high-silica artificial stone in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Scolari, phasing out the dominant material in the countertop industry would be a “huge shock,” but fabricators like himself would simply adapt, he said. He agrees that reducing the level of toxic silica in all quartz countertop products would help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If one company can do it, make a zero silica content quartz or whatever they’re gonna call it, then yeah, I think they should all go to that. Why not? It just makes sense,” said Scolari, who has worked in the slab fabrication business for about 40 years, when customers preferred granite and marble, which are generally considered safer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078375\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078375 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gino Scolari at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As things stand now, Cal/OSHA inspectors say they don’t have the capacity to visit roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/fabops.aspx\">1,300 fabrication operations\u003c/a> statewide, but evidence suggests many shops are not following the rules. Out of the more than 130 shops the division has inspected, 94% had violations, according to Eric Berg, a top Cal/OSHA official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlicensed fabricators have a financial incentive to work on artificial stone without purchasing tools to implement the required protections, Scolari said. People can earn $2,000 or more per day while cutting slabs dry, in front of someone’s house or backyard, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s a lot of money. It’s very tempting. So I think the only thing that I think we could do industry-wide … controlling access to it. Or just banning it outright. Just get rid of it,” said Scolari, adding that workers’ compensation insurance costs have increased due to the silicosis crisis. “Personally, I think regulating it is the correct way. But if you’re gonna ban it, then let’s ban it and move on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078371\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078371\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signs warn of the risk of silica dust exposure at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Silicosis, an ancient occupational disease among miners and stonemasons, resurfaced in an accelerated form in the U.S., coinciding with the explosion in popularity of artificial stone. Quartz, which is stain-resistant and cheaper than natural stones, can be produced in attractive designs and colors. Once installed, it’s safe for consumers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the combination of crystalline silica powder with resins, dyes and other quartz ingredients is powerfully toxic, said Dr. Robert Blink, a former president of the Western Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association, which petitioned for the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The silica particles generated during fabrication and installation processes are so tiny that they lodge deep into the lungs and cause progressive scarring. To handle artificial stone safely, workers would need to wear a Level A hazmat suit, or “spacesuit,” which is generally unworkable, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078367\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers at Scolari Marble & Granite select a slab for cutting in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Humans really can’t work this material safely. You need a robot,” Blink told regulators at a recent meeting. “There may be problems with other materials, there always have been, but it’s nothing as dangerous as this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A vocal opponent of the petition is Cambria, the largest U.S. manufacturer of artificial stone. Other large quartz manufacturers facing hundreds of lawsuits by sick workers, like Israel-based Caesarstone or Cosentino, which is headquartered in Spain, have developed alternative products with lower or no crystalline silica. But Cambria has not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Minnesota-based company, which also runs its own fabrication shops, supports establishing an industry-led \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070138/stone-industry-proposes-self-policing-as-california-weighs-artificial-stone-ban\">certification program\u003c/a>. State Assemblymember Phillip Chen, who represents parts of Orange and San Bernardino counties, introduced \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2137\">a bill\u003c/a> that would require Cal/OSHA to develop a certification process by Jan. 2028.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We know compliant stone fabrication is happening in good shops. It’s possible. It’s feasible. Because we do it,” Rebecca Schult, chief legal counsel at Cambria, told regulators at a meeting last month. “There are no spacesuits, I assure you. There are real human workers, hundreds of them, working with us for over 20 years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, Schult testified at a congressional hearing in support of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">federal bill\u003c/a> that would immunize artificial stone manufacturers and suppliers from liability, by prohibiting civil lawsuits against stone slab manufacturers or sellers for harm resulting from the alteration of their products. The bill, by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., would also dismiss pending lawsuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a recent event attended by a law firm representing about 400 stonecutters claiming silica-related injuries in California and 15 other states, a former large-scale fabricator doubted a certification program would stop the rise of silicosis in the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aki Vourakis, who ran one of the largest stone fabrication companies in the U.S., said Aegean Stoneworks was repeatedly recognized by major quartz manufacturers and suppliers, yet at least eight of his workers developed silicosis. One died in 2025, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I tell you that even one of the best-run, best-capitalized, award-winning shop in the country cannot keep its workers safe, you should understand what that means for the thousands of smaller, less sophisticated operations across the country,” said Vourakis, now a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thealphaconsultinggroup.com/about\">consultant to attorneys \u003c/a>specializing in silica exposure and engineered stone fabrication and installation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Maria-Elena Healy knew layoffs could be coming, but the vague warnings and whispers she had heard leading up to Monday didn’t prepare her for the shock that morning when she and three other nurses at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/laguna-honda-hospital\">Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center\u003c/a> found out they were losing their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was hard to hear. It just felt like we had leadership who were not transparent and didn’t value the expertise of clinicians that actually work at the bedside,” said Healy, a registered nurse who grew up in San Francisco and has worked at Laguna Honda for 10 years. “Staff members are reaching out to us across all disciplines, saying, ‘What’s going to happen to your work?’ It just doesn’t make sense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ax is expected to fall on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075213/san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-looks-to-eliminate-500-city-jobs\">hundreds of city workers\u003c/a> like Healy as San Francisco looks to narrow its $643 million budget deficit over the next two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070484/tune-in-tonight-san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-live-on-kqed\">Mayor Daniel Lurie’s administration\u003c/a> sent 127 layoff notices to city employees across 18 different departments, part of a total of around 500 positions that the mayor intends to cut. Additional layoffs are expected to be announced later this spring, and the mayor has said he also intends to freeze about 2,000 open positions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a choice: take action now or be forced to do twice as much in the coming years,” Lurie said in a statement. “The steps we’re taking today are a painful but necessary continuation of the work we’ve been doing since last year to manage taxpayer dollars responsibly and deliver the best possible services for San Franciscans.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Departments impacted by the 127 layoffs so far include the Department of Public Health, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the City Administrator’s Office, the Human Services Agency and the Police Department. A spokesperson for Lurie’s office did not specify which departments have seen the most layoffs so far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11958378\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11958378\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Signage reading Laguna Honda Hospital over the entryway to a large tile-roofed building.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Laguna Honda Hospital administration building in San Francisco on Jan. 31, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The layoffs were expected even as the city’s projected budget deficit improved from $936 million to $643 million in a recent \u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/March_Update_FY_26-27_through_FY_29-30_FINAL.pdf\">City Controller’s report\u003c/a>. President Donald Trump’s federal spending cuts have drastically deepened the city’s budget shortfall, and in December, Lurie directed departments to find ways to cut a total of $400 million ahead of his budget proposal coming next month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But city workers and advocates for the services they provide say the city is ignoring alternatives that could save jobs and minimize impacts to residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The city has funds. They just need to dip into their reserves,” Healy said. “There’s no reason to diminish the care that we provide to the residents of San Francisco. This is a safety net hospital.”[aside postID=news_12078490 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GroceriesAP.jpg']She and others are also calling for the passage of Proposition D, the Overpaid CEO Act, which would levy taxes on large corporations where the chief executive earns more than 100 times their median employee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In one of the richest cities in the world, cuts like this are a choice, not a necessity,” Mark Leach, Teamsters 856 representative and San Francisco resident, said in a statement. “Large corporations are cashing in on Trump’s tax breaks, but we can make them pay their fair share in San Francisco by passing Prop D in June.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of the proposition say it could generate up to $300 million in funding to backfill money the city has lost in economic fallout surrounding the pandemic and since cuts by the Trump Administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie’s goal to shave off $400 million in annual spending includes about $100 million from personnel savings, which his administration has estimated will translate to about 500 positions eliminated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some workers who received pink slips this week got a 30-day notice, and others may have 60 days, depending on their position and tenure. Some civil service employees whose jobs are being eliminated will be able to request a different position.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079148\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 750px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079148\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Maria-Elena-Healy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"995\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Maria-Elena-Healy-2.jpg 750w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Maria-Elena-Healy-2-160x212.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maria-Elena Healy, a registered nurse at Laguna Honda Hospital, was among the 127 San Francisco city workers to receive layoff notices this week. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Maria-Elena Healy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Healy said she received a 60-day notice for her termination, but any details on her employment options with the city have been opaque.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They actually could not answer some of the questions that we had,” Healy said. “It’s very difficult to make decisions about our lives and our livelihoods when the city failed to even give us the information that we needed to make those decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Healy said she and her three colleagues, who were also laid off, are clinical nurse specialists with expertise in certain areas, like cardiovascular health and diabetes care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s seen Laguna Honda, one of the country’s oldest and largest public skilled nursing homes, weather a storm of regulatory challenges in recent years, including when state and federal regulators pulled its Medicaid and Medicare certification and nearly shut the hospital down several years ago amid a series of safety violations. The facility has since made safety improvements and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991292/laguna-honda-recertified-by-medicare-in-major-milestone-for-san-francisco-hospital\">regained certification\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Part of our role as clinical nurse specialists has actually been to help support the facility through being recertified. We are trained to look at system issues and develop programs to support the needs of patients,” Healy said. “It just felt like the organization doesn’t understand how we helped use our skills to bring us back to certification.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco has about 30,000 employees overall and a nearly $16 billion budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cuts this year come after the city managed to stave off many of the layoffs proposed during last year’s budget cycle. Last cycle, Lurie sought to eliminate 100 filled positions, but after negotiations with city leaders, unions and stakeholders, 40 jobs were cut. The final plan cut about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12041773/san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-plans-to-cut-1400-jobs-in-city-budget-proposal\">1,400 mostly vacant positions\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My job as mayor is to set up our city for success, not just today but for years to come,” Lurie said in response to the recent controller’s report, which projected a lower budget deficit overall. “We will deliver a fiscally sound budget that prioritizes core services, delivers results for San Franciscans and ensures a broad and durable economic recovery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie must present his upcoming budget proposal by June 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Maria-Elena Healy knew layoffs could be coming, but the vague warnings and whispers she had heard leading up to Monday didn’t prepare her for the shock that morning when she and three other nurses at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/laguna-honda-hospital\">Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center\u003c/a> found out they were losing their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was hard to hear. It just felt like we had leadership who were not transparent and didn’t value the expertise of clinicians that actually work at the bedside,” said Healy, a registered nurse who grew up in San Francisco and has worked at Laguna Honda for 10 years. “Staff members are reaching out to us across all disciplines, saying, ‘What’s going to happen to your work?’ It just doesn’t make sense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ax is expected to fall on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075213/san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-looks-to-eliminate-500-city-jobs\">hundreds of city workers\u003c/a> like Healy as San Francisco looks to narrow its $643 million budget deficit over the next two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070484/tune-in-tonight-san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-live-on-kqed\">Mayor Daniel Lurie’s administration\u003c/a> sent 127 layoff notices to city employees across 18 different departments, part of a total of around 500 positions that the mayor intends to cut. Additional layoffs are expected to be announced later this spring, and the mayor has said he also intends to freeze about 2,000 open positions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a choice: take action now or be forced to do twice as much in the coming years,” Lurie said in a statement. “The steps we’re taking today are a painful but necessary continuation of the work we’ve been doing since last year to manage taxpayer dollars responsibly and deliver the best possible services for San Franciscans.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Departments impacted by the 127 layoffs so far include the Department of Public Health, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the City Administrator’s Office, the Human Services Agency and the Police Department. A spokesperson for Lurie’s office did not specify which departments have seen the most layoffs so far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11958378\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11958378\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Signage reading Laguna Honda Hospital over the entryway to a large tile-roofed building.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS62463_010_KQED_LagunaHondaHospital_01312023-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Laguna Honda Hospital administration building in San Francisco on Jan. 31, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The layoffs were expected even as the city’s projected budget deficit improved from $936 million to $643 million in a recent \u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/March_Update_FY_26-27_through_FY_29-30_FINAL.pdf\">City Controller’s report\u003c/a>. President Donald Trump’s federal spending cuts have drastically deepened the city’s budget shortfall, and in December, Lurie directed departments to find ways to cut a total of $400 million ahead of his budget proposal coming next month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But city workers and advocates for the services they provide say the city is ignoring alternatives that could save jobs and minimize impacts to residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The city has funds. They just need to dip into their reserves,” Healy said. “There’s no reason to diminish the care that we provide to the residents of San Francisco. This is a safety net hospital.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>She and others are also calling for the passage of Proposition D, the Overpaid CEO Act, which would levy taxes on large corporations where the chief executive earns more than 100 times their median employee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In one of the richest cities in the world, cuts like this are a choice, not a necessity,” Mark Leach, Teamsters 856 representative and San Francisco resident, said in a statement. “Large corporations are cashing in on Trump’s tax breaks, but we can make them pay their fair share in San Francisco by passing Prop D in June.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of the proposition say it could generate up to $300 million in funding to backfill money the city has lost in economic fallout surrounding the pandemic and since cuts by the Trump Administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie’s goal to shave off $400 million in annual spending includes about $100 million from personnel savings, which his administration has estimated will translate to about 500 positions eliminated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some workers who received pink slips this week got a 30-day notice, and others may have 60 days, depending on their position and tenure. Some civil service employees whose jobs are being eliminated will be able to request a different position.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079148\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 750px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079148\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Maria-Elena-Healy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"995\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Maria-Elena-Healy-2.jpg 750w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Maria-Elena-Healy-2-160x212.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maria-Elena Healy, a registered nurse at Laguna Honda Hospital, was among the 127 San Francisco city workers to receive layoff notices this week. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Maria-Elena Healy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Healy said she received a 60-day notice for her termination, but any details on her employment options with the city have been opaque.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They actually could not answer some of the questions that we had,” Healy said. “It’s very difficult to make decisions about our lives and our livelihoods when the city failed to even give us the information that we needed to make those decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Healy said she and her three colleagues, who were also laid off, are clinical nurse specialists with expertise in certain areas, like cardiovascular health and diabetes care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s seen Laguna Honda, one of the country’s oldest and largest public skilled nursing homes, weather a storm of regulatory challenges in recent years, including when state and federal regulators pulled its Medicaid and Medicare certification and nearly shut the hospital down several years ago amid a series of safety violations. The facility has since made safety improvements and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991292/laguna-honda-recertified-by-medicare-in-major-milestone-for-san-francisco-hospital\">regained certification\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Part of our role as clinical nurse specialists has actually been to help support the facility through being recertified. We are trained to look at system issues and develop programs to support the needs of patients,” Healy said. “It just felt like the organization doesn’t understand how we helped use our skills to bring us back to certification.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco has about 30,000 employees overall and a nearly $16 billion budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cuts this year come after the city managed to stave off many of the layoffs proposed during last year’s budget cycle. Last cycle, Lurie sought to eliminate 100 filled positions, but after negotiations with city leaders, unions and stakeholders, 40 jobs were cut. The final plan cut about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12041773/san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-plans-to-cut-1400-jobs-in-city-budget-proposal\">1,400 mostly vacant positions\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My job as mayor is to set up our city for success, not just today but for years to come,” Lurie said in response to the recent controller’s report, which projected a lower budget deficit overall. “We will deliver a fiscally sound budget that prioritizes core services, delivers results for San Franciscans and ensures a broad and durable economic recovery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie must present his upcoming budget proposal by June 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cb>Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, April 8, 2026\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.healthinpartnership.org/resources/beyond-the-cycle-of-survival-wages-health-and-justice-for-farmworkers\">A new report is shedding light\u003c/a> on the lives of California farmworkers. It argues low wages are not just an economic issue, but a public health crisis. The report is called Beyond the Cycle of Survival, and it looks at how pay impacts workers’ health, families, and communities. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">An investigation is underway after \u003ca href=\"https://www.modbee.com/news/california/article315335981.html\">federal authorities shot and wounded a person\u003c/a> they were apparently trying to arrest. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security says it happened after officers pulled over the man in Patterson in Stanislaus County on Tuesday.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1422\">bill to restore state health care coverage\u003c/a> for low-income undocumented Californians will face its first hearing at the state Capitol on Wednesday.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Low wages, inequity affecting the health of farmworkers in California\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Agriculture has long been one of the driving forces of California’s economy. But \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthinpartnership.org/resources/beyond-the-cycle-of-survival-wages-health-and-justice-for-farmworkers\">a new report\u003c/a> is shining some light on the plight of farmworkers themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report, “Beyond the Cycle of Survival: Wages, Health, and Justice for Farmworkers” looked at how low wages and inequity are impacting the health of farmworkers and their families. “What we found is that California’s agricultural economy generates substantial wealth, but that wealth is not distributed equitably,” said Elana Muldavin with the organization Health in Partnership, one of the organizations that conducted the study. “Agriculture in California is a $60 billion industry, yet farmworker wages fall far below what’s considered livable anywhere in our state. Crop farmworkers in California earn $17.10 per hour statewide, and previous research from UC Merced found that farmworkers earn $15,000 a year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the low pay is not just an economic issue. The report found that it’s also causing a public health crisis, contributing to higher rates of workplace injuries, chronic illness, poor birth outcomes, stress, and anxiety among farmworker families. “Every single person that we interviewed said that their wages aren’t enough to cover the cost of their basic needs. People talked about having to make impossible trade-offs, like having to pick between going to the doctor and having something to eat,” Muldavin said. “Entire families are affected. People spoke about how it’s difficult to afford the things that their children want and need, like diapers, food and clothes. And it’s also difficult for farmworking parents to spend enough time with their children when they come home exhausted from working so hard to make ends meet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Muldavin said their research underscored the need for an industry-wide livable wage standard for farmworkers and how doing so would improve the public health and well-being for farmworkers and their families.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079006/federal-immigration-officers-say-they-shot-suspected-gang-member-in-central-california\">\u003cstrong>Conflicting reports over man shot by immigration agents in Patterson\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/ice\">agents\u003c/a> shot and wounded a person who they said is a suspected gang member in central California. The agency said he is wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection to a murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ICE officers were attempting to arrest Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez in the town of Patterson when they say he tried to run over one of the agents. DHS said the officers opened fire to protect themselves. Mendoza was wounded and taken to a hospital, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An attorney representing Mendoza Hernandez said his client did not try to run over officers and disputed claims about a warrant in El Salvador.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Bill to restore health care for undocumented Californians has first hearing \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Only two Democratic lawmakers voted against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal last year curtailing health care for undocumented immigrants. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2025/07/california-latino-caucus-legislators-immigrants-health-care-medi-cal/\">Sen. Maria Elena Durazo was one them\u003c/a>. Now, Durazo, a Democrat from Los Angeles, is proposing legislation that would reverse many of those immigrant health care cuts and reinstate Medi-Cal eligibility for all income-qualifying residents regardless of citizenship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1422\">Senate Bill 1422\u003c/a> would ensure that all immigrant adults age 19 and older could enroll in Medi-Cal. It would not reverse limits placed on dental benefits that last year’s state budget included, nor would it eliminate the $30 monthly premium required of the same population starting in July 2027. The state budget last year did not cut benefits for children without legal status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill is having its first hearing in Sacramento on Wednesday. The 2025-26 State Budget froze Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults, a move that is projected to save the state more than $5 billion a year.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cb>Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, April 8, 2026\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.healthinpartnership.org/resources/beyond-the-cycle-of-survival-wages-health-and-justice-for-farmworkers\">A new report is shedding light\u003c/a> on the lives of California farmworkers. It argues low wages are not just an economic issue, but a public health crisis. The report is called Beyond the Cycle of Survival, and it looks at how pay impacts workers’ health, families, and communities. \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">An investigation is underway after \u003ca href=\"https://www.modbee.com/news/california/article315335981.html\">federal authorities shot and wounded a person\u003c/a> they were apparently trying to arrest. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security says it happened after officers pulled over the man in Patterson in Stanislaus County on Tuesday.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1422\">bill to restore state health care coverage\u003c/a> for low-income undocumented Californians will face its first hearing at the state Capitol on Wednesday.\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Low wages, inequity affecting the health of farmworkers in California\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Agriculture has long been one of the driving forces of California’s economy. But \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthinpartnership.org/resources/beyond-the-cycle-of-survival-wages-health-and-justice-for-farmworkers\">a new report\u003c/a> is shining some light on the plight of farmworkers themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report, “Beyond the Cycle of Survival: Wages, Health, and Justice for Farmworkers” looked at how low wages and inequity are impacting the health of farmworkers and their families. “What we found is that California’s agricultural economy generates substantial wealth, but that wealth is not distributed equitably,” said Elana Muldavin with the organization Health in Partnership, one of the organizations that conducted the study. “Agriculture in California is a $60 billion industry, yet farmworker wages fall far below what’s considered livable anywhere in our state. Crop farmworkers in California earn $17.10 per hour statewide, and previous research from UC Merced found that farmworkers earn $15,000 a year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the low pay is not just an economic issue. The report found that it’s also causing a public health crisis, contributing to higher rates of workplace injuries, chronic illness, poor birth outcomes, stress, and anxiety among farmworker families. “Every single person that we interviewed said that their wages aren’t enough to cover the cost of their basic needs. People talked about having to make impossible trade-offs, like having to pick between going to the doctor and having something to eat,” Muldavin said. “Entire families are affected. People spoke about how it’s difficult to afford the things that their children want and need, like diapers, food and clothes. And it’s also difficult for farmworking parents to spend enough time with their children when they come home exhausted from working so hard to make ends meet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Muldavin said their research underscored the need for an industry-wide livable wage standard for farmworkers and how doing so would improve the public health and well-being for farmworkers and their families.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079006/federal-immigration-officers-say-they-shot-suspected-gang-member-in-central-california\">\u003cstrong>Conflicting reports over man shot by immigration agents in Patterson\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/ice\">agents\u003c/a> shot and wounded a person who they said is a suspected gang member in central California. The agency said he is wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection to a murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ICE officers were attempting to arrest Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez in the town of Patterson when they say he tried to run over one of the agents. DHS said the officers opened fire to protect themselves. Mendoza was wounded and taken to a hospital, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An attorney representing Mendoza Hernandez said his client did not try to run over officers and disputed claims about a warrant in El Salvador.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Bill to restore health care for undocumented Californians has first hearing \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Only two Democratic lawmakers voted against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal last year curtailing health care for undocumented immigrants. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2025/07/california-latino-caucus-legislators-immigrants-health-care-medi-cal/\">Sen. Maria Elena Durazo was one them\u003c/a>. Now, Durazo, a Democrat from Los Angeles, is proposing legislation that would reverse many of those immigrant health care cuts and reinstate Medi-Cal eligibility for all income-qualifying residents regardless of citizenship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1422\">Senate Bill 1422\u003c/a> would ensure that all immigrant adults age 19 and older could enroll in Medi-Cal. It would not reverse limits placed on dental benefits that last year’s state budget included, nor would it eliminate the $30 monthly premium required of the same population starting in July 2027. The state budget last year did not cut benefits for children without legal status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill is having its first hearing in Sacramento on Wednesday. The 2025-26 State Budget froze Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults, a move that is projected to save the state more than $5 billion a year.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "google-updates-suicide-self-harm-safeguards-in-gemini-as-ai-lawsuits-mount",
"title": "Google Updates Suicide, Self-Harm Safeguards in Gemini as AI Lawsuits Mount",
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"content": "\u003cp>As a growing number of lawsuits allege AI chatbots are cultivating emotional dependency loops with humans, Alphabet’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/google\">Google\u003c/a> announced it will direct Gemini chatbot users to a support hotline if the conversation indicates a “potential crisis related to suicide or self-harm.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a\u003ca href=\"https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/health/mental-health-updates/\"> blog post\u003c/a>, Google wrote that Gemini will introduce a redesigned “Help is available” feature, developed in collaboration with clinical experts. “Once the interface is activated, the option to reach out for professional help will remain clearly available throughout the remainder of the conversation,” the post stated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Google wrote that it has trained Gemini “not to agree with or reinforce false beliefs, and instead gently distinguish subjective experience from objective fact.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Psychologically vulnerable people turning to chatbots to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049674\">go down rabbit holes\u003c/a> could have been predicted, according to Jennifer King, a privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. “To some extent, you can anticipate some of the harms we see,” she told KQED. “We’ve seen people acting bad with technology across a variety of behaviors for a very long time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the blog post does not mention lawsuits, the family of a 36-year-old man who died in Florida\u003ca href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-04/google-gemini-accused-of-coaching-user-to-suicide-in-new-suit\"> sued Google\u003c/a> in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California last month, claiming that his use of Gemini devolved into a “\u003ca href=\"https://news.bloomberglaw.com/artificial-intelligence/google-gemini-accused-of-coaching-user-to-suicide-in-new-suit\">four-day descent into violent missions and coached suicide\u003c/a>.” At the time, Google said the chatbot repeatedly referred the man to a crisis hotline, but the company also promised to improve Gemini’s safeguards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/embed/DR-vBOsyQPE\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Google is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063401/openai-faces-legal-storm-over-claims-its-ai-drove-users-to-suicide-delusions\">not the only AI developer\u003c/a> facing lawsuits over allegations that its chatbots encourage some users to form obsessive relationships with them, feed delusions and even contribute to plans for suicide or murder. Research also suggests users\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12038154/kids-talking-ai-companion-chatbots-stanford-researchers-say-thats-bad-idea\"> form intense, quasi-romantic bonds\u003c/a> with chatbots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The guardrails are obviously necessary, King said. “There have been many cases of users experiencing psychosis and other problems,” she added, noting the sycophancy or agreeability built into the chatbots’ design encourages unstable behavior, “as well as their propensity to get people to believe things that just aren’t true.”[aside postID=news_12069286 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/OpenAI.jpg']Guadalupe Hayes-Mota, director of the bioethics program at Santa Clara University, wants to see proof that AI chatbot developers are using clinically validated guidelines for interactions where mental health care is an issue. “Who’s actually making the decision when the crisis pops up for the individual, and how is that being done?” he asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s an awful lot of people who study these things,” King said. “But they’re often not consulted. They’re not part of the process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past year and a half, OpenAI and Anthropic have also adjusted their mental-health guardrails, amid growing public scrutiny and lawsuits. Experts say that in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059714/newsom-vetoes-most-watched-childrens-ai-bill-signs-16-others-targeting-tech\">absence of federal regulation\u003c/a>, court rulings appear to be most effectively inspiring tech companies to take proactive measures like Google’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a case centered around \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063401/openai-faces-legal-storm-over-claims-its-ai-drove-users-to-suicide-delusions\">social media addiction\u003c/a>, using arguments centered around product liability and negligence — sidestepping Section 230, a longstanding legal shield that protects platforms from liability for harmful content that users post.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The updated mental health support features arrive on the heels of lawsuits alleging that Alphabet’s Google, as well as rivals like OpenAI, design chatbots that lead users to self-harm.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As a growing number of lawsuits allege AI chatbots are cultivating emotional dependency loops with humans, Alphabet’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/google\">Google\u003c/a> announced it will direct Gemini chatbot users to a support hotline if the conversation indicates a “potential crisis related to suicide or self-harm.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a\u003ca href=\"https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/health/mental-health-updates/\"> blog post\u003c/a>, Google wrote that Gemini will introduce a redesigned “Help is available” feature, developed in collaboration with clinical experts. “Once the interface is activated, the option to reach out for professional help will remain clearly available throughout the remainder of the conversation,” the post stated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Google wrote that it has trained Gemini “not to agree with or reinforce false beliefs, and instead gently distinguish subjective experience from objective fact.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Psychologically vulnerable people turning to chatbots to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049674\">go down rabbit holes\u003c/a> could have been predicted, according to Jennifer King, a privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. “To some extent, you can anticipate some of the harms we see,” she told KQED. “We’ve seen people acting bad with technology across a variety of behaviors for a very long time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the blog post does not mention lawsuits, the family of a 36-year-old man who died in Florida\u003ca href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-04/google-gemini-accused-of-coaching-user-to-suicide-in-new-suit\"> sued Google\u003c/a> in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California last month, claiming that his use of Gemini devolved into a “\u003ca href=\"https://news.bloomberglaw.com/artificial-intelligence/google-gemini-accused-of-coaching-user-to-suicide-in-new-suit\">four-day descent into violent missions and coached suicide\u003c/a>.” At the time, Google said the chatbot repeatedly referred the man to a crisis hotline, but the company also promised to improve Gemini’s safeguards.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/DR-vBOsyQPE'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/DR-vBOsyQPE'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Google is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063401/openai-faces-legal-storm-over-claims-its-ai-drove-users-to-suicide-delusions\">not the only AI developer\u003c/a> facing lawsuits over allegations that its chatbots encourage some users to form obsessive relationships with them, feed delusions and even contribute to plans for suicide or murder. Research also suggests users\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12038154/kids-talking-ai-companion-chatbots-stanford-researchers-say-thats-bad-idea\"> form intense, quasi-romantic bonds\u003c/a> with chatbots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The guardrails are obviously necessary, King said. “There have been many cases of users experiencing psychosis and other problems,” she added, noting the sycophancy or agreeability built into the chatbots’ design encourages unstable behavior, “as well as their propensity to get people to believe things that just aren’t true.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Guadalupe Hayes-Mota, director of the bioethics program at Santa Clara University, wants to see proof that AI chatbot developers are using clinically validated guidelines for interactions where mental health care is an issue. “Who’s actually making the decision when the crisis pops up for the individual, and how is that being done?” he asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s an awful lot of people who study these things,” King said. “But they’re often not consulted. They’re not part of the process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past year and a half, OpenAI and Anthropic have also adjusted their mental-health guardrails, amid growing public scrutiny and lawsuits. Experts say that in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059714/newsom-vetoes-most-watched-childrens-ai-bill-signs-16-others-targeting-tech\">absence of federal regulation\u003c/a>, court rulings appear to be most effectively inspiring tech companies to take proactive measures like Google’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a case centered around \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063401/openai-faces-legal-storm-over-claims-its-ai-drove-users-to-suicide-delusions\">social media addiction\u003c/a>, using arguments centered around product liability and negligence — sidestepping Section 230, a longstanding legal shield that protects platforms from liability for harmful content that users post.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Is Your Kid a Picky Eater? Here’s What to Know",
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"content": "\u003cp>Chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, hamburgers and fries are all staples of children’s menus in restaurants across the country today — an easy, appealing choice for the young ones at the table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Helen Zoe Veit, associate professor of history at Michigan State University, said that in the 1930s, those foods weren’t common menu items.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You see a lot of lamb. You see a lot of spinach. You see prunes,” Veit said. “And the idea was this is normal kids’ food back then.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In her new book, \u003cem>Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History\u003c/em>, Veit argues that kids used to be much more adventurous eaters than they are today. But a mixture of lifestyle and parenting changes, marketing and the rise of processed foods has made American children very selective eaters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The real mission behind the book is to get a more expansive sense back into our culture of what kids are capable of liking,” she said recently on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913144/why-are-american-kids-such-picky-eaters\">KQED’s \u003cem>Forum\u003c/em>\u003c/a> program. “Far from the myth that we have that, ‘OK, maybe you could force your kid to hatefully accept these foods.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078821\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078821 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FrenchFriesGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FrenchFriesGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FrenchFriesGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FrenchFriesGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mixture of lifestyle and parenting changes, marketing and the rise of processed foods has made American children very selective eaters, according to Helen Zoe Veit, associate professor of history at Michigan State University \u003ccite>(Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“To get us back toward this idea of teaching kids to love diverse foods. To get actual, authentic pleasure and a much bigger sense of pleasure back into kids’ food,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Forum\u003c/em> spoke to Veit and UC Davis pediatrician Dr. Erik Fernandez y Garcia about how children became such picky eaters — and what parents can do to encourage more adventurous eating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mina Kim: So, how \u003cem>did\u003c/em> American children use to eat? Has it always been like this?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit:\u003c/strong> Americans, in general, in let’s say the 19th century, ate so much more diversely than we do today in terms of species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They ate an incredible variety of plant species, a lot more heirloom varieties, wild plants, lots more animal species than we do — all sorts of different kinds of birds, and fish, and shellfish and organ meats. And the crucial thing is that children, with very few exceptions, generally ate what their parents were eating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The even more crucial part is that they weren’t just eating the food. Everybody agreed they liked it. There was a broad idea that kids love to eat. They’re naturally omnivorous.[aside postID=forum_2010101913144 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2026/03/PICKY.jpg']When we think today why did kids eat more broadly in the past, we usually make two assumptions. One is scarcity. We imagine, “OK, there wasn’t enough food to go around, so kids were forcing down hated foods as the only alternative to starvation.” Or we might imagine it was harsh discipline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the fascinating thing from history is that, really, neither is true. Now, that being said, hunger is important. And there were plenty of people in the past who were poor. There were desperately poor people in America, and poor kids, by all accounts, ate eagerly. However, middle-class kids, children of the wealthiest families, farm children who were living in situations of abundance, they were eating eagerly, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They were doing more chores, they were walking more, they were spending more time outside, and they weren’t snacking much. Snacks were logistically hard. Before you had plastics, highly processed food, and refrigerators, there wasn’t a whole lot of edible food available between meals. So kids showed up to meals with really big appetites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m not advocating for a return to some of the child labor practices that were going on. But certainly, probably, there are lots of kids who would be happier if they were moving around more during the day. We know exercise is important for all of us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How would you characterize kids’ eating habits \u003cem>today\u003c/em>? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>Many parents are just trying to do the best they possibly can to feed their kids. They want their kids to be happy, they want to please their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And they’ve gotten a lot of marketing messages and other messages. There are a lot of myths swirling about children’s foods, that to please our kids, we have to feed them a pretty narrow range of foods. There are a lot of products in the supermarket that are geared specifically toward kids. Children’s food has become its own genre.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The irony for me is that so much of modern kids’ food is actually about displeasure. It’s about helping kids avoid all of these foods that they’re supposedly incapable of liking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How do you think modern parenting influenced these kinds of habits?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>Parenting around food is so hard today. For many families, it’s the hardest thing about parenting. And that’s not something I say lightly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that is because parents have been put in this impossible position. On the one hand, they’ve been told, “Be so careful about talking to your kids about food. Never push them to eat anything in particular. Kids are natural rebels. If you push them to eat something, they will develop lifelong aversions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078825 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/kideatingchickennuggetsgetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/kideatingchickennuggetsgetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/kideatingchickennuggetsgetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/kideatingchickennuggetsgetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the previous generations, kids were acquiring taste as soon as they were learning to eat, according to Helen Zoe Veit, associate professor of history at Michigan State University. \u003ccite>(Tang Ming Tung/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[Or] “If you pushed them to a particular quantity, they’ll never develop a sense of authentic fullness, and that will lead to overeating and maybe obesity.” Or, “If you make food too emotional or too stressful, that could lead to disordered eating, even eating disorders.” Parents are so scared about doing the wrong thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But at the same time, they’re told kids’ health is actually really important. Childhood obesity rates are rising. Children are developing these chronic diseases in childhood, such as type 2 diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure, all of these things that in the past were rare. Parents feel paralyzed. They don’t know what to do. They feel stuck. A lot of parents today have the sense that children need special, separate meals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How do processed meals come into the mix? How did that influence how kids eat?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>The flood of highly processed foods into many American homes in the mid-20th century is another big factor in establishing new expectations for how easy it might be for children to like foods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, if you hear that something’s an acquired taste, we think that means it’s an adult food. That’s synonymous with adulthood for us. In the previous generations, kids were acquiring taste as soon as they were learning to eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But once highly processed foods enter American homes, it’s clear that there are lots of foods kids don’t have to acquire the taste for. They like them instantly. And so it becomes less of a natural part of many families’ lives to try to teach kids to like food over an extended period of time. At the same time, psychologists start telling parents that it’s psychologically risky to talk to your kids too much about what they should eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marketing played a huge role. Marketing just was shamelessly directed at kids in the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, even in ways that today we’d probably be a little uncomfortable with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Why is there this emphasis on children’s food needing to be bland?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit:\u003c/strong> Back in the 19th century, a lot of children got sick and died. The number one cause of death was epidemic disease. But the number two cause was unrefrigerated food and food poisoning.[aside postID=news_12078168 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-11-BL-KQED.jpg']But the problem was that back in the 19th century, before the last part of the century, Americans didn’t know about germs. They didn’t know about viruses, microbes, contagion. They didn’t understand how this worked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was this group of reformers saying, “It must be the food.” The very fact that children were such broad eaters, they didn’t see that as fabulous back then. These reformers said, “I think it’s all this diverse food, this over-stimulating food.” It’s what we today would see as pseudoscience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was this real advocacy campaign to encourage parents to feed their children blander food. Now, not a lot of parents listened back in the 19th century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These were relatively fringy ideas, but they started to catch on much more broadly in the early 20th century. By then, it was less about preventing child death, since germ theory was being established and mortality rates were falling. But it was more about protecting children’s supposedly vulnerable stomachs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does the taste of the food come into play? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>It’s almost hard as a cultural historian to say this, but I do think deliciousness matters. So, on the one hand, highly processed food is flooding into Americans’ homes [in the mid-20th century.] It’s been designed in laboratories to be really palatable, to be salty, sweet, fatty, melty, crunchy, to have all of these properties that we really love at the same time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cooking styles had changed. So a lot of the vegetables were frozen or canned, or even the ones that were nominally fresh, they’d been shipped across the country or sometimes the world. They’d been stored for long periods of time. They weren’t as flavorful or fresh as the vegetables enjoyed in previous generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12054031\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12054031\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250827-CLIMATERESILIENTCHILDCARECENTER-19-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250827-CLIMATERESILIENTCHILDCARECENTER-19-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250827-CLIMATERESILIENTCHILDCARECENTER-19-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250827-CLIMATERESILIENTCHILDCARECENTER-19-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students learn how to cut vegetables for a salad at the North Bay Children’s Center in Novato on Aug. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I do think cooking can be a really important tool. Now, of course, that leads to all sorts of other questions, like time. Do we have time to cook? How are our work-life balances structured? How are families structured? Who is doing this work? It also leads to things like, do we know how to cook in the first place?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the many things that I think could help with pickiness and maybe with life in general is if we reintroduced cooking classes to public schools. This is another thing that used to happen in the past. Of course, it used to be pretty gendered through home economics programs, at least in the mid-20th century. But we could reimagine public education to include this, maybe most basic of life skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How is this an American phenomenon — and is it spreading?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>There’s so much to learn from other countries. Now, that being said, pickiness is spreading around the world. Where our highly processed food supply goes, so do ideas about children’s pickiness. And so also goes rising child obesity rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are still lots of places where you can find totally non-picky children. I actually just heard recently from a pediatrician who works in Harlem, and he works with a lot of children of West African immigrants there. And he says they arrive in the U.S. with fabulous diets. They love vegetables. They love all sorts of diverse foods. And they have pretty healthy BMIs. They’re tall. And then, within just a few years of being exposed to standard American children’s food, we see the same kind of health problems that we see with other kids. They adopt this highly palatable, more processed diet, and other problems ensue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So what can you do to prevent picky eating before it occurs?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fernandez y Garcia: \u003c/strong>There’s a lot of fear that parents have around the types of foods that they can start their kids on, following this idea that there are certain textures and purees that are safer for kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And I think that that misunderstanding of child physiology and anatomy of what they can handle leads them to restrict the types of foods that they’re having when they first begin to be able to have solid foods, which for us is generally around six months of age when they can hold their head up nice and straight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12006360\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2121px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12006360 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171.jpg 2121w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2121px) 100vw, 2121px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Parents can help picky eaters develop broader tastes by introducing a variety of flavors early — from pureed meats like chicken, fish and beef to soft, chewable foods such as corn on the cob or avocados that build familiarity and oral skills. \u003ccite>(d3sign/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So one way to avoid it is to start at that time, introducing lots of different tastes, textures — things that you prepare at home for yourself as an adult and let kids have at it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[For my kids], there were some things that we did puree, and we started pretty early introducing them to different types of meats: chicken, fish, beef, pureed. But we also integrated things that they could chew on, that had flavor, had taste. But they couldn’t necessarily [eat] given their lack of teeth and jaw strength. You can gnaw pretty well on a corn cob, for example. Or on a bagel that’s frozen. These types of things stimulate the chew reflex. It activates a lot of the developing taste buds. So they can have a mix of both pureed stuff and things that are chewable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fernandez y Garcia:\u003c/strong> I think that feeding and learning to eat a broader array of varied foods is very developmental. And as kids grow and as they learn, there are influences from society and from our families that can help direct that to the outcome that we want.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this case, we want them to eat varied food. So if we’re sitting at the table at our set times, it’s a positive thing. It’s an enjoyable thing, it’s time you get to spend with your family, people are making positive comments about the food that they’re enjoying, and all of that positivity and all that positive feedback, of course, will lead to them enjoying food in general.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How about for neurodivergent children who may have barriers to certain textures and colors?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fernandez y Garcia:\u003c/strong> That is a very, very real cause. There’s celiac disease, there’s allergies to foods, you can have a lot of different gastrointestinal problems. Kids with chronic illnesses have a limited appetite. There are children who have difficulty with the oral motor function, or how they swallow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And personality: some kids are just more rigid. And there’s neurodiversity. I think that all of these different things we have to work through and determine if that is a cause. And then if it’s something like that — which is a very small percentage of the kids who have picky eating — we would ask for help from our developmental specialists, our nutritionists, and there are different techniques that people whose kids have these different conditions can follow to make sure that they have a nutritious, balanced food intake that also is varied but it does take some special interventions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11930253\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11930253 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85.jpg\" alt=\"Trays of apples and orange slices.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1142\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85-800x571.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85-1020x728.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85-1536x1096.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apples and orange slices rest in trays for student lunch at the Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School, in Essex Junction, Vermont on June 9, 2022. \u003ccite>(Lisa Rathke/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>ARFID stands for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. It is an eating disorder that was identified in 2012. It’s vital that if a child is really struggling to eat, parents seek medical help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some of our explanations for pickiness or problem eating, especially when they relate to things like texture or color, as a historian, I will just note that you don’t really see those historically. No one in the past thought children had issues around color. If they were talking about color, they were saying things like, “Add spinach and tomatoes because that bright color contrast will be so appealing to young children.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now this, again, doesn’t mean there aren’t biological aspects of what’s going on. Some children come out of the womb much pickier than others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[But in many cases,] training and practice. We don’t think about this with children’s food a lot, but when given repeated multiple positive exposures, it turns out — certainly history suggests — that children can get used to vastly more interesting things than we think today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What is an indicator that this could be a more serious issue that could use intervention?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fernandez y Garcia:\u003c/strong> When you were talking about ARFID, one of the things that defines that is significant weight loss or inability to eat a varied enough diet to keep kids from having the nutritional, the broadness of nutritional intake that they need to grow normally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parents need to ask themselves often, “Why are they so concerned that their child is picky?” And the answer to that will often lead us to determine whether or not it’s a warning sign of something biomechanical or biological.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are some shifts that you would like to see?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>I think one of the deepest is parents having confidence that kids are actually capable of learning to like broad foods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And of course, some of the comments from earlier, I just want to emphasize, if your child is having trouble eating, seek medical advice. This is crucial. There could be allergies, intolerances or other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what we see when we look across the world or in the American past is this stunning diversity of foods that kids used to genuinely enjoy. And if we can re-inject that confidence into parenting, I think that’s probably the biggest single tool that parents have — when presenting their kids with food, talking with them about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11927059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11927059\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jasmine Cuevas talks with her four children during dinner at their home in East Palo Alto on March 30, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another thing, too, is that parents have been told, “Don’t talk to your kids about health because health is boring. Don’t push any particular food because that will make a child hate it.” There’s no good evidence for that. There’s lots of evidence in the past that when parents enthusiastically promoted the foods they liked to eat, it helped kids learn to like them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can enthusiastically talk about the foods you love to eat. And you don’t have to hold back. Kids are capable of learning to like spicy foods, garlicky foods, fermented foods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What do you do if your kid is \u003cem>already\u003c/em> a picky eater?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>From history, for most humans, there weren’t alternative meals. It wasn’t possible to create this alternative meal before refrigeration, highly processed foods or microwaves. And I know it’s so uncomfortable for parents because we’ve been told you’ll mess your kids up. But the idea that there’s one meal and that’s what there is, and if you don’t eat it, the consequence of not eating is hunger. This is not hunger as punishment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Again, you have deep confidence that they can learn to like this food, but it’s a consequence of you not eating this beautiful family meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re comfortable having that kind of structure when it comes to seat belts, or tooth brushing, or going to school. We’re comfortable with the idea that some things kids just have to do. That could be a step toward getting your children to learn to love those foods again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fernandez y Garcia:\u003c/strong> Every family, again, has their own tolerances and their own approach to parenting and behavior change. Because that’s what we’re talking about: behavior change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Avoiding negative feedback for things that we don’t like is much less effective than giving positive feedback when the behavior that we want happens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re going to have alternate foods, those should be foods that you choose as alternate foods. So if you cook a meal and the child doesn’t like it, you can give them an alternative, but that is one that the parent chooses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, hamburgers and fries are all staples of children’s menus in restaurants across the country today — an easy, appealing choice for the young ones at the table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Helen Zoe Veit, associate professor of history at Michigan State University, said that in the 1930s, those foods weren’t common menu items.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You see a lot of lamb. You see a lot of spinach. You see prunes,” Veit said. “And the idea was this is normal kids’ food back then.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In her new book, \u003cem>Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History\u003c/em>, Veit argues that kids used to be much more adventurous eaters than they are today. But a mixture of lifestyle and parenting changes, marketing and the rise of processed foods has made American children very selective eaters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The real mission behind the book is to get a more expansive sense back into our culture of what kids are capable of liking,” she said recently on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913144/why-are-american-kids-such-picky-eaters\">KQED’s \u003cem>Forum\u003c/em>\u003c/a> program. “Far from the myth that we have that, ‘OK, maybe you could force your kid to hatefully accept these foods.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078821\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078821 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FrenchFriesGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FrenchFriesGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FrenchFriesGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FrenchFriesGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mixture of lifestyle and parenting changes, marketing and the rise of processed foods has made American children very selective eaters, according to Helen Zoe Veit, associate professor of history at Michigan State University \u003ccite>(Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“To get us back toward this idea of teaching kids to love diverse foods. To get actual, authentic pleasure and a much bigger sense of pleasure back into kids’ food,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Forum\u003c/em> spoke to Veit and UC Davis pediatrician Dr. Erik Fernandez y Garcia about how children became such picky eaters — and what parents can do to encourage more adventurous eating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mina Kim: So, how \u003cem>did\u003c/em> American children use to eat? Has it always been like this?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit:\u003c/strong> Americans, in general, in let’s say the 19th century, ate so much more diversely than we do today in terms of species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They ate an incredible variety of plant species, a lot more heirloom varieties, wild plants, lots more animal species than we do — all sorts of different kinds of birds, and fish, and shellfish and organ meats. And the crucial thing is that children, with very few exceptions, generally ate what their parents were eating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The even more crucial part is that they weren’t just eating the food. Everybody agreed they liked it. There was a broad idea that kids love to eat. They’re naturally omnivorous.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When we think today why did kids eat more broadly in the past, we usually make two assumptions. One is scarcity. We imagine, “OK, there wasn’t enough food to go around, so kids were forcing down hated foods as the only alternative to starvation.” Or we might imagine it was harsh discipline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the fascinating thing from history is that, really, neither is true. Now, that being said, hunger is important. And there were plenty of people in the past who were poor. There were desperately poor people in America, and poor kids, by all accounts, ate eagerly. However, middle-class kids, children of the wealthiest families, farm children who were living in situations of abundance, they were eating eagerly, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They were doing more chores, they were walking more, they were spending more time outside, and they weren’t snacking much. Snacks were logistically hard. Before you had plastics, highly processed food, and refrigerators, there wasn’t a whole lot of edible food available between meals. So kids showed up to meals with really big appetites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m not advocating for a return to some of the child labor practices that were going on. But certainly, probably, there are lots of kids who would be happier if they were moving around more during the day. We know exercise is important for all of us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How would you characterize kids’ eating habits \u003cem>today\u003c/em>? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>Many parents are just trying to do the best they possibly can to feed their kids. They want their kids to be happy, they want to please their children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And they’ve gotten a lot of marketing messages and other messages. There are a lot of myths swirling about children’s foods, that to please our kids, we have to feed them a pretty narrow range of foods. There are a lot of products in the supermarket that are geared specifically toward kids. Children’s food has become its own genre.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The irony for me is that so much of modern kids’ food is actually about displeasure. It’s about helping kids avoid all of these foods that they’re supposedly incapable of liking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How do you think modern parenting influenced these kinds of habits?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>Parenting around food is so hard today. For many families, it’s the hardest thing about parenting. And that’s not something I say lightly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that is because parents have been put in this impossible position. On the one hand, they’ve been told, “Be so careful about talking to your kids about food. Never push them to eat anything in particular. Kids are natural rebels. If you push them to eat something, they will develop lifelong aversions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078825 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/kideatingchickennuggetsgetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/kideatingchickennuggetsgetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/kideatingchickennuggetsgetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/kideatingchickennuggetsgetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the previous generations, kids were acquiring taste as soon as they were learning to eat, according to Helen Zoe Veit, associate professor of history at Michigan State University. \u003ccite>(Tang Ming Tung/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[Or] “If you pushed them to a particular quantity, they’ll never develop a sense of authentic fullness, and that will lead to overeating and maybe obesity.” Or, “If you make food too emotional or too stressful, that could lead to disordered eating, even eating disorders.” Parents are so scared about doing the wrong thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But at the same time, they’re told kids’ health is actually really important. Childhood obesity rates are rising. Children are developing these chronic diseases in childhood, such as type 2 diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure, all of these things that in the past were rare. Parents feel paralyzed. They don’t know what to do. They feel stuck. A lot of parents today have the sense that children need special, separate meals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How do processed meals come into the mix? How did that influence how kids eat?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>The flood of highly processed foods into many American homes in the mid-20th century is another big factor in establishing new expectations for how easy it might be for children to like foods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, if you hear that something’s an acquired taste, we think that means it’s an adult food. That’s synonymous with adulthood for us. In the previous generations, kids were acquiring taste as soon as they were learning to eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But once highly processed foods enter American homes, it’s clear that there are lots of foods kids don’t have to acquire the taste for. They like them instantly. And so it becomes less of a natural part of many families’ lives to try to teach kids to like food over an extended period of time. At the same time, psychologists start telling parents that it’s psychologically risky to talk to your kids too much about what they should eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marketing played a huge role. Marketing just was shamelessly directed at kids in the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, even in ways that today we’d probably be a little uncomfortable with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Why is there this emphasis on children’s food needing to be bland?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit:\u003c/strong> Back in the 19th century, a lot of children got sick and died. The number one cause of death was epidemic disease. But the number two cause was unrefrigerated food and food poisoning.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But the problem was that back in the 19th century, before the last part of the century, Americans didn’t know about germs. They didn’t know about viruses, microbes, contagion. They didn’t understand how this worked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was this group of reformers saying, “It must be the food.” The very fact that children were such broad eaters, they didn’t see that as fabulous back then. These reformers said, “I think it’s all this diverse food, this over-stimulating food.” It’s what we today would see as pseudoscience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was this real advocacy campaign to encourage parents to feed their children blander food. Now, not a lot of parents listened back in the 19th century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These were relatively fringy ideas, but they started to catch on much more broadly in the early 20th century. By then, it was less about preventing child death, since germ theory was being established and mortality rates were falling. But it was more about protecting children’s supposedly vulnerable stomachs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does the taste of the food come into play? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>It’s almost hard as a cultural historian to say this, but I do think deliciousness matters. So, on the one hand, highly processed food is flooding into Americans’ homes [in the mid-20th century.] It’s been designed in laboratories to be really palatable, to be salty, sweet, fatty, melty, crunchy, to have all of these properties that we really love at the same time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cooking styles had changed. So a lot of the vegetables were frozen or canned, or even the ones that were nominally fresh, they’d been shipped across the country or sometimes the world. They’d been stored for long periods of time. They weren’t as flavorful or fresh as the vegetables enjoyed in previous generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12054031\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12054031\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250827-CLIMATERESILIENTCHILDCARECENTER-19-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250827-CLIMATERESILIENTCHILDCARECENTER-19-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250827-CLIMATERESILIENTCHILDCARECENTER-19-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250827-CLIMATERESILIENTCHILDCARECENTER-19-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students learn how to cut vegetables for a salad at the North Bay Children’s Center in Novato on Aug. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I do think cooking can be a really important tool. Now, of course, that leads to all sorts of other questions, like time. Do we have time to cook? How are our work-life balances structured? How are families structured? Who is doing this work? It also leads to things like, do we know how to cook in the first place?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the many things that I think could help with pickiness and maybe with life in general is if we reintroduced cooking classes to public schools. This is another thing that used to happen in the past. Of course, it used to be pretty gendered through home economics programs, at least in the mid-20th century. But we could reimagine public education to include this, maybe most basic of life skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How is this an American phenomenon — and is it spreading?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>There’s so much to learn from other countries. Now, that being said, pickiness is spreading around the world. Where our highly processed food supply goes, so do ideas about children’s pickiness. And so also goes rising child obesity rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are still lots of places where you can find totally non-picky children. I actually just heard recently from a pediatrician who works in Harlem, and he works with a lot of children of West African immigrants there. And he says they arrive in the U.S. with fabulous diets. They love vegetables. They love all sorts of diverse foods. And they have pretty healthy BMIs. They’re tall. And then, within just a few years of being exposed to standard American children’s food, we see the same kind of health problems that we see with other kids. They adopt this highly palatable, more processed diet, and other problems ensue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So what can you do to prevent picky eating before it occurs?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fernandez y Garcia: \u003c/strong>There’s a lot of fear that parents have around the types of foods that they can start their kids on, following this idea that there are certain textures and purees that are safer for kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And I think that that misunderstanding of child physiology and anatomy of what they can handle leads them to restrict the types of foods that they’re having when they first begin to be able to have solid foods, which for us is generally around six months of age when they can hold their head up nice and straight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12006360\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2121px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12006360 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171.jpg 2121w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/GettyImages-1226633171-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2121px) 100vw, 2121px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Parents can help picky eaters develop broader tastes by introducing a variety of flavors early — from pureed meats like chicken, fish and beef to soft, chewable foods such as corn on the cob or avocados that build familiarity and oral skills. \u003ccite>(d3sign/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So one way to avoid it is to start at that time, introducing lots of different tastes, textures — things that you prepare at home for yourself as an adult and let kids have at it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[For my kids], there were some things that we did puree, and we started pretty early introducing them to different types of meats: chicken, fish, beef, pureed. But we also integrated things that they could chew on, that had flavor, had taste. But they couldn’t necessarily [eat] given their lack of teeth and jaw strength. You can gnaw pretty well on a corn cob, for example. Or on a bagel that’s frozen. These types of things stimulate the chew reflex. It activates a lot of the developing taste buds. So they can have a mix of both pureed stuff and things that are chewable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fernandez y Garcia:\u003c/strong> I think that feeding and learning to eat a broader array of varied foods is very developmental. And as kids grow and as they learn, there are influences from society and from our families that can help direct that to the outcome that we want.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this case, we want them to eat varied food. So if we’re sitting at the table at our set times, it’s a positive thing. It’s an enjoyable thing, it’s time you get to spend with your family, people are making positive comments about the food that they’re enjoying, and all of that positivity and all that positive feedback, of course, will lead to them enjoying food in general.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How about for neurodivergent children who may have barriers to certain textures and colors?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fernandez y Garcia:\u003c/strong> That is a very, very real cause. There’s celiac disease, there’s allergies to foods, you can have a lot of different gastrointestinal problems. Kids with chronic illnesses have a limited appetite. There are children who have difficulty with the oral motor function, or how they swallow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And personality: some kids are just more rigid. And there’s neurodiversity. I think that all of these different things we have to work through and determine if that is a cause. And then if it’s something like that — which is a very small percentage of the kids who have picky eating — we would ask for help from our developmental specialists, our nutritionists, and there are different techniques that people whose kids have these different conditions can follow to make sure that they have a nutritious, balanced food intake that also is varied but it does take some special interventions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11930253\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11930253 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85.jpg\" alt=\"Trays of apples and orange slices.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1142\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85-800x571.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85-1020x728.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/ap22167671296428_custom-69436829a3251414dd4eda942942bc4d31ccbb0f-s1600-c85-1536x1096.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apples and orange slices rest in trays for student lunch at the Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School, in Essex Junction, Vermont on June 9, 2022. \u003ccite>(Lisa Rathke/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>ARFID stands for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. It is an eating disorder that was identified in 2012. It’s vital that if a child is really struggling to eat, parents seek medical help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some of our explanations for pickiness or problem eating, especially when they relate to things like texture or color, as a historian, I will just note that you don’t really see those historically. No one in the past thought children had issues around color. If they were talking about color, they were saying things like, “Add spinach and tomatoes because that bright color contrast will be so appealing to young children.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now this, again, doesn’t mean there aren’t biological aspects of what’s going on. Some children come out of the womb much pickier than others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[But in many cases,] training and practice. We don’t think about this with children’s food a lot, but when given repeated multiple positive exposures, it turns out — certainly history suggests — that children can get used to vastly more interesting things than we think today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What is an indicator that this could be a more serious issue that could use intervention?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fernandez y Garcia:\u003c/strong> When you were talking about ARFID, one of the things that defines that is significant weight loss or inability to eat a varied enough diet to keep kids from having the nutritional, the broadness of nutritional intake that they need to grow normally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parents need to ask themselves often, “Why are they so concerned that their child is picky?” And the answer to that will often lead us to determine whether or not it’s a warning sign of something biomechanical or biological.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are some shifts that you would like to see?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>I think one of the deepest is parents having confidence that kids are actually capable of learning to like broad foods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And of course, some of the comments from earlier, I just want to emphasize, if your child is having trouble eating, seek medical advice. This is crucial. There could be allergies, intolerances or other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what we see when we look across the world or in the American past is this stunning diversity of foods that kids used to genuinely enjoy. And if we can re-inject that confidence into parenting, I think that’s probably the biggest single tool that parents have — when presenting their kids with food, talking with them about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11927059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11927059\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/RS54940_009_KQED_JasmineCuevasFamily_03302022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jasmine Cuevas talks with her four children during dinner at their home in East Palo Alto on March 30, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another thing, too, is that parents have been told, “Don’t talk to your kids about health because health is boring. Don’t push any particular food because that will make a child hate it.” There’s no good evidence for that. There’s lots of evidence in the past that when parents enthusiastically promoted the foods they liked to eat, it helped kids learn to like them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can enthusiastically talk about the foods you love to eat. And you don’t have to hold back. Kids are capable of learning to like spicy foods, garlicky foods, fermented foods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What do you do if your kid is \u003cem>already\u003c/em> a picky eater?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Veit: \u003c/strong>From history, for most humans, there weren’t alternative meals. It wasn’t possible to create this alternative meal before refrigeration, highly processed foods or microwaves. And I know it’s so uncomfortable for parents because we’ve been told you’ll mess your kids up. But the idea that there’s one meal and that’s what there is, and if you don’t eat it, the consequence of not eating is hunger. This is not hunger as punishment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Again, you have deep confidence that they can learn to like this food, but it’s a consequence of you not eating this beautiful family meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re comfortable having that kind of structure when it comes to seat belts, or tooth brushing, or going to school. We’re comfortable with the idea that some things kids just have to do. That could be a step toward getting your children to learn to love those foods again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fernandez y Garcia:\u003c/strong> Every family, again, has their own tolerances and their own approach to parenting and behavior change. Because that’s what we’re talking about: behavior change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Avoiding negative feedback for things that we don’t like is much less effective than giving positive feedback when the behavior that we want happens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re going to have alternate foods, those should be foods that you choose as alternate foods. So if you cook a meal and the child doesn’t like it, you can give them an alternative, but that is one that the parent chooses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "new-bill-would-force-protein-powders-to-disclose-toxic-metals",
"title": "New Bill Would Force Protein Powders to Disclose Toxic Metals",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910121/is-what-social-media-tells-you-about-protein-true\">Protein supplements\u003c/a> have become a daily habit for many Californians, who add them to smoothies, coffee and even oatmeal in hopes of boosting muscle recovery or managing weight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But unlike baby food or prenatal vitamins, these products aren’t routinely tested for heavy metals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A bill moving through the state Legislature would require manufacturers to test products for toxins like lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic — and post the results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even a small amount in a serving is a worrisome amount if you’re doing that every day,” said Susan Little, California legislative director of the Environmental Working Group, a sponsor of the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This approach has worked before in California, she said. After the state required similar disclosures for baby food, contamination levels dropped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs, the Food and Drug Administration does not review or approve supplements like protein powders before they’re sold. Instead, companies are largely responsible for making sure their products are safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11099247\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11099247\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04.jpg\" alt=\"Fighters in the Rock Steady boxing class lay on the floor before starting their abdominal exercises at the end of the workout.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fighters in the Rock Steady boxing class lie on the floor before starting their abdominal exercises at the end of the workout. \u003ccite>(Brittany Hosea-Small/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our tests have found that toxic heavy metal contamination in protein powder is widespread and has gotten worse since we first analyzed these products 15 years ago,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at \u003ca href=\"https://www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein-powders-and-shakes-contain-high-levels-of-lead-a4206364640/\">Consumer Reports\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent report from the \u003ca href=\"https://cleanlabelproject.org/wp-content/uploads/CleanLabelProject_ProteinStudyWhitepaper_010625.pdf\">Clean Label Project\u003c/a> tested 160 protein powder products and found that 47% exceeded California’s safety limits for toxic metals. Plant-based powders had about three times more lead than whey-based alternatives. Chocolate-flavored products contained four times more lead than vanilla. And organic products tended to have higher levels of lead and cadmium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that report has not been peer reviewed, and some scientists have noted that trace amounts of heavy metals can naturally occur in soil and food — meaning their presence doesn’t always signal a clear health risk.[aside postID=news_12068987 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/zyngetty.jpg']Technically, there is no known safe level of \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/lead-food-and-foodwares\">exposure to lead\u003c/a>. Medical experts say the biggest health risks tend to come from repeated exposure at higher levels — including reproductive problems, kidney damage and cognitive impairment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry groups have pushed back. The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade association representing dietary supplement manufacturers, argues the bill would create unnecessary costs and confusion without improving safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re worried about potential exposure, Stanford University nutrition scientist Christopher Gardner said it’s worth considering whether you need protein supplements in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He noted that while they may benefit elite bodybuilders, the vast majority of Americans — even those who regularly lift weights — can get enough protein from food. Most of the gains from strength training come from the exercise itself, not added protein.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So, hedge your bets,” wrote Gardner in an email to KQED. “Eat foods, not protein supplements. What have you got to lose — and what do you have to gain?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill has cleared its first committee on Wednesday and now heads to another vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it becomes law, California would be the first state in the country to require this kind of testing and transparency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Recent studies have found that protein supplements may contain toxic heavy metals. A California bill would force companies to test and disclose what’s in their products.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910121/is-what-social-media-tells-you-about-protein-true\">Protein supplements\u003c/a> have become a daily habit for many Californians, who add them to smoothies, coffee and even oatmeal in hopes of boosting muscle recovery or managing weight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But unlike baby food or prenatal vitamins, these products aren’t routinely tested for heavy metals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A bill moving through the state Legislature would require manufacturers to test products for toxins like lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic — and post the results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even a small amount in a serving is a worrisome amount if you’re doing that every day,” said Susan Little, California legislative director of the Environmental Working Group, a sponsor of the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This approach has worked before in California, she said. After the state required similar disclosures for baby food, contamination levels dropped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs, the Food and Drug Administration does not review or approve supplements like protein powders before they’re sold. Instead, companies are largely responsible for making sure their products are safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11099247\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11099247\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04.jpg\" alt=\"Fighters in the Rock Steady boxing class lay on the floor before starting their abdominal exercises at the end of the workout.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/160825_rocksteadyboxing_bhs04-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fighters in the Rock Steady boxing class lie on the floor before starting their abdominal exercises at the end of the workout. \u003ccite>(Brittany Hosea-Small/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our tests have found that toxic heavy metal contamination in protein powder is widespread and has gotten worse since we first analyzed these products 15 years ago,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at \u003ca href=\"https://www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein-powders-and-shakes-contain-high-levels-of-lead-a4206364640/\">Consumer Reports\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent report from the \u003ca href=\"https://cleanlabelproject.org/wp-content/uploads/CleanLabelProject_ProteinStudyWhitepaper_010625.pdf\">Clean Label Project\u003c/a> tested 160 protein powder products and found that 47% exceeded California’s safety limits for toxic metals. Plant-based powders had about three times more lead than whey-based alternatives. Chocolate-flavored products contained four times more lead than vanilla. And organic products tended to have higher levels of lead and cadmium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that report has not been peer reviewed, and some scientists have noted that trace amounts of heavy metals can naturally occur in soil and food — meaning their presence doesn’t always signal a clear health risk.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Technically, there is no known safe level of \u003ca href=\"https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/lead-food-and-foodwares\">exposure to lead\u003c/a>. Medical experts say the biggest health risks tend to come from repeated exposure at higher levels — including reproductive problems, kidney damage and cognitive impairment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry groups have pushed back. The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade association representing dietary supplement manufacturers, argues the bill would create unnecessary costs and confusion without improving safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re worried about potential exposure, Stanford University nutrition scientist Christopher Gardner said it’s worth considering whether you need protein supplements in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He noted that while they may benefit elite bodybuilders, the vast majority of Americans — even those who regularly lift weights — can get enough protein from food. Most of the gains from strength training come from the exercise itself, not added protein.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So, hedge your bets,” wrote Gardner in an email to KQED. “Eat foods, not protein supplements. What have you got to lose — and what do you have to gain?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill has cleared its first committee on Wednesday and now heads to another vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it becomes law, California would be the first state in the country to require this kind of testing and transparency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "behind-commercial-surrogacy-and-its-regulations-in-california",
"title": "Behind Commercial Surrogacy and Its Regulations in California",
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"content": "\u003cp>Commercial surrogacy is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913083/ethical-questions-arise-from-cas-commercial-surrogacy-industry\">life-changing option for couples\u003c/a> who have been unable to conceive. As one listener told KQED’s \u003cem>Forum\u003c/em> in late February, her experience with ovarian cancer meant that she lost her ability to have her own children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used surrogacy to have my two children,” the listener said. “And without it, we wouldn’t be able to have this incredible life that we have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another caller was a gay father based in San Francisco, who had twin boys through surrogacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The vast, vast majority of parents that have kids through surrogacy — it’s the biggest blessing of their life,” he said. “And they had to work extremely hard to make it happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many in the fertility field — especially commercial surrogacy — were rocked by a recent investigation by \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/16/the-babies-kept-in-a-mysterious-los-angeles-mansion\">\u003cem>The New Yorker’s \u003c/em>Ava Kofman\u003c/a>, which followed the story of Kayla Elliott.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elliott was a Texas mother of four, already carrying a baby for a Los Angeles couple, when she found out the couple had more than 20 other children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12076885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12076885\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/SurrogacyGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1408\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/SurrogacyGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/SurrogacyGetty2-160x113.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/SurrogacyGetty2-1536x1081.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A newborn lying on a changing table on June 5, 2001, in the maternity ward of the Franco-British Hospital in Levallois-Perret. \u003ccite>(Didier Pallages/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One of the children, a baby, was reportedly hospitalized with bleeding inside the brain and eyes, indicating potential child abuse. That prompted police to visit the couple’s Arcadia home, where they found it crowded with many young infants and children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Authorities also found surveillance footage from devices the couple set up in the house — and allegedly saw that the children were being beaten and neglected by nannies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The children, including the baby Elliott gave birth to, were taken into custody, and the couple was arrested but later released. At the time, several surrogates were still pregnant for the couple.[aside postID=news_12070643 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/ivfchanges.jpg']For many of the children, the future remains unclear. Even amid an ongoing battle over who should have custody, the pair has engaged new surrogates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People are drawn to being surrogates for all sorts of different reasons, but for many of them, like Kayla, this was something they wanted to do to kind of try to make a difference,” Kofman said. “It was especially painful to realize that they might be bringing a child into a situation that not only was not great, but if anything, potentially dangerous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The case is highly unusual, said Deborah Wald, a certified family law specialist based in San Francisco. She said she has never seen a child born through surrogacy end up in the foster care system in her 35 years in the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These typically are very wanted, very planned for, very loved children,” Wald said. “The other times there have been sort of scandals within the industry, it’s been more with professionals figuring out how to take off with the money or those kinds of things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913083/ethical-questions-arise-from-cas-commercial-surrogacy-industry\">Forum\u003c/a> spoke to Kofman and Wald about the Los Angeles family, commercial surrogacy in California and regulations around the practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Los Angeles case and a trend among the wealthy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How unusual is this case — and what motivated the Los Angeles couple?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ava Kofman:\u003c/strong> It’s incredibly unusual to have this many children, and certainly it seems like what was going on inside the home is quite unusual … but there’s also nothing stopping people from having as many children as they would like through surrogacy or assisted reproduction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s been some \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/us-news/chinese-billionaires-surrogacy-pregnancy-7fdfc0c3?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdvbDQdnj9DIEnvCQrLrOYqKlcKqN_RtWLgcWH0dqcHyBD7bV1NGX_HvtmmF3w%3D&gaa_ts=69afae86&gaa_sig=hsKIq7GlEe6jTV_AiBszh8M-VLOFzbVMW-UnX2fkYed7Ly-9K5nIrY-HLpdrbwJtFK3lWqMpL15gNRrlnAJy4w%3D%3D\">great reporting recently in the\u003cem> Wall Street Journa\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>l\u003c/em>, as well, showing people having upward of 100 children, in part, using surrogates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[The couple] wanted to have a big family; they wanted to have a lot of kids as they got older, who could be successful and carry on the family bloodline and legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It does seem like this is part of a wider trend we’ve seen with \u003ca href=\"https://www.today.com/parents/parents/elon-musk-kids-rcna19692\">billionaires like Elon Musk [who has 14 children]\u003c/a> and others who are really interested in spreading their gene pool and their legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12046885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12046885 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/iStock_000039661108_Large_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/iStock_000039661108_Large_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/iStock_000039661108_Large_qed-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/iStock_000039661108_Large_qed-1536x1021.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A shocking case in Los Angeles has rocked the fertility industry, sparking a conversation around commercial surrogacy and regulations. \u003ccite>(iStock/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How were they able to have over 20 children through surrogates?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kofman: \u003c/strong>This couple — after they had a few children through a professional surrogate agency — actually opened their own agency. And this is what was called Mark Surrogacy. As far as I could tell, no one’s really done this before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The surrogates had no awareness of this, and neither, it seems, did some of the attorneys working with the agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most parents are using an agency because they \u003cem>want \u003c/em>a middleman, right? They want to be protected; they want to have someone who really knows the ropes. It’s a field with its own legal particularities. There [are] all kinds of things that can easily go right with experienced people, and can easily go wrong without them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If Kayla Elliott or any other surrogates wanted to get custody of the child in this case, could they? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kofman: \u003c/strong>Legally, it seemed like it would have been quite complicated. She definitely didn’t have any legal custody off the bat, and no surrogates do. The industry kind of wouldn’t work if that [were] the case … the surrogate is not biologically related most of the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some states … there’s no federal regulation … and it’s so, so state-based. And some states are in fact even silent on the question of how surrogacy should work.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The regulations and practices around surrogacy in California\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are all versions of surrogacy commercial? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Deborah Wald: \u003c/strong>I want to make sure everyone’s aware, there’s a huge amount of surrogacy that happens … [for example] a sister having a baby for her infertile sister, that kind of thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think it’s very accepted within certain cultures and in certain communities that if you can’t have a baby and you have someone who loves you who’s going to do that, they’ll do it for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12075793\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12075793\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2183738602.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2183738602.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2183738602-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2183738602-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A couple holds hands as they meet with a pregnant woman who is interviewing them for potential adoptive parents. \u003ccite>(SDI Productions via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are the typical compensation rates for commercial surrogacy in California?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wald: \u003c/strong>It varies a lot. So this is what the women themselves get paid. This has nothing to do with what the doctors charge or what the agencies charge. Typical rates were in the $30,000 to $50,000 range.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I still do sometimes see that. But I also recently saw a $120,000 fee to the surrogate herself. So it’s really jumped during and since COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are there protections around surrogacy in California?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wald: \u003c/strong>Every surrogate I’ve ever represented has been looking for the same reassurance that intended parents look for, which is that she’s not doing this because she wants another child. And she wants to know that no matter what, the intended parents can’t bail. That the baby will be theirs, that she will not be legally and financially responsible for a child that’s not genetically hers, and that she never intended to parent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California law actually requires that a surrogate have a right to independent legal counsel of her own choosing. It can’t be the same attorney who works for the agency or the same attorney who’s representing the intended parents.[aside postID=forum_2010101913083 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2026/02/GettyImages-2225535809-2000x1333.jpg']She has a right to have all her medical care paid for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our law is clear that until the moment she gives birth, even if there’s been a pre-birth determination that the intended parents will be the legal parents, that doesn’t go into effect till the moment she gives birth. So there won’t be conflict over her right to make medical choices for herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In any state, when a woman gives birth, she’s the mother unless a court has said she isn’t. And so, for the intended parents to become the legal parents, there has to be an actual court action in almost every state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, we do allow that court action to happen before the baby’s born, so there is complete clarity at the moment of birth as to who the parents are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It facilitates medical decision-making for the baby. It facilitates making sure the baby is on the parents’ health insurance from the beginning. And that the intended parents are able to take the baby home from the hospital. That if the surrogate is ready to be discharged before the baby is, she’s free to leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are a number of benefits to having everything clear before the baby’s born.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are there future regulations that experts are looking at?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wald:\u003c/strong> I was one of the attorneys who worked on our statutory structure for gestational surrogacy in California, with an eye toward making sure surrogates were well protected by it. But [Kofman’s reporting] certainly has brought other holes to light.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the things in real time we’re talking about right now is enacting a surrogate’s Bill of Rights for the state of California, that would include the protections we already have, [like] that she has a right to make her own medical decisions, that she has a right to counsel and good health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Particularly in response to the Mark Surrogacy situation, we’re talking about including that she has a right to better disclosures about who she’s carrying for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12046881\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12046881 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/MaternityLeaveGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/MaternityLeaveGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/MaternityLeaveGetty1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/MaternityLeaveGetty1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California law actually requires that a surrogate have a right to independent legal counsel of her own choosing. It can’t be the same attorney who works for the agency or the same attorney who’s representing the intended parents. \u003ccite>(MoMo Productions/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kofman: \u003c/strong>Just from doing this reporting and talking to so many of these surrogates, I’d like to just lift up kind of what they’ve told me they want to see the most, which is just a lot more transparency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They went through such extensive vetting — psychological evaluations. Now, it’s also clear that some intended parents do the same, but that’s not often the case. That certainly wasn’t the case here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there’s already such a kind of a potential for a power asymmetry. There’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/us-news/surrogacy-unregulated-debts-profits-b9fdd987?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqc6VTBbJAQD14SIAJz06ZQSQDHkRTqfwaxeHircQ2OXbcTIQyPrfEzaejcoZ00%3D&gaa_ts=69af9a29&gaa_sig=AT4QNSJUCK78FyjVv_Gy3eOaEI6-EBddUwynFBqmzVqMDiQ8IvkGBGtKEFnqfoJY_jle0jk_Hqms2DbkPDTmwA%3D%3D\">a financial asymmetry in the exchange\u003c/a>, of course … just rectifying that with truly independent legal counsel, with the ability for agencies to ask hard questions of the parents, like they’re asking of the surrogates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And for the surrogates to just know what they’re getting into. A surrogate wants to know if they’re bringing a baby into a home with 15 other children or a home with one other child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thinking of Elon Musk, some people may wonder about the \u003cem>number \u003c/em>of kids families may be having. Can you speak about this a little bit? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wald: \u003c/strong>What was one of the things that was so unusual about this case was, you know, people actually raising all, I mean, even Elon Musk, I don’t think he’s actually raising the 14 children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But who’s supposed to decide that? It makes me very nervous to think about the state determining how many children a family can have. I agree that there’s an ethical and moral conversation to be had. State regulation is different from that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11934757\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2121px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11934757 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327.jpg\" alt=\"The midsection of a pregnant Black woman holding her belly.\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327.jpg 2121w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2121px) 100vw, 2121px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“People are drawn to being surrogates for all sorts of different reasons, but for many of them, like Kayla, this was something they wanted to do to kind of try to make a difference,” The New Yorker’s Ava Kofman said. \u003ccite>(LWA/Dann Tardif via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What about strengthening requirements for setting up surrogacy \u003cem>agencies\u003c/em>? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kofman:\u003c/strong> Right now, it’s very easy to set up a surrogacy agency in every state but New York. [States don’t] require any sort of license. It’s much easier to set up a surrogacy agency than it is to set up a hair salon or adoption agency or child care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wald: \u003c/strong>Within the \u003ca href=\"https://www.acal.org/\">Academy of California Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Lawyers\u003c/a>, we’re definitely looking at the New York statute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is something we’re looking at, whether we should look at a licensing requirement in the state of California and what that would look like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not easy to get legislation passed. That’s probably true in every state. It’s certainly true in this state. And particularly if it’s gonna cost the state money. So who’s gonna regulate that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So we have to look at all of that when we try to figure out how realistic it is. But I can tell you that there are big conversations happening and a lot of smart, ethical people invested in trying to figure out how to make sure nothing like this happens again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A shocking case in Los Angeles has rocked the fertility industry, sparking a conversation around commercial surrogacy and regulations. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Commercial surrogacy is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913083/ethical-questions-arise-from-cas-commercial-surrogacy-industry\">life-changing option for couples\u003c/a> who have been unable to conceive. As one listener told KQED’s \u003cem>Forum\u003c/em> in late February, her experience with ovarian cancer meant that she lost her ability to have her own children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used surrogacy to have my two children,” the listener said. “And without it, we wouldn’t be able to have this incredible life that we have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another caller was a gay father based in San Francisco, who had twin boys through surrogacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The vast, vast majority of parents that have kids through surrogacy — it’s the biggest blessing of their life,” he said. “And they had to work extremely hard to make it happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many in the fertility field — especially commercial surrogacy — were rocked by a recent investigation by \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/16/the-babies-kept-in-a-mysterious-los-angeles-mansion\">\u003cem>The New Yorker’s \u003c/em>Ava Kofman\u003c/a>, which followed the story of Kayla Elliott.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elliott was a Texas mother of four, already carrying a baby for a Los Angeles couple, when she found out the couple had more than 20 other children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12076885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12076885\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/SurrogacyGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1408\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/SurrogacyGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/SurrogacyGetty2-160x113.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/SurrogacyGetty2-1536x1081.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A newborn lying on a changing table on June 5, 2001, in the maternity ward of the Franco-British Hospital in Levallois-Perret. \u003ccite>(Didier Pallages/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One of the children, a baby, was reportedly hospitalized with bleeding inside the brain and eyes, indicating potential child abuse. That prompted police to visit the couple’s Arcadia home, where they found it crowded with many young infants and children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Authorities also found surveillance footage from devices the couple set up in the house — and allegedly saw that the children were being beaten and neglected by nannies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The children, including the baby Elliott gave birth to, were taken into custody, and the couple was arrested but later released. At the time, several surrogates were still pregnant for the couple.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>For many of the children, the future remains unclear. Even amid an ongoing battle over who should have custody, the pair has engaged new surrogates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People are drawn to being surrogates for all sorts of different reasons, but for many of them, like Kayla, this was something they wanted to do to kind of try to make a difference,” Kofman said. “It was especially painful to realize that they might be bringing a child into a situation that not only was not great, but if anything, potentially dangerous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The case is highly unusual, said Deborah Wald, a certified family law specialist based in San Francisco. She said she has never seen a child born through surrogacy end up in the foster care system in her 35 years in the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These typically are very wanted, very planned for, very loved children,” Wald said. “The other times there have been sort of scandals within the industry, it’s been more with professionals figuring out how to take off with the money or those kinds of things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913083/ethical-questions-arise-from-cas-commercial-surrogacy-industry\">Forum\u003c/a> spoke to Kofman and Wald about the Los Angeles family, commercial surrogacy in California and regulations around the practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Los Angeles case and a trend among the wealthy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How unusual is this case — and what motivated the Los Angeles couple?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ava Kofman:\u003c/strong> It’s incredibly unusual to have this many children, and certainly it seems like what was going on inside the home is quite unusual … but there’s also nothing stopping people from having as many children as they would like through surrogacy or assisted reproduction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s been some \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/us-news/chinese-billionaires-surrogacy-pregnancy-7fdfc0c3?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdvbDQdnj9DIEnvCQrLrOYqKlcKqN_RtWLgcWH0dqcHyBD7bV1NGX_HvtmmF3w%3D&gaa_ts=69afae86&gaa_sig=hsKIq7GlEe6jTV_AiBszh8M-VLOFzbVMW-UnX2fkYed7Ly-9K5nIrY-HLpdrbwJtFK3lWqMpL15gNRrlnAJy4w%3D%3D\">great reporting recently in the\u003cem> Wall Street Journa\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>l\u003c/em>, as well, showing people having upward of 100 children, in part, using surrogates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[The couple] wanted to have a big family; they wanted to have a lot of kids as they got older, who could be successful and carry on the family bloodline and legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It does seem like this is part of a wider trend we’ve seen with \u003ca href=\"https://www.today.com/parents/parents/elon-musk-kids-rcna19692\">billionaires like Elon Musk [who has 14 children]\u003c/a> and others who are really interested in spreading their gene pool and their legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12046885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12046885 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/iStock_000039661108_Large_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/iStock_000039661108_Large_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/iStock_000039661108_Large_qed-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/iStock_000039661108_Large_qed-1536x1021.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A shocking case in Los Angeles has rocked the fertility industry, sparking a conversation around commercial surrogacy and regulations. \u003ccite>(iStock/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How were they able to have over 20 children through surrogates?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kofman: \u003c/strong>This couple — after they had a few children through a professional surrogate agency — actually opened their own agency. And this is what was called Mark Surrogacy. As far as I could tell, no one’s really done this before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The surrogates had no awareness of this, and neither, it seems, did some of the attorneys working with the agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most parents are using an agency because they \u003cem>want \u003c/em>a middleman, right? They want to be protected; they want to have someone who really knows the ropes. It’s a field with its own legal particularities. There [are] all kinds of things that can easily go right with experienced people, and can easily go wrong without them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If Kayla Elliott or any other surrogates wanted to get custody of the child in this case, could they? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kofman: \u003c/strong>Legally, it seemed like it would have been quite complicated. She definitely didn’t have any legal custody off the bat, and no surrogates do. The industry kind of wouldn’t work if that [were] the case … the surrogate is not biologically related most of the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some states … there’s no federal regulation … and it’s so, so state-based. And some states are in fact even silent on the question of how surrogacy should work.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The regulations and practices around surrogacy in California\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are all versions of surrogacy commercial? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Deborah Wald: \u003c/strong>I want to make sure everyone’s aware, there’s a huge amount of surrogacy that happens … [for example] a sister having a baby for her infertile sister, that kind of thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think it’s very accepted within certain cultures and in certain communities that if you can’t have a baby and you have someone who loves you who’s going to do that, they’ll do it for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12075793\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12075793\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2183738602.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2183738602.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2183738602-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2183738602-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A couple holds hands as they meet with a pregnant woman who is interviewing them for potential adoptive parents. \u003ccite>(SDI Productions via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are the typical compensation rates for commercial surrogacy in California?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wald: \u003c/strong>It varies a lot. So this is what the women themselves get paid. This has nothing to do with what the doctors charge or what the agencies charge. Typical rates were in the $30,000 to $50,000 range.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I still do sometimes see that. But I also recently saw a $120,000 fee to the surrogate herself. So it’s really jumped during and since COVID.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are there protections around surrogacy in California?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wald: \u003c/strong>Every surrogate I’ve ever represented has been looking for the same reassurance that intended parents look for, which is that she’s not doing this because she wants another child. And she wants to know that no matter what, the intended parents can’t bail. That the baby will be theirs, that she will not be legally and financially responsible for a child that’s not genetically hers, and that she never intended to parent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California law actually requires that a surrogate have a right to independent legal counsel of her own choosing. It can’t be the same attorney who works for the agency or the same attorney who’s representing the intended parents.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>She has a right to have all her medical care paid for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our law is clear that until the moment she gives birth, even if there’s been a pre-birth determination that the intended parents will be the legal parents, that doesn’t go into effect till the moment she gives birth. So there won’t be conflict over her right to make medical choices for herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In any state, when a woman gives birth, she’s the mother unless a court has said she isn’t. And so, for the intended parents to become the legal parents, there has to be an actual court action in almost every state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, we do allow that court action to happen before the baby’s born, so there is complete clarity at the moment of birth as to who the parents are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It facilitates medical decision-making for the baby. It facilitates making sure the baby is on the parents’ health insurance from the beginning. And that the intended parents are able to take the baby home from the hospital. That if the surrogate is ready to be discharged before the baby is, she’s free to leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are a number of benefits to having everything clear before the baby’s born.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Are there future regulations that experts are looking at?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wald:\u003c/strong> I was one of the attorneys who worked on our statutory structure for gestational surrogacy in California, with an eye toward making sure surrogates were well protected by it. But [Kofman’s reporting] certainly has brought other holes to light.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the things in real time we’re talking about right now is enacting a surrogate’s Bill of Rights for the state of California, that would include the protections we already have, [like] that she has a right to make her own medical decisions, that she has a right to counsel and good health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Particularly in response to the Mark Surrogacy situation, we’re talking about including that she has a right to better disclosures about who she’s carrying for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12046881\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12046881 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/MaternityLeaveGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/MaternityLeaveGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/MaternityLeaveGetty1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/MaternityLeaveGetty1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California law actually requires that a surrogate have a right to independent legal counsel of her own choosing. It can’t be the same attorney who works for the agency or the same attorney who’s representing the intended parents. \u003ccite>(MoMo Productions/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kofman: \u003c/strong>Just from doing this reporting and talking to so many of these surrogates, I’d like to just lift up kind of what they’ve told me they want to see the most, which is just a lot more transparency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They went through such extensive vetting — psychological evaluations. Now, it’s also clear that some intended parents do the same, but that’s not often the case. That certainly wasn’t the case here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there’s already such a kind of a potential for a power asymmetry. There’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/us-news/surrogacy-unregulated-debts-profits-b9fdd987?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqc6VTBbJAQD14SIAJz06ZQSQDHkRTqfwaxeHircQ2OXbcTIQyPrfEzaejcoZ00%3D&gaa_ts=69af9a29&gaa_sig=AT4QNSJUCK78FyjVv_Gy3eOaEI6-EBddUwynFBqmzVqMDiQ8IvkGBGtKEFnqfoJY_jle0jk_Hqms2DbkPDTmwA%3D%3D\">a financial asymmetry in the exchange\u003c/a>, of course … just rectifying that with truly independent legal counsel, with the ability for agencies to ask hard questions of the parents, like they’re asking of the surrogates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And for the surrogates to just know what they’re getting into. A surrogate wants to know if they’re bringing a baby into a home with 15 other children or a home with one other child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thinking of Elon Musk, some people may wonder about the \u003cem>number \u003c/em>of kids families may be having. Can you speak about this a little bit? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wald: \u003c/strong>What was one of the things that was so unusual about this case was, you know, people actually raising all, I mean, even Elon Musk, I don’t think he’s actually raising the 14 children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But who’s supposed to decide that? It makes me very nervous to think about the state determining how many children a family can have. I agree that there’s an ethical and moral conversation to be had. State regulation is different from that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11934757\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2121px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11934757 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327.jpg\" alt=\"The midsection of a pregnant Black woman holding her belly.\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327.jpg 2121w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/GettyImages-694024327-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2121px) 100vw, 2121px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“People are drawn to being surrogates for all sorts of different reasons, but for many of them, like Kayla, this was something they wanted to do to kind of try to make a difference,” The New Yorker’s Ava Kofman said. \u003ccite>(LWA/Dann Tardif via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What about strengthening requirements for setting up surrogacy \u003cem>agencies\u003c/em>? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kofman:\u003c/strong> Right now, it’s very easy to set up a surrogacy agency in every state but New York. [States don’t] require any sort of license. It’s much easier to set up a surrogacy agency than it is to set up a hair salon or adoption agency or child care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wald: \u003c/strong>Within the \u003ca href=\"https://www.acal.org/\">Academy of California Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Lawyers\u003c/a>, we’re definitely looking at the New York statute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is something we’re looking at, whether we should look at a licensing requirement in the state of California and what that would look like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not easy to get legislation passed. That’s probably true in every state. It’s certainly true in this state. And particularly if it’s gonna cost the state money. So who’s gonna regulate that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So we have to look at all of that when we try to figure out how realistic it is. But I can tell you that there are big conversations happening and a lot of smart, ethical people invested in trying to figure out how to make sure nothing like this happens again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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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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"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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"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.",
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"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.",
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"radiolab": {
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"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": {
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"science-friday": {
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