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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State court interpreters in Oakland are walking off their jobs on Wednesday, the latest half-day \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/workers-strike\">strike\u003c/a> to protest what they call stagnating wages and too-slow contract talks with administrators, as the system struggles to give people who speak little to no English \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/3656/interpreters-finally-coming-to-californias-civil-courts-2\">equal access to justice\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interpreter employees at state courts earn lower salaries than interpreters in federal courts or private contractors, which contributes to persistent job vacancies, said Mary Lou Aranguren, bargaining spokesperson for the California Alliance of Legal Interpreters. Court officials have responded to interpreter shortages by going over budget to contract often costlier private services in recent years to meet language needs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They are not bargaining in good faith when they are throwing money at contractors, and then they tell us at the table, ‘Well, we don’t have the budget for paying you more.’ That just doesn’t make sense,” said Aranguren, a Spanish court interpreter in Alameda County with 30 years of experience. “Employees make a commitment. We’re available, we work all the time, and we’re making a lot less money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The union, which represents 91 court staffers working in Spanish, Cantonese, Hindi and other languages in coastal Northern California counties, has \u003ca href=\"http://google.com/search?q=kqed+court+interpreter+strike&rlz=1C1GCHA_enUS1179US1179&oq=kqed+court+interpreter+strike+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORifBTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigATIHCAYQIRiPAjIHCAcQIRiPAtIBCDY0MTdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.ob&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on\">accused the employer\u003c/a> of engaging in unfair labor practices by favoring contractors with higher pay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098299\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland on March 19, 2025. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Local court interpreters on staff earn about $86,000 to $105,000 per year, not including retirement, medical and other benefits, according to a 2025 report by the Judicial Council of California, which administers state courts. The union is pushing to gradually raise interpreters’ salary range to $128,000-$150,000, which Aranguren said would near pay in federal courts and help fill dozens of vacant positions in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alicia Vojnik, a state courts bargaining representative, said they remain committed to negotiating a fair agreement with interpreters. Contractor rates and employee salaries “cannot be compared directly” without considering the additional benefits employees receive or the assignment frequency for contractors, said Vojnik, administrative chair for Region 2 courts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The Region has proposed and continues to propose that the parties enter mediation to assist in resolving the significant difference between their respective wage proposals, as well as other outstanding issues,” said Vojnik, chief operating officer at Superior Court in Santa Clara County. “Every court in the Region is committed to maintaining essential operations and language services.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She added that Alameda County Superior Court will remain open during the strike. The labor action on Wednesday at the Wiley W. Manuel and René C. Davidson courthouses, which is set to involve some of the nearly two dozen interpreters in the county, is the second by the union this month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut.jpg\" alt=\"An engraving outside of the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.\" class=\"wp-image-11647421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An engraving outside of the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland. (Adam Grossberg/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Oct. 16, San Francisco court interpreters were also on strike as the Judicial Council met in the city and decided to corral rising spending on private contractors by standardizing rates statewide to levels that don’t exceed those in the federal court system. Court officials said that contractors were often able to negotiate higher pay, with courts competing against each other for the same pool of interpreters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 2023, courts have exceeded their funds for interpreter services due to growing contractor costs, with $19 million in overspending last year. The state increased the budget for interpreter services by $20 million this year, bringing the total available to pay employees and contractors to $155 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Slayton, court executive officer for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, said that higher pay for contractors disincentivizes interpreters from staying as employees with the courts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Sometimes [we see] those same interpreters that were employees come back two weeks later, paying them more, for the services they were providing as employees,” said Slayton, adding that Los Angeles County has more than 120 interpreter job vacancies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When contract work pays more than court employment, it becomes harder to recruit and keep employees, and we fill the gap with contractors at a premium.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California state courts, the nation’s largest court system, are required to provide interpreter services to plaintiffs, witnesses and other users with limited English proficiency in criminal and civil cases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While demand for language services has increased, staffing shortages have left vulnerable people without understanding legal procedures that are critical to their freedom, family or livelihood.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An 18-year-old immigrant who only speaks Mixteco, a major indigenous language in Mexico, received a traffic ticket but was unable to get assistance at court with communication, Francisca Camarillo, with the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project, told the Judicial Council at a recent meeting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the teen contacted the organization for help, he discovered that there was already a warrant for his arrest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The incident is one of many across the state in which limited English speakers faced barriers to the courts, according to \u003ca href=\"https://crla.org/sites/default/files/2026-10/Written%20Comments%20to%20Judicial%20Council,%20October%2016,%202026%201_0.pdf\">a letter this month\u003c/a> by dozens of community organizations that asked the Judicial Council to review its language access program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“While case records might make it appear that he is noncompliant for missing court, the reality is that no one provided language support,” Camarillo said. “A young adult seeking a better future was denied a fair chance to present his case simply because of a language barrier. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State court interpreters in Oakland are walking off their jobs on Wednesday, the latest half-day \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/workers-strike\">strike\u003c/a> to protest what they call stagnating wages and too-slow contract talks with administrators, as the system struggles to give people who speak little to no English \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/3656/interpreters-finally-coming-to-californias-civil-courts-2\">equal access to justice\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State court interpreters in Oakland are walking off their jobs on Wednesday, the latest half-day \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/workers-strike\">strike\u003c/a> to protest what they call stagnating wages and too-slow contract talks with administrators, as the system struggles to give people who speak little to no English \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/3656/interpreters-finally-coming-to-californias-civil-courts-2\">equal access to justice\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Interpreter employees at state courts earn lower salaries than interpreters in federal courts or private contractors, which contributes to persistent job vacancies, said Mary Lou Aranguren, bargaining spokesperson for the California Alliance of Legal Interpreters. Court officials have responded to interpreter shortages by going over budget to contract often costlier private services in recent years to meet language needs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Interpreter employees at state courts earn lower salaries than interpreters in federal courts or private contractors, which contributes to persistent job vacancies, said Mary Lou Aranguren, bargaining spokesperson for the California Alliance of Legal Interpreters. Court officials have responded to interpreter shortages by going over budget to contract often costlier private services in recent years to meet language needs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They are not bargaining in good faith when they are throwing money at contractors, and then they tell us at the table, ‘Well, we don’t have the budget for paying you more.’ That just doesn’t make sense,” said Aranguren, a Spanish court interpreter in Alameda County with 30 years of experience. “Employees make a commitment. We’re available, we work all the time, and we’re making a lot less money.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They are not bargaining in good faith when they are throwing money at contractors, and then they tell us at the table, ‘Well, we don’t have the budget for paying you more.’ That just doesn’t make sense,” said Aranguren, a Spanish court interpreter in Alameda County with 30 years of experience. “Employees make a commitment. We’re available, we work all the time, and we’re making a lot less money.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The union, which represents 91 court staffers working in Spanish, Cantonese, Hindi and other languages in coastal Northern California counties, has \u003ca href=\"http://google.com/search?q=kqed+court+interpreter+strike&rlz=1C1GCHA_enUS1179US1179&oq=kqed+court+interpreter+strike+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORifBTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigATIHCAYQIRiPAjIHCAcQIRiPAtIBCDY0MTdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.ob&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on\">accused the employer\u003c/a> of engaging in unfair labor practices by favoring contractors with higher pay.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The union, which represents 91 court staffers working in Spanish, Cantonese, Hindi and other languages in coastal Northern California counties, has \u003ca href=\"http://google.com/search?q=kqed+court+interpreter+strike&rlz=1C1GCHA_enUS1179US1179&oq=kqed+court+interpreter+strike+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORifBTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigATIHCAYQIRiPAjIHCAcQIRiPAtIBCDY0MTdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.ob&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on\">accused the employer\u003c/a> of engaging in unfair labor practices by favoring contractors with higher pay.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098299\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland on March 19, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098299\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland on March 19, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Local court interpreters on staff earn about $86,000 to $105,000 per year, not including retirement, medical and other benefits, according to a 2025 report by the Judicial Council of California, which administers state courts. The union is pushing to gradually raise interpreters’ salary range to $128,000-$150,000, which Aranguren said would near pay in federal courts and help fill dozens of vacant positions in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Local court interpreters on staff earn about $86,000 to $105,000 per year, not including retirement, medical and other benefits, according to a 2025 report by the Judicial Council of California, which administers state courts. The union is pushing to gradually raise interpreters’ salary range to $128,000-$150,000, which Aranguren said would near pay in federal courts and help fill dozens of vacant positions in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alicia Vojnik, a state courts bargaining representative, said they remain committed to negotiating a fair agreement with interpreters. Contractor rates and employee salaries “cannot be compared directly” without considering the additional benefits employees receive or the assignment frequency for contractors, said Vojnik, administrative chair for Region 2 courts.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Alicia Vojnik, a state courts bargaining representative, said they remain committed to negotiating a fair agreement with interpreters. Contractor rates and employee salaries “cannot be compared directly” without considering the additional benefits employees receive or the assignment frequency for contractors, said Vojnik, administrative chair for Region 2 courts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The Region has proposed and continues to propose that the parties enter mediation to assist in resolving the significant difference between their respective wage proposals, as well as other outstanding issues,” said Vojnik, chief operating officer at Superior Court in Santa Clara County. “Every court in the Region is committed to maintaining essential operations and language services.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The Region has proposed and continues to propose that the parties enter mediation to assist in resolving the significant difference between their respective wage proposals, as well as other outstanding issues,” said Vojnik, chief operating officer at Superior Court in Santa Clara County. “Every court in the Region is committed to maintaining essential operations and language services.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She added that Alameda County Superior Court will remain open during the strike. The labor action on Wednesday at the Wiley W. Manuel and René C. Davidson courthouses, which is set to involve some of the nearly two dozen interpreters in the county, is the second by the union this month. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She added that Alameda County Superior Court will remain open during the strike. The labor action on Wednesday at the Wiley W. Manuel and René C. Davidson courthouses, which is set to involve some of the nearly two dozen interpreters in the county, is the second by the union this month. \u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "An engraving outside of the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-520x293.jpg 520w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut.jpg\" alt=\"An engraving outside of the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.\" class=\"wp-image-11647421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An engraving outside of the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Adam Grossberg/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut.jpg\" alt=\"An engraving outside of the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.\" class=\"wp-image-11647421\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An engraving outside of the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Adam Grossberg/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Oct. 16, San Francisco court interpreters were also on strike as the Judicial Council met in the city and decided to corral rising spending on private contractors by standardizing rates statewide to levels that don’t exceed those in the federal court system. Court officials said that contractors were often able to negotiate higher pay, with courts competing against each other for the same pool of interpreters.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Oct. 16, San Francisco court interpreters were also on strike as the Judicial Council met in the city and decided to corral rising spending on private contractors by standardizing rates statewide to levels that don’t exceed those in the federal court system. Court officials said that contractors were often able to negotiate higher pay, with courts competing against each other for the same pool of interpreters.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since 2023, courts have exceeded their funds for interpreter services due to growing contractor costs, with $19 million in overspending last year. The state increased the budget for interpreter services by $20 million this year, bringing the total available to pay employees and contractors to $155 million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since 2023, courts have exceeded their funds for interpreter services due to growing contractor costs, with $19 million in overspending last year. The state increased the budget for interpreter services by $20 million this year, bringing the total available to pay employees and contractors to $155 million.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>David Slayton, court executive officer for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, said that higher pay for contractors disincentivizes interpreters from staying as employees with the courts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>David Slayton, court executive officer for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, said that higher pay for contractors disincentivizes interpreters from staying as employees with the courts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sometimes [we see] those same interpreters that were employees come back two weeks later, paying them more, for the services they were providing as employees,” said Slayton, adding that Los Angeles County has more than 120 interpreter job vacancies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Sometimes [we see] those same interpreters that were employees come back two weeks later, paying them more, for the services they were providing as employees,” said Slayton, adding that Los Angeles County has more than 120 interpreter job vacancies. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When contract work pays more than court employment, it becomes harder to recruit and keep employees, and we fill the gap with contractors at a premium.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When contract work pays more than court employment, it becomes harder to recruit and keep employees, and we fill the gap with contractors at a premium.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California state courts, the nation’s largest court system, are required to provide interpreter services to plaintiffs, witnesses and other users with limited English proficiency in criminal and civil cases. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California state courts, the nation’s largest court system, are required to provide interpreter services to plaintiffs, witnesses and other users with limited English proficiency in criminal and civil cases. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While demand for language services has increased, staffing shortages have left vulnerable people without understanding legal procedures that are critical to their freedom, family or livelihood.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While demand for language services has increased, staffing shortages have left vulnerable people without understanding legal procedures that are critical to their freedom, family or livelihood.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An 18-year-old immigrant who only speaks Mixteco, a major indigenous language in Mexico, received a traffic ticket but was unable to get assistance at court with communication, Francisca Camarillo, with the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project, told the Judicial Council at a recent meeting.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>An 18-year-old immigrant who only speaks Mixteco, a major indigenous language in Mexico, received a traffic ticket but was unable to get assistance at court with communication, Francisca Camarillo, with the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project, told the Judicial Council at a recent meeting.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After the teen contacted the organization for help, he discovered that there was already a warrant for his arrest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After the teen contacted the organization for help, he discovered that there was already a warrant for his arrest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The incident is one of many across the state in which limited English speakers faced barriers to the courts, according to \u003ca href=\"https://crla.org/sites/default/files/2026-10/Written%20Comments%20to%20Judicial%20Council,%20October%2016,%202026%201_0.pdf\">a letter this month\u003c/a> by dozens of community organizations that asked the Judicial Council to review its language access program. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The incident is one of many across the state in which limited English speakers faced barriers to the courts, according to \u003ca href=\"https://crla.org/sites/default/files/2026-10/Written%20Comments%20to%20Judicial%20Council,%20October%2016,%202026%201_0.pdf\">a letter this month\u003c/a> by dozens of community organizations that asked the Judicial Council to review its language access program. \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Interpreter employees say they earn less than contractors or interpreters in federal court, which leads to unfilled job vacancies in a system struggling to meet language demands.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State court interpreters in Oakland are walking off their jobs on Wednesday, the latest half-day \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/workers-strike\">strike\u003c/a> to protest what they call stagnating wages and too-slow contract talks with administrators, as the system struggles to give people who speak little to no English \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/3656/interpreters-finally-coming-to-californias-civil-courts-2\">equal access to justice\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interpreter employees at state courts earn lower salaries than interpreters in federal courts or private contractors, which contributes to persistent job vacancies, said Mary Lou Aranguren, bargaining spokesperson for the California Alliance of Legal Interpreters. Court officials have responded to interpreter shortages by going over budget to contract often costlier private services in recent years to meet language needs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They are not bargaining in good faith when they are throwing money at contractors, and then they tell us at the table, ‘Well, we don’t have the budget for paying you more.’ That just doesn’t make sense,” said Aranguren, a Spanish court interpreter in Alameda County with 30 years of experience. “Employees make a commitment. We’re available, we work all the time, and we’re making a lot less money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The union, which represents 91 court staffers working in Spanish, Cantonese, Hindi and other languages in coastal Northern California counties, has \u003ca href=\"http://google.com/search?q=kqed+court+interpreter+strike&rlz=1C1GCHA_enUS1179US1179&oq=kqed+court+interpreter+strike+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORifBTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigATIHCAYQIRiPAjIHCAcQIRiPAtIBCDY0MTdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.ob&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on\">accused the employer\u003c/a> of engaging in unfair labor practices by favoring contractors with higher pay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098299\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20250319_AlamedaCourthouse_GC-15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland on March 19, 2025. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Local court interpreters on staff earn about $86,000 to $105,000 per year, not including retirement, medical and other benefits, according to a 2025 report by the Judicial Council of California, which administers state courts. The union is pushing to gradually raise interpreters’ salary range to $128,000-$150,000, which Aranguren said would near pay in federal courts and help fill dozens of vacant positions in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alicia Vojnik, a state courts bargaining representative, said they remain committed to negotiating a fair agreement with interpreters. Contractor rates and employee salaries “cannot be compared directly” without considering the additional benefits employees receive or the assignment frequency for contractors, said Vojnik, administrative chair for Region 2 courts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The Region has proposed and continues to propose that the parties enter mediation to assist in resolving the significant difference between their respective wage proposals, as well as other outstanding issues,” said Vojnik, chief operating officer at Superior Court in Santa Clara County. “Every court in the Region is committed to maintaining essential operations and language services.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She added that Alameda County Superior Court will remain open during the strike. The labor action on Wednesday at the Wiley W. Manuel and René C. Davidson courthouses, which is set to involve some of the nearly two dozen interpreters in the county, is the second by the union this month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut.jpg\" alt=\"An engraving outside of the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.\" class=\"wp-image-11647421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/RS24075_courthouse-sign-cameo-qut-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An engraving outside of the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland. (Adam Grossberg/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Oct. 16, San Francisco court interpreters were also on strike as the Judicial Council met in the city and decided to corral rising spending on private contractors by standardizing rates statewide to levels that don’t exceed those in the federal court system. Court officials said that contractors were often able to negotiate higher pay, with courts competing against each other for the same pool of interpreters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 2023, courts have exceeded their funds for interpreter services due to growing contractor costs, with $19 million in overspending last year. The state increased the budget for interpreter services by $20 million this year, bringing the total available to pay employees and contractors to $155 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Slayton, court executive officer for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, said that higher pay for contractors disincentivizes interpreters from staying as employees with the courts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Sometimes [we see] those same interpreters that were employees come back two weeks later, paying them more, for the services they were providing as employees,” said Slayton, adding that Los Angeles County has more than 120 interpreter job vacancies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When contract work pays more than court employment, it becomes harder to recruit and keep employees, and we fill the gap with contractors at a premium.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California state courts, the nation’s largest court system, are required to provide interpreter services to plaintiffs, witnesses and other users with limited English proficiency in criminal and civil cases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While demand for language services has increased, staffing shortages have left vulnerable people without understanding legal procedures that are critical to their freedom, family or livelihood.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An 18-year-old immigrant who only speaks Mixteco, a major indigenous language in Mexico, received a traffic ticket but was unable to get assistance at court with communication, Francisca Camarillo, with the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project, told the Judicial Council at a recent meeting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the teen contacted the organization for help, he discovered that there was already a warrant for his arrest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The incident is one of many across the state in which limited English speakers faced barriers to the courts, according to \u003ca href=\"https://crla.org/sites/default/files/2026-10/Written%20Comments%20to%20Judicial%20Council,%20October%2016,%202026%201_0.pdf\">a letter this month\u003c/a> by dozens of community organizations that asked the Judicial Council to review its language access program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“While case records might make it appear that he is noncompliant for missing court, the reality is that no one provided language support,” Camarillo said. “A young adult seeking a better future was denied a fair chance to present his case simply because of a language barrier. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The one-time romantic partner of a government witness at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> corruption trial will be compelled to testify Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. District Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Tuesday signed an order requiring Cecilia Mendez to appear on the witness stand after her attorney said she planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to her link to Juarez, Mendez also worked for the housing startup Juarez founded with the Duongs, called Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. Prosecutors have alleged the ex-mayor promised to help the company secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support and a $300,000 no-show job at the company for Thao’s longtime romantic partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for their alleged participation in that pay-to-play scheme. U.S. attorneys allege Thao also agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with their business, California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to prosecutors, Mendez made audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings without the other participants’ knowledge, which is illegal under California law. They said they plan to play upwards of 45 minutes of these recordings for the jury, possibly pulling back the curtain on the internal operations of the startup. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez will testify under a statutory immunity and compulsion order, obtained by prosecutors, which requires her to answer questions on the witness stand, despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. In exchange, the order grants her statutory immunity, meaning that what she said during her testimony cannot be used against her in any state or federal criminal case in the future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to questions from the government, Mendez may face tough questions from defense attorneys about her relationship with Juarez and what they’ve characterized as his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">“decades-long history” of fraud\u003c/a>, as they try to cast more doubt on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys said Tuesday that Mendez had previously expressed concerns to prosecutors that she might be sued or retaliated against by the defendants for information she shares on the stand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Mendez finishes her testimony, former Oakland Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to prosecutors, Mendez made audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings without the other participants’ knowledge, which is illegal under California law. They said they plan to play upwards of 45 minutes of these recordings for the jury, possibly pulling back the curtain on the internal operations of the startup. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to questions from the government, Mendez may face tough questions from defense attorneys about her relationship with Juarez and what they’ve characterized as his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">“decades-long history” of fraud\u003c/a>, as they try to cast more doubt on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys said Tuesday that Mendez had previously expressed concerns to prosecutors that she might be sued or retaliated against by the defendants for information she shares on the stand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Cecilia Mendez, a former employee of Evolutionary Homes, planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The one-time romantic partner of a government witness at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> corruption trial will be compelled to testify Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. District Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Tuesday signed an order requiring Cecilia Mendez to appear on the witness stand after her attorney said she planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to her link to Juarez, Mendez also worked for the housing startup Juarez founded with the Duongs, called Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. Prosecutors have alleged the ex-mayor promised to help the company secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support and a $300,000 no-show job at the company for Thao’s longtime romantic partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for their alleged participation in that pay-to-play scheme. U.S. attorneys allege Thao also agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with their business, California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to prosecutors, Mendez made audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings without the other participants’ knowledge, which is illegal under California law. They said they plan to play upwards of 45 minutes of these recordings for the jury, possibly pulling back the curtain on the internal operations of the startup. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez will testify under a statutory immunity and compulsion order, obtained by prosecutors, which requires her to answer questions on the witness stand, despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. In exchange, the order grants her statutory immunity, meaning that what she said during her testimony cannot be used against her in any state or federal criminal case in the future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to questions from the government, Mendez may face tough questions from defense attorneys about her relationship with Juarez and what they’ve characterized as his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">“decades-long history” of fraud\u003c/a>, as they try to cast more doubt on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys said Tuesday that Mendez had previously expressed concerns to prosecutors that she might be sued or retaliated against by the defendants for information she shares on the stand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Mendez finishes her testimony, former Oakland Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "i-know-what-they-do-911-calls-were-key-turning-point-in-oakland-corruption-investigation",
"title": "Exclusive: How a Brawl, 911 Calls Turned a Co-Conspirator Into a Government Witness in Thao Trial",
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"headTitle": "Exclusive: How a Brawl, 911 Calls Turned a Co-Conspirator Into a Government Witness in Thao Trial | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two 911 calls in May 2024 tipped off federal agents to a key development in an ongoing public corruption investigation that has since become the subject of a major federal criminal trial involving \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>’s former mayor, Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Juarez, a businessman and political operative, called police twice — on May 3, 2024, and again the following day — to report he had been assaulted at the Oakland waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions, the city’s recycling contractor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A group of 10 men had beaten him up, he said, and the owners of the company brought those men together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It involves a crime of, high crime of racketeering and organized crime,” he said. “And it may involve police officers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED obtained those calls through a public records request.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week in a federal courtroom in Oakland, FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay said Juarez’s allegations against both the Duongs and police prompted the agency to contact him, setting in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to the indictment of Thao and three others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>[audio src=\"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/4442983a-32e8-46c8-a850-b4ea01176a2f/audio.mp3\" Image=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" Title=\"Mario Juarez's First Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address\"]\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong, whose family owns California Waste Solutions, are facing charges of bribery, conspiracy and honest services mail and wire fraud in a federal corruption trial that kicked off this month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have described a pay-to-play scheme involving promises of preferential treatment for the Duongs’ businesses, a no-show job and negative campaign mailers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In her testimony, Barclay said the FBI had been investigating a potential bribery scheme involving Juarez and the defendants for months when, in May 2024, the agency received information that was significant to its investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“[Oakland police] brought information to our attention that Juarez had made allegations against the Duong family and [the department] itself,” Barclay said. “Because of some of the allegations about OPD, they brought it to our attention.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the FBI received that information, Barclay said, agents approached Juarez for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was apparent that he was making allegations of corruption relating to the Duong family,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1878\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106496\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg 1878w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-2000x2727.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-160x218.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1127x1536.jpg 1127w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1502x2048.jpg 1502w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1878px) 100vw, 1878px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mario Juarez, a cooperating witness for the government, sits on the sidewalk outside the California Waste Solutions’ Oakland waterfront office with a blanket over him as ambulance sits parked nearby, May 3, 2024. The photo was seized from Andy Duong’s cell phone. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said agents were concerned that if that information got back to the Duongs, they might take steps to destroy evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez sat down for his first interview with the FBI about a month after he called 911 to report the alleged assault and has since become a cooperating witness in the federal corruption case. He has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In July 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25020077-july-10-2024-subpoena/\">subpoenaed the city of Oakland\u003c/a>, requesting internal Oakland Police Department phone number directories and lists from March to July that year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also requested any police reports made by or involving members of the Duong family, including Andy Duong, David Duong, Kristina Duong and Johnny Duong, from April to July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked about the 911 calls, a spokesperson for the Oakland Police Department said department personnel brought the allegations to the FBI and investigated the matters that fell within its own administrative authority. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The spokesperson declined to say what happened as a result of the investigation, or if any OPD personnel were charged or disciplined, citing a state law prohibiting the disclosure of most police personnel records. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The Oakland Police Department takes allegations of misconduct by its members seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The department shared the information with the FBI, has cooperated with federal authorities since then, and continues to do so.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The spokesperson said, “Because Mr. Juarez is a witness in an ongoing federal criminal trial, the department will not comment on the substance of his statements.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan said the agency cannot comment on the case at this time. Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office nor the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office responded to KQED’s questions about the calls or whether any officers have been charged. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have called into question Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decades-long history” of fraud. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In court records filed in the lead-up to the trial, defense attorneys said Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They described a documented “counter-attack” history, including instances in which they say Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An attorney for Andy Duong declined to comment on Juarez’s allegations in the 911 calls. Lawyers for David Duong and Doug Straus with Buchalter Law Firm, an attorney for California Waste Solutions, did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘For your records when you get subpoenaed’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The day that Juarez called 911 marked a breaking point in his yearslong relationship with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the fall of 2022, Juarez and the Duongs had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes — a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness and market them to Bay Area cities and counties looking to address the crisis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Thao agreed to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, in addition to other favors, as part of the alleged bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in the spring of 2024, prosecutors say the relationship between the Duongs and Juarez began to deteriorate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, Andy Duong told an Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector that he and his father had invested $800,000 into a business venture with Juarez but ultimately fell victim to what they considered to be theft of their investment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez, they said, was supposed to deliver 50 container homes but had only produced two of them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Over the course of their involvement with him, Juarez continued to ask for more and more money for the project without being able to provide them receipts, etc.,” a July 2024 search warrant affidavit read, continuing, “the Duongs, now allegedly into the project for slightly over $1,000,000, decided to walk away from doing business with Juarez.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When asked why deliveries were not being made, Juarez would make excuses about being close, or that worker or material costs [were] slowing things down,” Andy Duong told the inspector. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a court filing, prosecutors say Juarez became frustrated by the Duongs not reimbursing him for what he said he had already spent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By late April, the tension in their relationship reached a breaking point. Juarez, prosecutors say, asked to dissolve the partnership, and the Duongs threatened legal action based on loans they had given Juarez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response, they say, Juarez threatened to go to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an email on April 24, 2024, to David Duong, Andy Duong and others, Juarez said he was writing “for your records when you get subpoenaed by the FBI, City Attorneys, FPPC, and others,” the filing read.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I want my money’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez and the Duongs disagree about what happened next. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to prosecutors, on May 3, 2024, Juarez arrived at the Evolutionary Homes office and discovered he had been locked out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an audio recording of the confrontation that followed, which was admitted as evidence in the trial on Friday, Juarez can be heard saying, “I want my money,” to which David Duong responded, “We want our $800,000 back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1774\" height=\"1182\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106136\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg 1774w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1774px) 100vw, 1774px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Prosecutors say they found a gold chain and watch in Andy Duong’s garage that Mario Juarez identified as belonging to him. Juarez, Andy Duong and David Duong had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes, a housing startup that’s at the center of an alleged bribery scheme involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, before the two had a falling out in the spring of 2024. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez can be heard insisting that he needs to get inside the office, while other people, including David Duong, offer to help get his stuff out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The “business is gone,” David Duong can be heard saying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Have you closed the business?” Juarez asks. “Yeah,” David Duong responded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury in the government’s opening statement that Andy Duong recorded the exchange.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When Juarez refused to leave, Duong turned off the recorder,” Fine said. “Some people showed up and beat up Juarez. They beat him, punched him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, Fine said, they took a watch and chain that Juarez “had worn for years.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That same day, Juarez called 911. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I am reporting a felony assault,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>[audio src=\"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/522b4b8d-24fe-424a-b720-b4ea01176a2d/audio.mp3\" Image=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" Title=\"Mario Juarez's Second Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address\"]\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They assaulted me this afternoon, and I just got home,” he told the dispatcher. “It was about ten people.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said that the assault was “organized by Johnny Duong,” David Duong’s son and California Waste Solutions’ chief operating officer. Johnny Duong declined to comment on the allegations. A review of Alameda County and federal court records by KQED found no criminal charges against Johnny Duong related to the alleged assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next day, when officers apparently still hadn’t responded, Juarez called 911 again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Ma’am, I need to report a crime that I was a victim of,” Juarez said, explaining that he had just woken up from a beating the day before. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I got stomped in the head by ten people that were sent together by the owners of California Waste Solutions, which is the city of Oakland waste management contract,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez asked for a sergeant to respond, because the owners of the company “have tremendous influence with the police, with patrol officers,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dispatcher asked Juarez for the name of the company again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez reiterated, “California Waste Solutions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Because I know them,” Juarez said. “I know what they do. I know how they racketeer. I know how they launder money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I know how they \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/08/01/fbi-raids-oakland-police-chinatown/\">donate drones\u003c/a> to the police department,” Juarez said. “I know how they have police officers right now in their offices during their break, right now, today, right now. You have a patrol at 1211 Embarcadero on the third floor and saying that he’s at Starbucks. Do you see? Do you not have a patrol officer at 1211 Embarcadero?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m just trying to give you an idea of something that is so powerful that perhaps, you know …” he trailed off. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED has not substantiated Juarez’s allegations against Oakland police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andy Duong told the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector a different account of the events that day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his version, Juarez showed up at California Waste Solutions on May 3, 2024, and confronted him and his father, claiming they still owed him money he needed to pay his workers in Mexico, where the company was purportedly building homes out of shipping containers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the search warrant affidavit authored by the inspector, Andy Duong alleged Juarez “held them for hours demanding money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098818\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero in Oakland on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They feared for their safety because he is known to carry weapons,” the affidavit read. “Juarez ultimately left without receiving any further money from the Duongs.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors on Friday showed a photo taken that day outside California Waste Solutions’ office, which was seized from Andy Duong’s phone. In the photo, Juarez can be seen sitting on the ground covered with a blanket while several people stand around him. An ambulance and stretcher are parked nearby. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winston Chan, one of Andy Duong’s attorneys, told jurors in his opening statement that Juarez showed up that day agitated and armed with a gun. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chan said someone outside the Duong family punched Juarez in the face. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What happened was, yes, an altercation,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not going to say that afternoon was handled well,” he said. “But this was the farthest thing from a preplanned ambush.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Court records show an Oakland police officer is expected to testify about his interactions with Andy Duong, David Duong and his sister Kristina Duong, chief financial officer at California Waste Solutions, on the day Juarez placed the second 911 call, as well as a police report he authored documenting the Duongs’ descriptions of the confrontation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a recent court filing, prosecutors said surveillance footage from the recycling company’s headquarters on May 3, 2024, doesn’t exist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez previously told the FBI he had seen members of the Duong family delete footage from the security system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Evidence that Juarez previously observed the deletion of footage from the surveillance system therefore is relevant to the jury’s assessment of why no corresponding footage exists for May 3, 2024,” the filing read. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Juarez went to the police, it marked the first time he talked to law enforcement about the Duongs, Fine said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About a month later, on June 6, 2024, Juarez sat down with the FBI for an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two weeks after that, the FBI executed search warrants at Thao, Jones and David and Andy Duong’s homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the search of Andy Duong’s residence, Fine said agents discovered a watch and chain that Juarez identified as items stolen from him during the altercation with the Duongs. They were in a paper bag, Fine said, inside Andy Duong’s garage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two 911 calls in May 2024 tipped off federal agents to a key development in an ongoing public corruption investigation that has since become the subject of a major federal criminal trial involving \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>’s former mayor, Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mario Juarez, a businessman and political operative, called police twice — on May 3, 2024, and again the following day — to report he had been assaulted at the Oakland waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions, the city’s recycling contractor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mario Juarez, a businessman and political operative, called police twice — on May 3, 2024, and again the following day — to report he had been assaulted at the Oakland waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions, the city’s recycling contractor.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A group of 10 men had beaten him up, he said, and the owners of the company brought those men together.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A group of 10 men had beaten him up, he said, and the owners of the company brought those men together.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It involves a crime of, high crime of racketeering and organized crime,” he said. “And it may involve police officers.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It involves a crime of, high crime of racketeering and organized crime,” he said. “And it may involve police officers.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED obtained those calls through a public records request.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week in a federal courtroom in Oakland, FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay said Juarez’s allegations against both the Duongs and police prompted the agency to contact him, setting in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to the indictment of Thao and three others. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last week in a federal courtroom in Oakland, FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay said Juarez’s allegations against both the Duongs and police prompted the agency to contact him, setting in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to the indictment of Thao and three others. \u003c/p>\n"
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"title": "Mario Juarez's First Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address"
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"innerHTML": "\n[audio src=\"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/4442983a-32e8-46c8-a850-b4ea01176a2f/audio.mp3\" Image=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" Title=\"Mario Juarez's First Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address\"]\n",
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"\n[audio src=\"https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/4442983a-32e8-46c8-a850-b4ea01176a2f/audio.mp3\" Image=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" Title=\"Mario Juarez's First Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address\"]\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong, whose family owns California Waste Solutions, are facing charges of bribery, conspiracy and honest services mail and wire fraud in a federal corruption trial that kicked off this month. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong, whose family owns California Waste Solutions, are facing charges of bribery, conspiracy and honest services mail and wire fraud in a federal corruption trial that kicked off this month. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have described a pay-to-play scheme involving promises of preferential treatment for the Duongs’ businesses, a no-show job and negative campaign mailers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have described a pay-to-play scheme involving promises of preferential treatment for the Duongs’ businesses, a no-show job and negative campaign mailers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In her testimony, Barclay said the FBI had been investigating a potential bribery scheme involving Juarez and the defendants for months when, in May 2024, the agency received information that was significant to its investigation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In her testimony, Barclay said the FBI had been investigating a potential bribery scheme involving Juarez and the defendants for months when, in May 2024, the agency received information that was significant to its investigation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Oakland police] brought information to our attention that Juarez had made allegations against the Duong family and [the department] itself,” Barclay said. “Because of some of the allegations about OPD, they brought it to our attention.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Oakland police] brought information to our attention that Juarez had made allegations against the Duong family and [the department] itself,” Barclay said. “Because of some of the allegations about OPD, they brought it to our attention.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once the FBI received that information, Barclay said, agents approached Juarez for an interview.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was apparent that he was making allegations of corruption relating to the Duong family,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was apparent that he was making allegations of corruption relating to the Duong family,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106496\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg 1878w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-2000x2727.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-160x218.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1127x1536.jpg 1127w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1502x2048.jpg 1502w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mario Juarez, a cooperating witness for the government, sits on the sidewalk outside the California Waste Solutions’ Oakland waterfront office with a blanket over him as ambulance sits parked nearby, May 3, 2024. The photo was seized from Andy Duong’s cell phone.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106496\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mario Juarez, a cooperating witness for the government, sits on the sidewalk outside the California Waste Solutions’ Oakland waterfront office with a blanket over him as ambulance sits parked nearby, May 3, 2024. The photo was seized from Andy Duong’s cell phone.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay said agents were concerned that if that information got back to the Duongs, they might take steps to destroy evidence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay said agents were concerned that if that information got back to the Duongs, they might take steps to destroy evidence. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez sat down for his first interview with the FBI about a month after he called 911 to report the alleged assault and has since become a cooperating witness in the federal corruption case. He has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez sat down for his first interview with the FBI about a month after he called 911 to report the alleged assault and has since become a cooperating witness in the federal corruption case. He has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In July 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25020077-july-10-2024-subpoena/\">subpoenaed the city of Oakland\u003c/a>, requesting internal Oakland Police Department phone number directories and lists from March to July that year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In July 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25020077-july-10-2024-subpoena/\">subpoenaed the city of Oakland\u003c/a>, requesting internal Oakland Police Department phone number directories and lists from March to July that year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It also requested any police reports made by or involving members of the Duong family, including Andy Duong, David Duong, Kristina Duong and Johnny Duong, from April to July. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It also requested any police reports made by or involving members of the Duong family, including Andy Duong, David Duong, Kristina Duong and Johnny Duong, from April to July. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Asked about the 911 calls, a spokesperson for the Oakland Police Department said department personnel brought the allegations to the FBI and investigated the matters that fell within its own administrative authority. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Asked about the 911 calls, a spokesperson for the Oakland Police Department said department personnel brought the allegations to the FBI and investigated the matters that fell within its own administrative authority. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The spokesperson declined to say what happened as a result of the investigation, or if any OPD personnel were charged or disciplined, citing a state law prohibiting the disclosure of most police personnel records. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The spokesperson declined to say what happened as a result of the investigation, or if any OPD personnel were charged or disciplined, citing a state law prohibiting the disclosure of most police personnel records. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The Oakland Police Department takes allegations of misconduct by its members seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The department shared the information with the FBI, has cooperated with federal authorities since then, and continues to do so.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The Oakland Police Department takes allegations of misconduct by its members seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The department shared the information with the FBI, has cooperated with federal authorities since then, and continues to do so.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The spokesperson said, “Because Mr. Juarez is a witness in an ongoing federal criminal trial, the department will not comment on the substance of his statements.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan said the agency cannot comment on the case at this time. Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office nor the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office responded to KQED’s questions about the calls or whether any officers have been charged. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan said the agency cannot comment on the case at this time. Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office nor the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office responded to KQED’s questions about the calls or whether any officers have been charged. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have called into question Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decades-long history” of fraud. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In court records filed in the lead-up to the trial, defense attorneys said Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They described a documented “counter-attack” history, including instances in which they say Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An attorney for Andy Duong declined to comment on Juarez’s allegations in the 911 calls. Lawyers for David Duong and Doug Straus with Buchalter Law Firm, an attorney for California Waste Solutions, did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The day that Juarez called 911 marked a breaking point in his yearslong relationship with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, Juarez and the Duongs had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes — a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness and market them to Bay Area cities and counties looking to address the crisis. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that Thao agreed to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, in addition to other favors, as part of the alleged bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in the spring of 2024, prosecutors say the relationship between the Duongs and Juarez began to deteriorate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That year, Andy Duong told an Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector that he and his father had invested $800,000 into a business venture with Juarez but ultimately fell victim to what they considered to be theft of their investment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, was supposed to deliver 50 container homes but had only produced two of them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Over the course of their involvement with him, Juarez continued to ask for more and more money for the project without being able to provide them receipts, etc.,” a July 2024 search warrant affidavit read, continuing, “the Duongs, now allegedly into the project for slightly over $1,000,000, decided to walk away from doing business with Juarez.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Over the course of their involvement with him, Juarez continued to ask for more and more money for the project without being able to provide them receipts, etc.,” a July 2024 search warrant affidavit read, continuing, “the Duongs, now allegedly into the project for slightly over $1,000,000, decided to walk away from doing business with Juarez.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When asked why deliveries were not being made, Juarez would make excuses about being close, or that worker or material costs [were] slowing things down,” Andy Duong told the inspector. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a court filing, prosecutors say Juarez became frustrated by the Duongs not reimbursing him for what he said he had already spent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By late April, the tension in their relationship reached a breaking point. Juarez, prosecutors say, asked to dissolve the partnership, and the Duongs threatened legal action based on loans they had given Juarez.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response, they say, Juarez threatened to go to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an email on April 24, 2024, to David Duong, Andy Duong and others, Juarez said he was writing “for your records when you get subpoenaed by the FBI, City Attorneys, FPPC, and others,” the filing read.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an email on April 24, 2024, to David Duong, Andy Duong and others, Juarez said he was writing “for your records when you get subpoenaed by the FBI, City Attorneys, FPPC, and others,” the filing read.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘I want my money’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I want my money’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez and the Duongs disagree about what happened next. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to prosecutors, on May 3, 2024, Juarez arrived at the Evolutionary Homes office and discovered he had been locked out. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an audio recording of the confrontation that followed, which was admitted as evidence in the trial on Friday, Juarez can be heard saying, “I want my money,” to which David Duong responded, “We want our $800,000 back.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an audio recording of the confrontation that followed, which was admitted as evidence in the trial on Friday, Juarez can be heard saying, “I want my money,” to which David Duong responded, “We want our $800,000 back.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106136\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg 1774w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Prosecutors say they found a gold chain and watch in Andy Duong’s garage that Mario Juarez identified as belonging to him. Juarez, Andy Duong and David Duong had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes, a housing startup that’s at the center of an alleged bribery scheme involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, before the two had a falling out in the spring of 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106136\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Prosecutors say they found a gold chain and watch in Andy Duong’s garage that Mario Juarez identified as belonging to him. Juarez, Andy Duong and David Duong had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes, a housing startup that’s at the center of an alleged bribery scheme involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, before the two had a falling out in the spring of 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez can be heard insisting that he needs to get inside the office, while other people, including David Duong, offer to help get his stuff out. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The “business is gone,” David Duong can be heard saying. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Have you closed the business?” Juarez asks. “Yeah,” David Duong responded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Have you closed the business?” Juarez asks. “Yeah,” David Duong responded. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury in the government’s opening statement that Andy Duong recorded the exchange.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When Juarez refused to leave, Duong turned off the recorder,” Fine said. “Some people showed up and beat up Juarez. They beat him, punched him.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Because I know them,” Juarez said. “I know what they do. I know how they racketeer. I know how they launder money.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They feared for their safety because he is known to carry weapons,” the affidavit read. “Juarez ultimately left without receiving any further money from the Duongs.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m not going to say that afternoon was handled well,” he said. “But this was the farthest thing from a preplanned ambush.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Evidence that Juarez previously observed the deletion of footage from the surveillance system therefore is relevant to the jury’s assessment of why no corresponding footage exists for May 3, 2024,” the filing read. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Juarez went to the police, it marked the first time he talked to law enforcement about the Duongs, Fine said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two weeks after that, the FBI executed search warrants at Thao, Jones and David and Andy Duong’s homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the search of Andy Duong’s residence, Fine said agents discovered a watch and chain that Juarez identified as items stolen from him during the altercation with the Duongs. They were in a paper bag, Fine said, inside Andy Duong’s garage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Two 911 calls from May 2024 furthered the FBI’s investigation into alleged public corruption that’s now the subject of a federal trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.\n",
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"title": "Exclusive: How a Brawl, 911 Calls Turned a Co-Conspirator Into a Government Witness in Thao Trial | KQED",
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"headline": "Exclusive: How a Brawl, 911 Calls Turned a Co-Conspirator Into a Government Witness in Thao Trial",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two 911 calls in May 2024 tipped off federal agents to a key development in an ongoing public corruption investigation that has since become the subject of a major federal criminal trial involving \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>’s former mayor, Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Juarez, a businessman and political operative, called police twice — on May 3, 2024, and again the following day — to report he had been assaulted at the Oakland waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions, the city’s recycling contractor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A group of 10 men had beaten him up, he said, and the owners of the company brought those men together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It involves a crime of, high crime of racketeering and organized crime,” he said. “And it may involve police officers.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED obtained those calls through a public records request.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week in a federal courtroom in Oakland, FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay said Juarez’s allegations against both the Duongs and police prompted the agency to contact him, setting in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to the indictment of Thao and three others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Mario Juarez's First Call to Oakland Police, Edited to Redact Juarez's Home Address",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong, whose family owns California Waste Solutions, are facing charges of bribery, conspiracy and honest services mail and wire fraud in a federal corruption trial that kicked off this month. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have described a pay-to-play scheme involving promises of preferential treatment for the Duongs’ businesses, a no-show job and negative campaign mailers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In her testimony, Barclay said the FBI had been investigating a potential bribery scheme involving Juarez and the defendants for months when, in May 2024, the agency received information that was significant to its investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“[Oakland police] brought information to our attention that Juarez had made allegations against the Duong family and [the department] itself,” Barclay said. “Because of some of the allegations about OPD, they brought it to our attention.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the FBI received that information, Barclay said, agents approached Juarez for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was apparent that he was making allegations of corruption relating to the Duong family,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1878\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106496\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-scaled.jpg 1878w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-2000x2727.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-160x218.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1127x1536.jpg 1127w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Trial-Exhibit-554-OAK-0225266-Jaurez-altercation-c138ae0b-1502x2048.jpg 1502w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1878px) 100vw, 1878px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mario Juarez, a cooperating witness for the government, sits on the sidewalk outside the California Waste Solutions’ Oakland waterfront office with a blanket over him as ambulance sits parked nearby, May 3, 2024. The photo was seized from Andy Duong’s cell phone. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said agents were concerned that if that information got back to the Duongs, they might take steps to destroy evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez sat down for his first interview with the FBI about a month after he called 911 to report the alleged assault and has since become a cooperating witness in the federal corruption case. He has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In July 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25020077-july-10-2024-subpoena/\">subpoenaed the city of Oakland\u003c/a>, requesting internal Oakland Police Department phone number directories and lists from March to July that year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also requested any police reports made by or involving members of the Duong family, including Andy Duong, David Duong, Kristina Duong and Johnny Duong, from April to July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked about the 911 calls, a spokesperson for the Oakland Police Department said department personnel brought the allegations to the FBI and investigated the matters that fell within its own administrative authority. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The spokesperson declined to say what happened as a result of the investigation, or if any OPD personnel were charged or disciplined, citing a state law prohibiting the disclosure of most police personnel records. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The Oakland Police Department takes allegations of misconduct by its members seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The department shared the information with the FBI, has cooperated with federal authorities since then, and continues to do so.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The spokesperson said, “Because Mr. Juarez is a witness in an ongoing federal criminal trial, the department will not comment on the substance of his statements.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan said the agency cannot comment on the case at this time. Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office nor the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office responded to KQED’s questions about the calls or whether any officers have been charged. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have called into question Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decades-long history” of fraud. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In court records filed in the lead-up to the trial, defense attorneys said Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They described a documented “counter-attack” history, including instances in which they say Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An attorney for Andy Duong declined to comment on Juarez’s allegations in the 911 calls. Lawyers for David Duong and Doug Straus with Buchalter Law Firm, an attorney for California Waste Solutions, did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘For your records when you get subpoenaed’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The day that Juarez called 911 marked a breaking point in his yearslong relationship with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the fall of 2022, Juarez and the Duongs had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes — a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness and market them to Bay Area cities and counties looking to address the crisis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Thao agreed to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, in addition to other favors, as part of the alleged bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in the spring of 2024, prosecutors say the relationship between the Duongs and Juarez began to deteriorate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, Andy Duong told an Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector that he and his father had invested $800,000 into a business venture with Juarez but ultimately fell victim to what they considered to be theft of their investment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez, they said, was supposed to deliver 50 container homes but had only produced two of them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Over the course of their involvement with him, Juarez continued to ask for more and more money for the project without being able to provide them receipts, etc.,” a July 2024 search warrant affidavit read, continuing, “the Duongs, now allegedly into the project for slightly over $1,000,000, decided to walk away from doing business with Juarez.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When asked why deliveries were not being made, Juarez would make excuses about being close, or that worker or material costs [were] slowing things down,” Andy Duong told the inspector. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a co-defendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a court filing, prosecutors say Juarez became frustrated by the Duongs not reimbursing him for what he said he had already spent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By late April, the tension in their relationship reached a breaking point. Juarez, prosecutors say, asked to dissolve the partnership, and the Duongs threatened legal action based on loans they had given Juarez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response, they say, Juarez threatened to go to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an email on April 24, 2024, to David Duong, Andy Duong and others, Juarez said he was writing “for your records when you get subpoenaed by the FBI, City Attorneys, FPPC, and others,” the filing read.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I want my money’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez and the Duongs disagree about what happened next. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to prosecutors, on May 3, 2024, Juarez arrived at the Evolutionary Homes office and discovered he had been locked out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an audio recording of the confrontation that followed, which was admitted as evidence in the trial on Friday, Juarez can be heard saying, “I want my money,” to which David Duong responded, “We want our $800,000 back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1774\" height=\"1182\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106136\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f.jpg 1774w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/chain-watch_brightened-ec47ed5f-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1774px) 100vw, 1774px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Prosecutors say they found a gold chain and watch in Andy Duong’s garage that Mario Juarez identified as belonging to him. Juarez, Andy Duong and David Duong had gone into business together on Evolutionary Homes, a housing startup that’s at the center of an alleged bribery scheme involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, before the two had a falling out in the spring of 2024. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez can be heard insisting that he needs to get inside the office, while other people, including David Duong, offer to help get his stuff out. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The “business is gone,” David Duong can be heard saying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Have you closed the business?” Juarez asks. “Yeah,” David Duong responded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury in the government’s opening statement that Andy Duong recorded the exchange.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When Juarez refused to leave, Duong turned off the recorder,” Fine said. “Some people showed up and beat up Juarez. They beat him, punched him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, Fine said, they took a watch and chain that Juarez “had worn for years.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That same day, Juarez called 911. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I am reporting a felony assault,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They assaulted me this afternoon, and I just got home,” he told the dispatcher. “It was about ten people.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said that the assault was “organized by Johnny Duong,” David Duong’s son and California Waste Solutions’ chief operating officer. Johnny Duong declined to comment on the allegations. A review of Alameda County and federal court records by KQED found no criminal charges against Johnny Duong related to the alleged assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next day, when officers apparently still hadn’t responded, Juarez called 911 again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Ma’am, I need to report a crime that I was a victim of,” Juarez said, explaining that he had just woken up from a beating the day before. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I got stomped in the head by ten people that were sent together by the owners of California Waste Solutions, which is the city of Oakland waste management contract,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez asked for a sergeant to respond, because the owners of the company “have tremendous influence with the police, with patrol officers,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dispatcher asked Juarez for the name of the company again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez reiterated, “California Waste Solutions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Because I know them,” Juarez said. “I know what they do. I know how they racketeer. I know how they launder money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I know how they \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/08/01/fbi-raids-oakland-police-chinatown/\">donate drones\u003c/a> to the police department,” Juarez said. “I know how they have police officers right now in their offices during their break, right now, today, right now. You have a patrol at 1211 Embarcadero on the third floor and saying that he’s at Starbucks. Do you see? Do you not have a patrol officer at 1211 Embarcadero?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m just trying to give you an idea of something that is so powerful that perhaps, you know …” he trailed off. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED has not substantiated Juarez’s allegations against Oakland police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andy Duong told the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office inspector a different account of the events that day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his version, Juarez showed up at California Waste Solutions on May 3, 2024, and confronted him and his father, claiming they still owed him money he needed to pay his workers in Mexico, where the company was purportedly building homes out of shipping containers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the search warrant affidavit authored by the inspector, Andy Duong alleged Juarez “held them for hours demanding money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098818\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_016_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero in Oakland on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They feared for their safety because he is known to carry weapons,” the affidavit read. “Juarez ultimately left without receiving any further money from the Duongs.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors on Friday showed a photo taken that day outside California Waste Solutions’ office, which was seized from Andy Duong’s phone. In the photo, Juarez can be seen sitting on the ground covered with a blanket while several people stand around him. An ambulance and stretcher are parked nearby. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winston Chan, one of Andy Duong’s attorneys, told jurors in his opening statement that Juarez showed up that day agitated and armed with a gun. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chan said someone outside the Duong family punched Juarez in the face. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What happened was, yes, an altercation,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not going to say that afternoon was handled well,” he said. “But this was the farthest thing from a preplanned ambush.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Court records show an Oakland police officer is expected to testify about his interactions with Andy Duong, David Duong and his sister Kristina Duong, chief financial officer at California Waste Solutions, on the day Juarez placed the second 911 call, as well as a police report he authored documenting the Duongs’ descriptions of the confrontation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a recent court filing, prosecutors said surveillance footage from the recycling company’s headquarters on May 3, 2024, doesn’t exist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez previously told the FBI he had seen members of the Duong family delete footage from the security system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Evidence that Juarez previously observed the deletion of footage from the surveillance system therefore is relevant to the jury’s assessment of why no corresponding footage exists for May 3, 2024,” the filing read. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Juarez went to the police, it marked the first time he talked to law enforcement about the Duongs, Fine said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About a month later, on June 6, 2024, Juarez sat down with the FBI for an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two weeks after that, the FBI executed search warrants at Thao, Jones and David and Andy Duong’s homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the search of Andy Duong’s residence, Fine said agents discovered a watch and chain that Juarez identified as items stolen from him during the altercation with the Duongs. They were in a paper bag, Fine said, inside Andy Duong’s garage.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-corruption-trial-fbi-agent-testimony-stretches-into-fifth-day",
"title": "Thao Trial: Defense Attorneys Poke Holes in FBI’s Oakland Corruption Investigation",
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"headTitle": "Thao Trial: Defense Attorneys Poke Holes in FBI’s Oakland Corruption Investigation | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the course of four days in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">federal corruption trial\u003c/a> of former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Mayor Sheng Thao, an FBI agent’s testimony has allowed the court to admit thousands of pages of private texts, digital files and audio recordings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week, defense attorneys tried to cast doubt on what the government believes that evidence proves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Special FBI Agent Katherine Barclay completed her testimony on Tuesday, after providing nearly 20 hours of testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son Andy Duong face bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly promising to trade campaign support for Thao’s mayoral campaign, and a $300,000 bribe for favorable treatment for the Duongs’ businesses and interests. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All four have pleaded not guilty.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here’s what Barclay’s testimony and cross-examination revealed so far about the alleged quid pro quo:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who paid what for 2022 campaign mailers?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense team called into question who paid for negative campaign mailers attacking Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents, which prosecutors say are central to the alleged bribery scheme. Government attorneys have alleged the Duongs paid Mario Juarez, a former business partner, to produce them, pointing to a $75,000 payment that Andy Duong discussed with Juarez via text in October 2022 as evidence supporting their claim. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But on Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense attorney Erik Babcock pointed to expense filings that Juarez filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission that indicate he spent a total of around $110,000 on two mailers attacking Thao’s opponents, Loren Taylor and Ignacio De La Fuente. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“So he didn’t claim to have spent $75,000, did he?” Babcock asked the FBI agent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay confirmed that was not the total he wrote on his FPPC forms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, though, Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedeman, an attorney for the prosecution, directed Barclay back to the document from Juarez’s iCloud account that lays out the alleged “Deal Points for Sheng Thao.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It includes two line items related to the mailers: a $75,000 payment from California Waste Solutions, and a separate $40,000 advance payment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“That roughly adds up to $110,000, right?” she asked Barclay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Yes,” Barclay said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones’ Evolutionary Homes job wasn’t on his computer\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors also asked Barclay earlier in her testimony about a number of devices that the FBI confiscated during a series of early morning raids on June 20, 2024, which included the home Thao and Jones shared, both David and Andy Duong’s homes, and the waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the pieces of evidence was Jones’ laptop. On it, Barclay said, investigators found no references to Evolutionary Homes — a housing startup Andy Duong founded with Juarez — where Jones purported to work as a government relations specialist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between December 2022 and January 2023, Jones cashed five checks from Juarez totaling $20,000 for his work at the housing startup, according to a government indictment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in January 2024, Jones was not listed on an organizational chart for the company, which Cecilia Mendez, a former California Waste Solutions employee and Juarez’s onetime romantic partner, sent to the Duongs and others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say the multiple checks from Evolutionary Homes and another of Juarez’s companies, called Ciudad Holdings, were bribes, but Jones’ attorneys have characterized them as advances to “keep him available” to work as a consultant selling contracts to municipalities once their container homes were ready to be sold.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jones’ attorney spent time during his opening statement pointing to Evolutionary Homes presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his cross examination of Barclay on Tuesday, Jones’ attorney Mark Goldrosen pointed out that a contact page on the Evolutionary Homes website didn’t include a comprehensive list of employees — it didn’t have information for reaching Cecily Frost, an Evolutionary Homes representative, or Michael Duong, who he suggested was the company’s chief financial officer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investigators did, however, find evidence on Jones’ computer that he worked for another company, called Kearns and West, a national communications firm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thao and Jones financial struggles come to light\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay’s testimony also allowed for the admission of a number of text exchanges between Thao and Jones regarding their bills. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the course of at least two years when they lived together, Thao sent messages to Jones multiple times reminding him to pay rent. At one point, their landlord told them that, after several months when Jones didn’t pay his portion of the rent on time, the couple would need to provide a cashier’s check, instead of using online deposits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the trial, prosecutors have raised questions about Jones’ financial status. In 2021 and 2022, Jones and Thao split rent payments or Thao paid them in their entirety. But beginning in January 2023, when Jones began receiving payments from Evolutionary Homes, he began to cover the couple’s monthly rent payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have tried to link that shift — Jones’ payments toward his and Thao’s living expenses — to his receiving money for a “now-show” job from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2022, Thao texted Jones: “I don’t have enough to cover rent by myself this month. Your mom hasn’t pitched in on any bills either.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In May 2023, Thao texted Jones that PG&E wanted $6,000 to turn their power back on, and in another message from November 2023, she said: “Please don’t turn on heater, please turn off lights and electricity. The bill this month is 3000 I cannot pay that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Nov. 29 of that year, Jones deposited a check from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Tuesday, Goldrosen tried to dispel prosecutors’ connection between Jones’ bill payment and checks from Evolutionary Homes. He asked Barclay if she had looked into Jones’ and Thao’s financial records to see if they paid a $3,000 bill to PG&E between Nov. 14, when Thao sent a text about that bill, and Nov. 29, when Jones deposited the check from Evolutionary homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Wouldn’t it have been important to see if any payments were made to that PG&E bill before the payment from Evolutionary Homes?” Goldrosen asked. “But you yourself didn’t look into that, did you?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said she did not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barclay says Juarez accused others of bribes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the court that in a series of interviews, Juarez alleged “that other local politicians had taken bribes.” Tsai then went on to ask her if the government had interviewed a number of current and former Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro elected officials. She said it had not, except in one case; that politician declined to be interviewed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED is not naming the elected officials, because the claims have not been substantiated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have repeatedly attempted to discredit Juarez’s allegations to cast further doubt on Juarez as a witness. He’s been called a “consummate hustler” with a “decades-long history” of fraudulent behavior.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong’s secret recordings enter the courtroom\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, Barclay identified the voices in a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">phone calls\u003c/a> Andy Duong recorded with Thao, Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and others — many of which were seemingly recorded without their knowledge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jenkins previously told KQED it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the call because he is a government witness. Bas is also expected to testify later in the trial. Neither politician has been accused of wrongdoing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero, in Oakland, on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one phone conversation between Thao and Andy Duong in April 2019, made public in court filings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">last month\u003c/a>, Thao told him about a confidential conversation the Oakland City Council had regarding a legal dispute with his family’s recycling company, California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, Oakland sued the company for allegedly overcharging rate payers. The recycling vendor countersued, alleging Oakland breached its contract, and the parties settled in 2021 with California Waste Solutions \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/08/09/cws-oakland-lawsuit-recycling-contract-duong-fbi/\">agreeing to pay ratepayers $6 million\u003c/a> in alleged overcharges. The city of Oakland paid the company nearly $2 million and released it from agreements the company made to pay for waste studies and community outreach totaling about $1.5 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During that litigation, in 2019, Thao told Andy Duong that multiple council members had questions about a potential refund his family’s company could have been required to give ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, who was then a first-term city councilmember, advised Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day: “This is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103152\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks during a rally against her recall at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 15, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao goes on to say that she, Andy Duong, and others attending the meeting, who aren’t explicitly named, should meet in a private place for lunch, “because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another call from September 2023, Thao tells Andy Duong that he and his business partners will have to “pick and choose” between her support and that of two council members at the time, Janani Ramachandran and Treva Reid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not f–king with those bitches, they don’t do me any favors at all,” Thao can be heard saying on the call.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What comes next\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay wrapped up her lengthy testimony, FBI intelligence analyst Katherine Higgons briefly testified Tuesday about participating in the June 20, 2024, search of Andy Duong’s house. She said she found a watch and chain in Andy Duong’s garage, which Juarez has alleged was stolen from him during a May 2024 altercation with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Wednesday, Cecilia Mendez will testify. She is Juarez’s former romantic partner and an Evolutionary Homes representative. Prosecutors say she made a number of recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings they plan to play when she takes the stand. \u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
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"\n\u003cp>Over the course of four days in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">federal corruption trial\u003c/a> of former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Mayor Sheng Thao, an FBI agent’s testimony has allowed the court to admit thousands of pages of private texts, digital files and audio recordings.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Special FBI Agent Katherine Barclay completed her testimony on Tuesday, after providing nearly 20 hours of testimony. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son Andy Duong face bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly promising to trade campaign support for Thao’s mayoral campaign, and a $300,000 bribe for favorable treatment for the Duongs’ businesses and interests. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son Andy Duong face bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly promising to trade campaign support for Thao’s mayoral campaign, and a $300,000 bribe for favorable treatment for the Duongs’ businesses and interests. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here’s what Barclay’s testimony and cross-examination revealed so far about the alleged quid pro quo:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Here’s what Barclay’s testimony and cross-examination revealed so far about the alleged quid pro quo:\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Who paid what for 2022 campaign mailers? ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who paid what for 2022 campaign mailers?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who paid what for 2022 campaign mailers?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense team called into question who paid for negative campaign mailers attacking Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents, which prosecutors say are central to the alleged bribery scheme. Government attorneys have alleged the Duongs paid Mario Juarez, a former business partner, to produce them, pointing to a $75,000 payment that Andy Duong discussed with Juarez via text in October 2022 as evidence supporting their claim. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense team called into question who paid for negative campaign mailers attacking Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents, which prosecutors say are central to the alleged bribery scheme. Government attorneys have alleged the Duongs paid Mario Juarez, a former business partner, to produce them, pointing to a $75,000 payment that Andy Duong discussed with Juarez via text in October 2022 as evidence supporting their claim. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But on Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense attorney Erik Babcock pointed to expense filings that Juarez filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission that indicate he spent a total of around $110,000 on two mailers attacking Thao’s opponents, Loren Taylor and Ignacio De La Fuente. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But on Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense attorney Erik Babcock pointed to expense filings that Juarez filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission that indicate he spent a total of around $110,000 on two mailers attacking Thao’s opponents, Loren Taylor and Ignacio De La Fuente. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So he didn’t claim to have spent $75,000, did he?” Babcock asked the FBI agent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay confirmed that was not the total he wrote on his FPPC forms. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later, though, Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedeman, an attorney for the prosecution, directed Barclay back to the document from Juarez’s iCloud account that lays out the alleged “Deal Points for Sheng Thao.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later, though, Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedeman, an attorney for the prosecution, directed Barclay back to the document from Juarez’s iCloud account that lays out the alleged “Deal Points for Sheng Thao.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It includes two line items related to the mailers: a $75,000 payment from California Waste Solutions, and a separate $40,000 advance payment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It includes two line items related to the mailers: a $75,000 payment from California Waste Solutions, and a separate $40,000 advance payment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That roughly adds up to $110,000, right?” she asked Barclay. \u003c/p>\n",
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Andre Jones’ Evolutionary Homes job wasn’t on his computer",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones’ Evolutionary Homes job wasn’t on his computer\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones’ Evolutionary Homes job wasn’t on his computer\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors also asked Barclay earlier in her testimony about a number of devices that the FBI confiscated during a series of early morning raids on June 20, 2024, which included the home Thao and Jones shared, both David and Andy Duong’s homes, and the waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors also asked Barclay earlier in her testimony about a number of devices that the FBI confiscated during a series of early morning raids on June 20, 2024, which included the home Thao and Jones shared, both David and Andy Duong’s homes, and the waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the pieces of evidence was Jones’ laptop. On it, Barclay said, investigators found no references to Evolutionary Homes — a housing startup Andy Duong founded with Juarez — where Jones purported to work as a government relations specialist. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of the pieces of evidence was Jones’ laptop. On it, Barclay said, investigators found no references to Evolutionary Homes — a housing startup Andy Duong founded with Juarez — where Jones purported to work as a government relations specialist. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Between December 2022 and January 2023, Jones cashed five checks from Juarez totaling $20,000 for his work at the housing startup, according to a government indictment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Between December 2022 and January 2023, Jones cashed five checks from Juarez totaling $20,000 for his work at the housing startup, according to a government indictment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in January 2024, Jones was not listed on an organizational chart for the company, which Cecilia Mendez, a former California Waste Solutions employee and Juarez’s onetime romantic partner, sent to the Duongs and others.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But in January 2024, Jones was not listed on an organizational chart for the company, which Cecilia Mendez, a former California Waste Solutions employee and Juarez’s onetime romantic partner, sent to the Duongs and others.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say the multiple checks from Evolutionary Homes and another of Juarez’s companies, called Ciudad Holdings, were bribes, but Jones’ attorneys have characterized them as advances to “keep him available” to work as a consultant selling contracts to municipalities once their container homes were ready to be sold.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say the multiple checks from Evolutionary Homes and another of Juarez’s companies, called Ciudad Holdings, were bribes, but Jones’ attorneys have characterized them as advances to “keep him available” to work as a consultant selling contracts to municipalities once their container homes were ready to be sold.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jones’ attorney spent time during his opening statement pointing to Evolutionary Homes presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Jones’ attorney spent time during his opening statement pointing to Evolutionary Homes presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During his cross examination of Barclay on Tuesday, Jones’ attorney Mark Goldrosen pointed out that a contact page on the Evolutionary Homes website didn’t include a comprehensive list of employees — it didn’t have information for reaching Cecily Frost, an Evolutionary Homes representative, or Michael Duong, who he suggested was the company’s chief financial officer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During his cross examination of Barclay on Tuesday, Jones’ attorney Mark Goldrosen pointed out that a contact page on the Evolutionary Homes website didn’t include a comprehensive list of employees — it didn’t have information for reaching Cecily Frost, an Evolutionary Homes representative, or Michael Duong, who he suggested was the company’s chief financial officer. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Investigators did, however, find evidence on Jones’ computer that he worked for another company, called Kearns and West, a national communications firm.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Investigators did, however, find evidence on Jones’ computer that he worked for another company, called Kearns and West, a national communications firm.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay’s testimony also allowed for the admission of a number of text exchanges between Thao and Jones regarding their bills. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over the course of at least two years when they lived together, Thao sent messages to Jones multiple times reminding him to pay rent. At one point, their landlord told them that, after several months when Jones didn’t pay his portion of the rent on time, the couple would need to provide a cashier’s check, instead of using online deposits. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Over the course of at least two years when they lived together, Thao sent messages to Jones multiple times reminding him to pay rent. At one point, their landlord told them that, after several months when Jones didn’t pay his portion of the rent on time, the couple would need to provide a cashier’s check, instead of using online deposits. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Throughout the trial, prosecutors have raised questions about Jones’ financial status. In 2021 and 2022, Jones and Thao split rent payments or Thao paid them in their entirety. But beginning in January 2023, when Jones began receiving payments from Evolutionary Homes, he began to cover the couple’s monthly rent payments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Throughout the trial, prosecutors have raised questions about Jones’ financial status. In 2021 and 2022, Jones and Thao split rent payments or Thao paid them in their entirety. But beginning in January 2023, when Jones began receiving payments from Evolutionary Homes, he began to cover the couple’s monthly rent payments.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have tried to link that shift — Jones’ payments toward his and Thao’s living expenses — to his receiving money for a “now-show” job from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have tried to link that shift — Jones’ payments toward his and Thao’s living expenses — to his receiving money for a “now-show” job from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In April 2022, Thao texted Jones: “I don’t have enough to cover rent by myself this month. Your mom hasn’t pitched in on any bills either.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In April 2022, Thao texted Jones: “I don’t have enough to cover rent by myself this month. Your mom hasn’t pitched in on any bills either.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In May 2023, Thao texted Jones that PG&E wanted $6,000 to turn their power back on, and in another message from November 2023, she said: “Please don’t turn on heater, please turn off lights and electricity. The bill this month is 3000 I cannot pay that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In May 2023, Thao texted Jones that PG&E wanted $6,000 to turn their power back on, and in another message from November 2023, she said: “Please don’t turn on heater, please turn off lights and electricity. The bill this month is 3000 I cannot pay that.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Nov. 29 of that year, Jones deposited a check from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Nov. 29 of that year, Jones deposited a check from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Goldrosen tried to dispel prosecutors’ connection between Jones’ bill payment and checks from Evolutionary Homes. He asked Barclay if she had looked into Jones’ and Thao’s financial records to see if they paid a $3,000 bill to PG&E between Nov. 14, when Thao sent a text about that bill, and Nov. 29, when Jones deposited the check from Evolutionary homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Goldrosen tried to dispel prosecutors’ connection between Jones’ bill payment and checks from Evolutionary Homes. He asked Barclay if she had looked into Jones’ and Thao’s financial records to see if they paid a $3,000 bill to PG&E between Nov. 14, when Thao sent a text about that bill, and Nov. 29, when Jones deposited the check from Evolutionary homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Wouldn’t it have been important to see if any payments were made to that PG&E bill before the payment from Evolutionary Homes?” Goldrosen asked. “But you yourself didn’t look into that, did you?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Wouldn’t it have been important to see if any payments were made to that PG&E bill before the payment from Evolutionary Homes?” Goldrosen asked. “But you yourself didn’t look into that, did you?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay said she did not. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay said she did not. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Barclay says Juarez accused others of bribes",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barclay says Juarez accused others of bribes\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barclay says Juarez accused others of bribes\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the court that in a series of interviews, Juarez alleged “that other local politicians had taken bribes.” Tsai then went on to ask her if the government had interviewed a number of current and former Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro elected officials. She said it had not, except in one case; that politician declined to be interviewed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the court that in a series of interviews, Juarez alleged “that other local politicians had taken bribes.” Tsai then went on to ask her if the government had interviewed a number of current and former Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro elected officials. She said it had not, except in one case; that politician declined to be interviewed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED is not naming the elected officials, because the claims have not been substantiated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED is not naming the elected officials, because the claims have not been substantiated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have repeatedly attempted to discredit Juarez’s allegations to cast further doubt on Juarez as a witness. He’s been called a “consummate hustler” with a “decades-long history” of fraudulent behavior.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have repeatedly attempted to discredit Juarez’s allegations to cast further doubt on Juarez as a witness. He’s been called a “consummate hustler” with a “decades-long history” of fraudulent behavior.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Andy Duong’s secret recordings enter the courtroom",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong’s secret recordings enter the courtroom\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong’s secret recordings enter the courtroom\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, Barclay identified the voices in a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">phone calls\u003c/a> Andy Duong recorded with Thao, Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and others — many of which were seemingly recorded without their knowledge. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Last week, Barclay identified the voices in a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">phone calls\u003c/a> Andy Duong recorded with Thao, Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and others — many of which were seemingly recorded without their knowledge. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jenkins previously told KQED it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the call because he is a government witness. Bas is also expected to testify later in the trial. Neither politician has been accused of wrongdoing. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Jenkins previously told KQED it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the call because he is a government witness. Bas is also expected to testify later in the trial. Neither politician has been accused of wrongdoing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero, in Oakland, on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero, in Oakland, on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one phone conversation between Thao and Andy Duong in April 2019, made public in court filings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">last month\u003c/a>, Thao told him about a confidential conversation the Oakland City Council had regarding a legal dispute with his family’s recycling company, California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In one phone conversation between Thao and Andy Duong in April 2019, made public in court filings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">last month\u003c/a>, Thao told him about a confidential conversation the Oakland City Council had regarding a legal dispute with his family’s recycling company, California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2017, Oakland sued the company for allegedly overcharging rate payers. The recycling vendor countersued, alleging Oakland breached its contract, and the parties settled in 2021 with California Waste Solutions \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/08/09/cws-oakland-lawsuit-recycling-contract-duong-fbi/\">agreeing to pay ratepayers $6 million\u003c/a> in alleged overcharges. The city of Oakland paid the company nearly $2 million and released it from agreements the company made to pay for waste studies and community outreach totaling about $1.5 million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2017, Oakland sued the company for allegedly overcharging rate payers. The recycling vendor countersued, alleging Oakland breached its contract, and the parties settled in 2021 with California Waste Solutions \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/08/09/cws-oakland-lawsuit-recycling-contract-duong-fbi/\">agreeing to pay ratepayers $6 million\u003c/a> in alleged overcharges. The city of Oakland paid the company nearly $2 million and released it from agreements the company made to pay for waste studies and community outreach totaling about $1.5 million.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During that litigation, in 2019, Thao told Andy Duong that multiple council members had questions about a potential refund his family’s company could have been required to give ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>During that litigation, in 2019, Thao told Andy Duong that multiple council members had questions about a potential refund his family’s company could have been required to give ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, who was then a first-term city councilmember, advised Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day: “This is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Thao, who was then a first-term city councilmember, advised Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day: “This is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103152\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks during a rally against her recall at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 15, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103152\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks during a rally against her recall at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 15, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao goes on to say that she, Andy Duong, and others attending the meeting, who aren’t explicitly named, should meet in a private place for lunch, “because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao goes on to say that she, Andy Duong, and others attending the meeting, who aren’t explicitly named, should meet in a private place for lunch, “because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In another call from September 2023, Thao tells Andy Duong that he and his business partners will have to “pick and choose” between her support and that of two council members at the time, Janani Ramachandran and Treva Reid. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In another call from September 2023, Thao tells Andy Duong that he and his business partners will have to “pick and choose” between her support and that of two council members at the time, Janani Ramachandran and Treva Reid. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m not f–king with those bitches, they don’t do me any favors at all,” Thao can be heard saying on the call.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I’m not f–king with those bitches, they don’t do me any favors at all,” Thao can be heard saying on the call.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "What comes next",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What comes next\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What comes next\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Barclay wrapped up her lengthy testimony, FBI intelligence analyst Katherine Higgons briefly testified Tuesday about participating in the June 20, 2024, search of Andy Duong’s house. She said she found a watch and chain in Andy Duong’s garage, which Juarez has alleged was stolen from him during a May 2024 altercation with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Barclay wrapped up her lengthy testimony, FBI intelligence analyst Katherine Higgons briefly testified Tuesday about participating in the June 20, 2024, search of Andy Duong’s house. She said she found a watch and chain in Andy Duong’s garage, which Juarez has alleged was stolen from him during a May 2024 altercation with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Cecilia Mendez will testify. She is Juarez’s former romantic partner and an Evolutionary Homes representative. Prosecutors say she made a number of recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings they plan to play when she takes the stand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, Cecilia Mendez will testify. She is Juarez’s former romantic partner and an Evolutionary Homes representative. Prosecutors say she made a number of recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings they plan to play when she takes the stand. \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "After prosecutors introduced thousands of pages of private text messages, recorded phone calls and digital files, defense attorneys tried to poke holes in what the government believes the evidence proves.",
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"title": "Thao Trial: Defense Attorneys Poke Holes in FBI’s Oakland Corruption Investigation | KQED",
"description": "After prosecutors introduced thousands of pages of private text messages, recorded phone calls and digital files, defense attorneys tried to poke holes in what the government believes the evidence proves.",
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"headline": "Thao Trial: Defense Attorneys Poke Holes in FBI’s Oakland Corruption Investigation",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the course of four days in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">federal corruption trial\u003c/a> of former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Mayor Sheng Thao, an FBI agent’s testimony has allowed the court to admit thousands of pages of private texts, digital files and audio recordings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week, defense attorneys tried to cast doubt on what the government believes that evidence proves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Special FBI Agent Katherine Barclay completed her testimony on Tuesday, after providing nearly 20 hours of testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son Andy Duong face bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly promising to trade campaign support for Thao’s mayoral campaign, and a $300,000 bribe for favorable treatment for the Duongs’ businesses and interests. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All four have pleaded not guilty.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here’s what Barclay’s testimony and cross-examination revealed so far about the alleged quid pro quo:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who paid what for 2022 campaign mailers?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense team called into question who paid for negative campaign mailers attacking Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents, which prosecutors say are central to the alleged bribery scheme. Government attorneys have alleged the Duongs paid Mario Juarez, a former business partner, to produce them, pointing to a $75,000 payment that Andy Duong discussed with Juarez via text in October 2022 as evidence supporting their claim. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But on Tuesday, Andy Duong’s defense attorney Erik Babcock pointed to expense filings that Juarez filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission that indicate he spent a total of around $110,000 on two mailers attacking Thao’s opponents, Loren Taylor and Ignacio De La Fuente. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“So he didn’t claim to have spent $75,000, did he?” Babcock asked the FBI agent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay confirmed that was not the total he wrote on his FPPC forms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, though, Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedeman, an attorney for the prosecution, directed Barclay back to the document from Juarez’s iCloud account that lays out the alleged “Deal Points for Sheng Thao.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It includes two line items related to the mailers: a $75,000 payment from California Waste Solutions, and a separate $40,000 advance payment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“That roughly adds up to $110,000, right?” she asked Barclay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Yes,” Barclay said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones’ Evolutionary Homes job wasn’t on his computer\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors also asked Barclay earlier in her testimony about a number of devices that the FBI confiscated during a series of early morning raids on June 20, 2024, which included the home Thao and Jones shared, both David and Andy Duong’s homes, and the waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the pieces of evidence was Jones’ laptop. On it, Barclay said, investigators found no references to Evolutionary Homes — a housing startup Andy Duong founded with Juarez — where Jones purported to work as a government relations specialist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between December 2022 and January 2023, Jones cashed five checks from Juarez totaling $20,000 for his work at the housing startup, according to a government indictment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in January 2024, Jones was not listed on an organizational chart for the company, which Cecilia Mendez, a former California Waste Solutions employee and Juarez’s onetime romantic partner, sent to the Duongs and others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say the multiple checks from Evolutionary Homes and another of Juarez’s companies, called Ciudad Holdings, were bribes, but Jones’ attorneys have characterized them as advances to “keep him available” to work as a consultant selling contracts to municipalities once their container homes were ready to be sold.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jones’ attorney spent time during his opening statement pointing to Evolutionary Homes presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his cross examination of Barclay on Tuesday, Jones’ attorney Mark Goldrosen pointed out that a contact page on the Evolutionary Homes website didn’t include a comprehensive list of employees — it didn’t have information for reaching Cecily Frost, an Evolutionary Homes representative, or Michael Duong, who he suggested was the company’s chief financial officer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investigators did, however, find evidence on Jones’ computer that he worked for another company, called Kearns and West, a national communications firm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thao and Jones financial struggles come to light\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay’s testimony also allowed for the admission of a number of text exchanges between Thao and Jones regarding their bills. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the course of at least two years when they lived together, Thao sent messages to Jones multiple times reminding him to pay rent. At one point, their landlord told them that, after several months when Jones didn’t pay his portion of the rent on time, the couple would need to provide a cashier’s check, instead of using online deposits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the trial, prosecutors have raised questions about Jones’ financial status. In 2021 and 2022, Jones and Thao split rent payments or Thao paid them in their entirety. But beginning in January 2023, when Jones began receiving payments from Evolutionary Homes, he began to cover the couple’s monthly rent payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have tried to link that shift — Jones’ payments toward his and Thao’s living expenses — to his receiving money for a “now-show” job from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2022, Thao texted Jones: “I don’t have enough to cover rent by myself this month. Your mom hasn’t pitched in on any bills either.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In May 2023, Thao texted Jones that PG&E wanted $6,000 to turn their power back on, and in another message from November 2023, she said: “Please don’t turn on heater, please turn off lights and electricity. The bill this month is 3000 I cannot pay that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Nov. 29 of that year, Jones deposited a check from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Tuesday, Goldrosen tried to dispel prosecutors’ connection between Jones’ bill payment and checks from Evolutionary Homes. He asked Barclay if she had looked into Jones’ and Thao’s financial records to see if they paid a $3,000 bill to PG&E between Nov. 14, when Thao sent a text about that bill, and Nov. 29, when Jones deposited the check from Evolutionary homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Wouldn’t it have been important to see if any payments were made to that PG&E bill before the payment from Evolutionary Homes?” Goldrosen asked. “But you yourself didn’t look into that, did you?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said she did not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barclay says Juarez accused others of bribes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the court that in a series of interviews, Juarez alleged “that other local politicians had taken bribes.” Tsai then went on to ask her if the government had interviewed a number of current and former Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro elected officials. She said it had not, except in one case; that politician declined to be interviewed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KQED is not naming the elected officials, because the claims have not been substantiated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have repeatedly attempted to discredit Juarez’s allegations to cast further doubt on Juarez as a witness. He’s been called a “consummate hustler” with a “decades-long history” of fraudulent behavior.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong’s secret recordings enter the courtroom\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, Barclay identified the voices in a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">phone calls\u003c/a> Andy Duong recorded with Thao, Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and others — many of which were seemingly recorded without their knowledge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jenkins previously told KQED it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the call because he is a government witness. Bas is also expected to testify later in the trial. Neither politician has been accused of wrongdoing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero, in Oakland, on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one phone conversation between Thao and Andy Duong in April 2019, made public in court filings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">last month\u003c/a>, Thao told him about a confidential conversation the Oakland City Council had regarding a legal dispute with his family’s recycling company, California Waste Solutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, Oakland sued the company for allegedly overcharging rate payers. The recycling vendor countersued, alleging Oakland breached its contract, and the parties settled in 2021 with California Waste Solutions \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2024/08/09/cws-oakland-lawsuit-recycling-contract-duong-fbi/\">agreeing to pay ratepayers $6 million\u003c/a> in alleged overcharges. The city of Oakland paid the company nearly $2 million and released it from agreements the company made to pay for waste studies and community outreach totaling about $1.5 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During that litigation, in 2019, Thao told Andy Duong that multiple council members had questions about a potential refund his family’s company could have been required to give ratepayers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, who was then a first-term city councilmember, advised Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day: “This is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103152\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241015-OaklandChinatownThaoRecall-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks during a rally against her recall at Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 15, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao goes on to say that she, Andy Duong, and others attending the meeting, who aren’t explicitly named, should meet in a private place for lunch, “because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another call from September 2023, Thao tells Andy Duong that he and his business partners will have to “pick and choose” between her support and that of two council members at the time, Janani Ramachandran and Treva Reid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not f–king with those bitches, they don’t do me any favors at all,” Thao can be heard saying on the call.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What comes next\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay wrapped up her lengthy testimony, FBI intelligence analyst Katherine Higgons briefly testified Tuesday about participating in the June 20, 2024, search of Andy Duong’s house. She said she found a watch and chain in Andy Duong’s garage, which Juarez has alleged was stolen from him during a May 2024 altercation with the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Wednesday, Cecilia Mendez will testify. She is Juarez’s former romantic partner and an Evolutionary Homes representative. Prosecutors say she made a number of recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings they plan to play when she takes the stand. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-immigration-arrest-raises-questions-about-ice-free-zones-training-at-hospitals",
"title": "East Bay Immigration Arrest Raises Questions About ‘ICE-Free Zones,’ Training at Hospitals",
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"headTitle": "East Bay Immigration Arrest Raises Questions About ‘ICE-Free Zones,’ Training at Hospitals | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After immigration authorities detained a man in Emeryville last week and brought him to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/highland-hospital\">Alameda County hospital\u003c/a>, some medical staff said they didn’t receive legally required training that would have helped them respond to enforcement activity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several staff members at Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus in Oakland told administrators in a letter that the Oct. 16 arrival of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and a detainee “highlighted major hazards to the rights and safety of our patients.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Immigration agents brought a man to Highland for treatment after an agent allegedly tackled him and fractured six of his ribs, said Nikolas De Bremaeker, an attorney at Centro Legal De La Raza who represents the man. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">De Bremaeker and some employees said agents allegedly tried to obstruct access to counsel, to direct medical treatment and asked staff for medical information. The agent who tackled the patient, the attorney said, had been “sitting on his bed, grinning at him.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s incredibly scary,” De Bremaeker told KQED. “It’s just unacceptable for ICE agents to be terrorizing folks inside a hospital.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1505\" height=\"1432\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-03-5314ee6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105985\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-03-5314ee6d.jpg 1505w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-03-5314ee6d-160x152.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1505px) 100vw, 1505px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One side of an Alameda Health System employee’s “badge buddy” that outlines how to respond to immigration authorities when they show up to one of the facilities. (Courtesy of Iman Khalil)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About two dozen community members were on the lookout for agents on Thursday morning for hours, being directed by others to make noise if immigration authorities exited or entered the facility. They’d been showing up since Monday, an organizer said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Alameda Health System, which Highland is a part of, declined to comment on allegations specific to De Bremaeker’s client’s care, citing patient confidentiality. But said, generally, law enforcement does not direct treatment and the system is complying with all laws and requirements concerning immigration enforcement in its facilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an earlier statement to KQED about the ICE activity, AHS said that it activated an Incident Command Center and that security personnel were on site monitoring developments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly after a planned demonstration against ICE’s presence got underway on Friday, the health system told KQED that no patients at Highland Hospital were in ICE custody, and ICE personnel were not present on the property. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alameda Health System’s training falls short, staff says\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some staff members told AHS in the letter that they “at all levels, remain confused and consistently express a lack of clarity on policy when patients are brought in civil detention.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is out of step with current best practices in the state of California,” the staff members wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb81\">Senate Bill 81\u003c/a>, which took effect in September 2025, requires medical health care providers to restrict certain immigration information from being shared and, as part of new restrictions to nonpublic areas, facilities must inform staff on how to respond to requests to access sites and establish procedures for receiving visitors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12074474\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus is seen through flowering branches in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. The hospital is part of Alameda Health System. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But staff told administrators the hospital system isn’t in compliance with that law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ansel Schmidt, a physical therapist at the Highland Hospital, isn’t on the patient’s care team, but helped draft the letter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not sure that I’ve received anything that I would call training,” Schmidt told KQED. What Schmidt has received is a “badge buddy,” or a reference guide, that he said implies staff can cooperate with ICE. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A badge buddy reviewed by KQED shows that staff are instructed to notify an administrator when a patient in ICE custody shows up for care. Providers request agents leave during evaluation, inform patients of their rights and, if they don’t meet admission criteria, can be handed off to the ICE control office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schmidt said that emails about responding to immigration activity have left him and others feeling “really confused and isolated,” because that “isn’t a training.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to staff concerns over training and what training is already in place, AHS said staff are told to “promptly escalate” situations through the appropriate channels where immigration authorities are present at any facility.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We reinforce these procedures through staff communications, training, scenario-based exercises, desktop training, and quick-reference ‘badge buddies’ that staff can keep with their identification badges,” AHS said. “The protocol has also been reviewed in staff webinar forums, including this week, and recordings are available to staff on our intranet.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iman Khalil, a respiratory therapist at San Leandro Hospital, part of the Alameda Health System, said staff members receive minimal training about what to do when immigration authorities show up. Khalil received the same badge and emails Schmidt did.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Allowing the agents in the hospital … undoes all that training,” Khalil said. “You really don’t think they’ll even allow the agents in the hospital. But here we are.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AHS CEO James Jackson told staff that AHS believed the man in ICE’s custody at the hospital for the last week was part of the agency’s civil immigration enforcement authority and called on personnel to review established immigration response protocols, according to an Oct. 19 email obtained and reviewed by KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas said a scheduled Oct. 27 joint meeting between county supervisors and the Alameda Health System Board of Trustees is an opportunity “to push for doing everything possible to enforce our policies that protect immigrant communities.” Fortunato Bas said officials will discuss budget, governance and compliance with local and state policies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ICE-free zone?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Highland Hospital, which sits on county property, also falls under Alameda County’s “ICE-free zone” ordinance that limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">County supervisors and advocates touted the policy, of which similar ones have been adopted across the Bay Area, as a way to push back against violent and sometimes deadly actions by immigration agents during the second Trump administration. In January, agents fatally shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota during a surge of immigration enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez and other officials have also noted the limits of just how far the ICE-free zone can go. It doesn’t prevent immigration officials from actually being on county property, Sanchez \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/01/28/ice-free-zones-are-coming-to-alameda-county/\">said previously\u003c/a>. Officials in other jurisdictions with these “zones” have even referred to them as symbolic — or \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/02/04/ice-free-zones-community-wide-warning-system-weighed-in-richmond-amid-trump-crackdowns/\">a way to create\u003c/a> “false expectations.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1577\" height=\"1560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd.jpg 1577w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd-160x158.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd-1536x1519.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1577px) 100vw, 1577px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One side of an Alameda Health System employee’s “badge buddy” that outlines how to respond to immigration authorities when they show up to one of the facilities. (Courtesy of Iman Khalil)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">De Bremaeker said his client is still in ICE custody as of Thursday afternoon. Another man he represents was detained by ICE in the San Antonio neighborhood in Oakland on the same day, before being taken to another hospital for injuries that De Bremaeker said were sustained because of the officers’ actions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two cases are part of an “unprecedented escalation” of violence from ICE, De Bremaeker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oakland City Council member Charlene Wang said in a social media video Friday afternoon that she was outraged by the arrests. She said she had been in touch with AHS administration to see if there were any legal grounds to remove immigration authorities from the property, which Wang said they “[didn’t] know the answer to yet.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The attorney called on federal lawmakers to launch a congressional inquiry into ICE’s actions and, in particular, the agency’s activity in hospitals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They have been occupying these hospitals for days, creating an incredible threat to community members, terrifying folks who need medical care from going to the hospital,” De Bremaeker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ICE said that De Bremaeker’s client — who the agency characterized as an “illegal alien” — was arrested as part of a targeted enforcement operation. During which, the agency said the detainee tried to assault officers and refused lawful commands. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers relied on their training to control the situation,” an ICE spokesperson said, adding that De Bremaeker’s client disclosed a preexisting injury of falling off a ladder two days prior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The agency said, like other law enforcement agencies, it is standard procedure for ICE to accompany detainees for the safety of staff and public. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Renee Coe, with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, is among the community members who came out to keep watch for ICE at the hospital. She said some community members are scared to show up to the hospital because of federal agents’ presence, but urged them not to put off medical care. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AHS said its property is not being used as a staging area, operations base or processing location for immigration enforcement activities, and the immigration vehicles currently on Highland property are present “only in connection with a patient who is in immigration enforcement custody.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunato Bas told community members outside the hospital on Friday that her understanding of the ICE presence on the property was the same as the health system’s.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“At any given time, I understand they only had two agents … maintaining legal custody of the patient at any given time,” Fortunato Bas said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 100 Oakland residents held an emergency press conference at 6 p.m. on Friday in front of Highland to demand accountability for local authorities, security contracting with the facility and AHS for “continuously” assisting ICE operations at the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">\u003cem>Brian Krans\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>De Bremaeker and some employees said agents allegedly tried to obstruct access to counsel, to direct medical treatment and asked staff for medical information. The agent who tackled the patient, the attorney said, had been “sitting on his bed, grinning at him.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s incredibly scary,” De Bremaeker told KQED. “It’s just unacceptable for ICE agents to be terrorizing folks inside a hospital.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-03-5314ee6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105985\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-03-5314ee6d.jpg 1505w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-03-5314ee6d-160x152.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One side of an Alameda Health System employee’s “badge buddy” that outlines how to respond to immigration authorities when they show up to one of the facilities. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Iman Khalil)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About two dozen community members were on the lookout for agents on Thursday morning for hours, being directed by others to make noise if immigration authorities exited or entered the facility. They’d been showing up since Monday, an organizer said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Alameda Health System, which Highland is a part of, declined to comment on allegations specific to De Bremaeker’s client’s care, citing patient confidentiality. But said, generally, law enforcement does not direct treatment and the system is complying with all laws and requirements concerning immigration enforcement in its facilities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Alameda Health System, which Highland is a part of, declined to comment on allegations specific to De Bremaeker’s client’s care, citing patient confidentiality. But said, generally, law enforcement does not direct treatment and the system is complying with all laws and requirements concerning immigration enforcement in its facilities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an earlier statement to KQED about the ICE activity, AHS said that it activated an Incident Command Center and that security personnel were on site monitoring developments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shortly after a planned demonstration against ICE’s presence got underway on Friday, the health system told KQED that no patients at Highland Hospital were in ICE custody, and ICE personnel were not present on the property. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shortly after a planned demonstration against ICE’s presence got underway on Friday, the health system told KQED that no patients at Highland Hospital were in ICE custody, and ICE personnel were not present on the property. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some staff members told AHS in the letter that they “at all levels, remain confused and consistently express a lack of clarity on policy when patients are brought in civil detention.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is out of step with current best practices in the state of California,” the staff members wrote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb81\">Senate Bill 81\u003c/a>, which took effect in September 2025, requires medical health care providers to restrict certain immigration information from being shared and, as part of new restrictions to nonpublic areas, facilities must inform staff on how to respond to requests to access sites and establish procedures for receiving visitors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb81\">Senate Bill 81\u003c/a>, which took effect in September 2025, requires medical health care providers to restrict certain immigration information from being shared and, as part of new restrictions to nonpublic areas, facilities must inform staff on how to respond to requests to access sites and establish procedures for receiving visitors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12074474\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus is seen through flowering branches in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. The hospital is part of Alameda Health System.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But staff told administrators the hospital system isn’t in compliance with that law. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ansel Schmidt, a physical therapist at the Highland Hospital, isn’t on the patient’s care team, but helped draft the letter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m not sure that I’ve received anything that I would call training,” Schmidt told KQED. What Schmidt has received is a “badge buddy,” or a reference guide, that he said implies staff can cooperate with ICE. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A badge buddy reviewed by KQED shows that staff are instructed to notify an administrator when a patient in ICE custody shows up for care. Providers request agents leave during evaluation, inform patients of their rights and, if they don’t meet admission criteria, can be handed off to the ICE control office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Schmidt said that emails about responding to immigration activity have left him and others feeling “really confused and isolated,” because that “isn’t a training.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response to staff concerns over training and what training is already in place, AHS said staff are told to “promptly escalate” situations through the appropriate channels where immigration authorities are present at any facility.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We reinforce these procedures through staff communications, training, scenario-based exercises, desktop training, and quick-reference ‘badge buddies’ that staff can keep with their identification badges,” AHS said. “The protocol has also been reviewed in staff webinar forums, including this week, and recordings are available to staff on our intranet.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Iman Khalil, a respiratory therapist at San Leandro Hospital, part of the Alameda Health System, said staff members receive minimal training about what to do when immigration authorities show up. Khalil received the same badge and emails Schmidt did.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Iman Khalil, a respiratory therapist at San Leandro Hospital, part of the Alameda Health System, said staff members receive minimal training about what to do when immigration authorities show up. Khalil received the same badge and emails Schmidt did.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Allowing the agents in the hospital … undoes all that training,” Khalil said. “You really don’t think they’ll even allow the agents in the hospital. But here we are.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Allowing the agents in the hospital … undoes all that training,” Khalil said. “You really don’t think they’ll even allow the agents in the hospital. But here we are.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>AHS CEO James Jackson told staff that AHS believed the man in ICE’s custody at the hospital for the last week was part of the agency’s civil immigration enforcement authority and called on personnel to review established immigration response protocols, according to an Oct. 19 email obtained and reviewed by KQED. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>AHS CEO James Jackson told staff that AHS believed the man in ICE’s custody at the hospital for the last week was part of the agency’s civil immigration enforcement authority and called on personnel to review established immigration response protocols, according to an Oct. 19 email obtained and reviewed by KQED. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas said a scheduled Oct. 27 joint meeting between county supervisors and the Alameda Health System Board of Trustees is an opportunity “to push for doing everything possible to enforce our policies that protect immigrant communities.” Fortunato Bas said officials will discuss budget, governance and compliance with local and state policies.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas said a scheduled Oct. 27 joint meeting between county supervisors and the Alameda Health System Board of Trustees is an opportunity “to push for doing everything possible to enforce our policies that protect immigrant communities.” Fortunato Bas said officials will discuss budget, governance and compliance with local and state policies.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Highland Hospital, which sits on county property, also falls under Alameda County’s “ICE-free zone” ordinance that limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>County supervisors and advocates touted the policy, of which similar ones have been adopted across the Bay Area, as a way to push back against violent and sometimes deadly actions by immigration agents during the second Trump administration. In January, agents fatally shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota during a surge of immigration enforcement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez and other officials have also noted the limits of just how far the ICE-free zone can go. It doesn’t prevent immigration officials from actually being on county property, Sanchez \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/01/28/ice-free-zones-are-coming-to-alameda-county/\">said previously\u003c/a>. Officials in other jurisdictions with these “zones” have even referred to them as symbolic — or \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/02/04/ice-free-zones-community-wide-warning-system-weighed-in-richmond-amid-trump-crackdowns/\">a way to create\u003c/a> “false expectations.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez and other officials have also noted the limits of just how far the ICE-free zone can go. It doesn’t prevent immigration officials from actually being on county property, Sanchez \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/01/28/ice-free-zones-are-coming-to-alameda-county/\">said previously\u003c/a>. Officials in other jurisdictions with these “zones” have even referred to them as symbolic — or \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/02/04/ice-free-zones-community-wide-warning-system-weighed-in-richmond-amid-trump-crackdowns/\">a way to create\u003c/a> “false expectations.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd.jpg 1577w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd-160x158.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd-1536x1519.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One side of an Alameda Health System employee’s “badge buddy” that outlines how to respond to immigration authorities when they show up to one of the facilities. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Iman Khalil)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>De Bremaeker said his client is still in ICE custody as of Thursday afternoon. Another man he represents was detained by ICE in the San Antonio neighborhood in Oakland on the same day, before being taken to another hospital for injuries that De Bremaeker said were sustained because of the officers’ actions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The two cases are part of an “unprecedented escalation” of violence from ICE, De Bremaeker said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oakland City Council member Charlene Wang said in a social media video Friday afternoon that she was outraged by the arrests. She said she had been in touch with AHS administration to see if there were any legal grounds to remove immigration authorities from the property, which Wang said they “[didn’t] know the answer to yet.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Oakland City Council member Charlene Wang said in a social media video Friday afternoon that she was outraged by the arrests. She said she had been in touch with AHS administration to see if there were any legal grounds to remove immigration authorities from the property, which Wang said they “[didn’t] know the answer to yet.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The attorney called on federal lawmakers to launch a congressional inquiry into ICE’s actions and, in particular, the agency’s activity in hospitals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They have been occupying these hospitals for days, creating an incredible threat to community members, terrifying folks who need medical care from going to the hospital,” De Bremaeker said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>ICE said that De Bremaeker’s client — who the agency characterized as an “illegal alien” — was arrested as part of a targeted enforcement operation. During which, the agency said the detainee tried to assault officers and refused lawful commands. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Officers relied on their training to control the situation,” an ICE spokesperson said, adding that De Bremaeker’s client disclosed a preexisting injury of falling off a ladder two days prior. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The agency said, like other law enforcement agencies, it is standard procedure for ICE to accompany detainees for the safety of staff and public. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Renee Coe, with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, is among the community members who came out to keep watch for ICE at the hospital. She said some community members are scared to show up to the hospital because of federal agents’ presence, but urged them not to put off medical care. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Renee Coe, with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, is among the community members who came out to keep watch for ICE at the hospital. She said some community members are scared to show up to the hospital because of federal agents’ presence, but urged them not to put off medical care. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>AHS said its property is not being used as a staging area, operations base or processing location for immigration enforcement activities, and the immigration vehicles currently on Highland property are present “only in connection with a patient who is in immigration enforcement custody.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>AHS said its property is not being used as a staging area, operations base or processing location for immigration enforcement activities, and the immigration vehicles currently on Highland property are present “only in connection with a patient who is in immigration enforcement custody.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fortunato Bas told community members outside the hospital on Friday that her understanding of the ICE presence on the property was the same as the health system’s.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“At any given time, I understand they only had two agents … maintaining legal custody of the patient at any given time,” Fortunato Bas said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About 100 Oakland residents held an emergency press conference at 6 p.m. on Friday in front of Highland to demand accountability for local authorities, security contracting with the facility and AHS for “continuously” assisting ICE operations at the hospital.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">\u003cem>Brian Krans\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Oakland’s Highland Hospital staff and community members expressed concerns after ICE agents allegedly brought a patient in with six fractured ribs last week. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After immigration authorities detained a man in Emeryville last week and brought him to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/highland-hospital\">Alameda County hospital\u003c/a>, some medical staff said they didn’t receive legally required training that would have helped them respond to enforcement activity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several staff members at Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus in Oakland told administrators in a letter that the Oct. 16 arrival of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and a detainee “highlighted major hazards to the rights and safety of our patients.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Immigration agents brought a man to Highland for treatment after an agent allegedly tackled him and fractured six of his ribs, said Nikolas De Bremaeker, an attorney at Centro Legal De La Raza who represents the man. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">De Bremaeker and some employees said agents allegedly tried to obstruct access to counsel, to direct medical treatment and asked staff for medical information. The agent who tackled the patient, the attorney said, had been “sitting on his bed, grinning at him.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s incredibly scary,” De Bremaeker told KQED. “It’s just unacceptable for ICE agents to be terrorizing folks inside a hospital.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1505\" height=\"1432\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-03-5314ee6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105985\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-03-5314ee6d.jpg 1505w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-03-5314ee6d-160x152.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1505px) 100vw, 1505px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One side of an Alameda Health System employee’s “badge buddy” that outlines how to respond to immigration authorities when they show up to one of the facilities. (Courtesy of Iman Khalil)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About two dozen community members were on the lookout for agents on Thursday morning for hours, being directed by others to make noise if immigration authorities exited or entered the facility. They’d been showing up since Monday, an organizer said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Alameda Health System, which Highland is a part of, declined to comment on allegations specific to De Bremaeker’s client’s care, citing patient confidentiality. But said, generally, law enforcement does not direct treatment and the system is complying with all laws and requirements concerning immigration enforcement in its facilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an earlier statement to KQED about the ICE activity, AHS said that it activated an Incident Command Center and that security personnel were on site monitoring developments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly after a planned demonstration against ICE’s presence got underway on Friday, the health system told KQED that no patients at Highland Hospital were in ICE custody, and ICE personnel were not present on the property. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alameda Health System’s training falls short, staff says\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some staff members told AHS in the letter that they “at all levels, remain confused and consistently express a lack of clarity on policy when patients are brought in civil detention.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This is out of step with current best practices in the state of California,” the staff members wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb81\">Senate Bill 81\u003c/a>, which took effect in September 2025, requires medical health care providers to restrict certain immigration information from being shared and, as part of new restrictions to nonpublic areas, facilities must inform staff on how to respond to requests to access sites and establish procedures for receiving visitors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12074474\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus is seen through flowering branches in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. The hospital is part of Alameda Health System. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But staff told administrators the hospital system isn’t in compliance with that law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ansel Schmidt, a physical therapist at the Highland Hospital, isn’t on the patient’s care team, but helped draft the letter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not sure that I’ve received anything that I would call training,” Schmidt told KQED. What Schmidt has received is a “badge buddy,” or a reference guide, that he said implies staff can cooperate with ICE. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A badge buddy reviewed by KQED shows that staff are instructed to notify an administrator when a patient in ICE custody shows up for care. Providers request agents leave during evaluation, inform patients of their rights and, if they don’t meet admission criteria, can be handed off to the ICE control office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schmidt said that emails about responding to immigration activity have left him and others feeling “really confused and isolated,” because that “isn’t a training.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to staff concerns over training and what training is already in place, AHS said staff are told to “promptly escalate” situations through the appropriate channels where immigration authorities are present at any facility.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We reinforce these procedures through staff communications, training, scenario-based exercises, desktop training, and quick-reference ‘badge buddies’ that staff can keep with their identification badges,” AHS said. “The protocol has also been reviewed in staff webinar forums, including this week, and recordings are available to staff on our intranet.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iman Khalil, a respiratory therapist at San Leandro Hospital, part of the Alameda Health System, said staff members receive minimal training about what to do when immigration authorities show up. Khalil received the same badge and emails Schmidt did.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Allowing the agents in the hospital … undoes all that training,” Khalil said. “You really don’t think they’ll even allow the agents in the hospital. But here we are.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AHS CEO James Jackson told staff that AHS believed the man in ICE’s custody at the hospital for the last week was part of the agency’s civil immigration enforcement authority and called on personnel to review established immigration response protocols, according to an Oct. 19 email obtained and reviewed by KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas said a scheduled Oct. 27 joint meeting between county supervisors and the Alameda Health System Board of Trustees is an opportunity “to push for doing everything possible to enforce our policies that protect immigrant communities.” Fortunato Bas said officials will discuss budget, governance and compliance with local and state policies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ICE-free zone?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Highland Hospital, which sits on county property, also falls under Alameda County’s “ICE-free zone” ordinance that limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">County supervisors and advocates touted the policy, of which similar ones have been adopted across the Bay Area, as a way to push back against violent and sometimes deadly actions by immigration agents during the second Trump administration. In January, agents fatally shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota during a surge of immigration enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez and other officials have also noted the limits of just how far the ICE-free zone can go. It doesn’t prevent immigration officials from actually being on county property, Sanchez \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/01/28/ice-free-zones-are-coming-to-alameda-county/\">said previously\u003c/a>. Officials in other jurisdictions with these “zones” have even referred to them as symbolic — or \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/02/04/ice-free-zones-community-wide-warning-system-weighed-in-richmond-amid-trump-crackdowns/\">a way to create\u003c/a> “false expectations.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1577\" height=\"1560\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd.jpg 1577w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd-160x158.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-Highland-Hospital-SK-02-0b437edd-1536x1519.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1577px) 100vw, 1577px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One side of an Alameda Health System employee’s “badge buddy” that outlines how to respond to immigration authorities when they show up to one of the facilities. (Courtesy of Iman Khalil)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">De Bremaeker said his client is still in ICE custody as of Thursday afternoon. Another man he represents was detained by ICE in the San Antonio neighborhood in Oakland on the same day, before being taken to another hospital for injuries that De Bremaeker said were sustained because of the officers’ actions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two cases are part of an “unprecedented escalation” of violence from ICE, De Bremaeker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oakland City Council member Charlene Wang said in a social media video Friday afternoon that she was outraged by the arrests. She said she had been in touch with AHS administration to see if there were any legal grounds to remove immigration authorities from the property, which Wang said they “[didn’t] know the answer to yet.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The attorney called on federal lawmakers to launch a congressional inquiry into ICE’s actions and, in particular, the agency’s activity in hospitals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They have been occupying these hospitals for days, creating an incredible threat to community members, terrifying folks who need medical care from going to the hospital,” De Bremaeker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ICE said that De Bremaeker’s client — who the agency characterized as an “illegal alien” — was arrested as part of a targeted enforcement operation. During which, the agency said the detainee tried to assault officers and refused lawful commands. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers relied on their training to control the situation,” an ICE spokesperson said, adding that De Bremaeker’s client disclosed a preexisting injury of falling off a ladder two days prior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The agency said, like other law enforcement agencies, it is standard procedure for ICE to accompany detainees for the safety of staff and public. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Renee Coe, with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, is among the community members who came out to keep watch for ICE at the hospital. She said some community members are scared to show up to the hospital because of federal agents’ presence, but urged them not to put off medical care. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AHS said its property is not being used as a staging area, operations base or processing location for immigration enforcement activities, and the immigration vehicles currently on Highland property are present “only in connection with a patient who is in immigration enforcement custody.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunato Bas told community members outside the hospital on Friday that her understanding of the ICE presence on the property was the same as the health system’s.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“At any given time, I understand they only had two agents … maintaining legal custody of the patient at any given time,” Fortunato Bas said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 100 Oakland residents held an emergency press conference at 6 p.m. on Friday in front of Highland to demand accountability for local authorities, security contracting with the facility and AHS for “continuously” assisting ICE operations at the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">\u003cem>Brian Krans\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-corruption-trial-fbi-agent-expected-to-testify-on-backdoor-dealings-in-city-hall",
"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Describes Texts, Photos Seized From Defendants",
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"headTitle": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Describes Texts, Photos Seized From Defendants | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is expected to serve as the government’s star witness later in the trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay described evidence the agency collected in its investigation of alleged public corruption in the criminal trial of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three others.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is expected to serve as the government’s star witness later in the trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A federal judge in Oakland has temporarily blocked the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/department-of-homeland-security\">Department of Homeland Security\u003c/a> from sending armed agents to interrogate registered voters it suspects are noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 midterm election, DHS and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have surged field investigations in nine states, including California, sending agents to the homes of people who the agency said may have registered illegally. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voter and immigrant rights advocates — in a coalition joined by the city and county of San Francisco and Santa Clara County — sued to block the practice, arguing that interrogations by armed agents could intimidate eligible voters ahead of the midterm election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a preliminary injunction issued late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinéz-Olguín ruled that the practice violates the federal Voting Rights Act and questioned the data that the federal government used to identify those it believes are ineligible to vote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1353\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CaliforniaElection2026Getty-e1781204236548.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087079\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An election worker processes mail-in ballots for the California state primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on June 5, 2026, in City of Industry, California. The U.S. Department of Justice sent a federal prosecutor to observe ballot counting in Los Angeles County after President Donald Trump alleged, without evidence, that delays in counting ballots were the result of election fraud. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“At issue here is the reliance on admittedly flawed and incomplete data to create a list of individuals for HSI to interview in the months leading up to an election,” Martinéz-Olguín wrote in her ruling. “Including the rollout of a social media campaign publishing photos and videos of individuals being arrested.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. Department of Justice relied on the same data to identify 28 noncitizens in California and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105139/federal-prosecutors-charge-28-california-green-card-holders-with-voting-violations\">charge them with election offenses\u003c/a> on Monday, in an escalation of tensions over the state’s voting process. The individuals are all lawful permanent residents, otherwise referred to as green card holders, according to the department.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, the U.S. government \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">sued California and Los Angeles County over their voter rolls\u003c/a>, two days after it demanded the state provide proof of citizenship for around 20,000 registered voters it believes may be noncitizens. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ asked a court to block California election officials from counting their ballots. The state has asked the Justice Department for information about how it determined the registrants in question were likely ineligible, but state officials said they have not received it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, this week’s ruling temporarily blocks DHS in its latest effort to root out alleged voter fraud, which the department documented in a recent social media campaign.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“HSI in Northern California will investigate any allegations of noncitizen voting and is committed to ensuring the enforcement of federal election law,” HSI NorCal wrote in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/HSISanFrancisco/status/2098537887965077953\">social media post\u003c/a> last month. The post is accompanied by photos of armed agents approaching what appear to be front doors at private residences.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Martinéz-Olguín’s ruling blocks the practice starting Friday through Election Day. The judge also said, “The federal government has a vested interest in free elections untainted by the threat that officers will dissuade voter engagement programs from conducting their core civic functions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s a win for advocacy groups including the California Nurses Association and the Voto Latino Foundation, both plaintiffs in the case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Today, the courts affirmed a vital principle of our democracy: Voting is a fundamental right that citizens — whether born here or naturalized — should be able to exercise without armed government agents harassing them,” Beau Tremitiere, an attorney with the Protect Democracy Project who argued on behalf of plaintiffs in the case, said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A federal judge in Oakland has temporarily blocked the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/department-of-homeland-security\">Department of Homeland Security\u003c/a> from sending armed agents to interrogate registered voters it suspects are noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Voter and immigrant rights advocates — in a coalition joined by the city and county of San Francisco and Santa Clara County — sued to block the practice, arguing that interrogations by armed agents could intimidate eligible voters ahead of the midterm election.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a preliminary injunction issued late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinéz-Olguín ruled that the practice violates the federal Voting Rights Act and questioned the data that the federal government used to identify those it believes are ineligible to vote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“At issue here is the reliance on admittedly flawed and incomplete data to create a list of individuals for HSI to interview in the months leading up to an election,” Martinéz-Olguín wrote in her ruling. “Including the rollout of a social media campaign publishing photos and videos of individuals being arrested.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The U.S. Department of Justice relied on the same data to identify 28 noncitizens in California and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105139/federal-prosecutors-charge-28-california-green-card-holders-with-voting-violations\">charge them with election offenses\u003c/a> on Monday, in an escalation of tensions over the state’s voting process. The individuals are all lawful permanent residents, otherwise referred to as green card holders, according to the department.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The DOJ asked a court to block California election officials from counting their ballots. The state has asked the Justice Department for information about how it determined the registrants in question were likely ineligible, but state officials said they have not received it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, this week’s ruling temporarily blocks DHS in its latest effort to root out alleged voter fraud, which the department documented in a recent social media campaign.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“HSI in Northern California will investigate any allegations of noncitizen voting and is committed to ensuring the enforcement of federal election law,” HSI NorCal wrote in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/HSISanFrancisco/status/2098537887965077953\">social media post\u003c/a> last month. The post is accompanied by photos of armed agents approaching what appear to be front doors at private residences.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Martinéz-Olguín’s ruling blocks the practice starting Friday through Election Day. The judge also said, “The federal government has a vested interest in free elections untainted by the threat that officers will dissuade voter engagement programs from conducting their core civic functions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s a win for advocacy groups including the California Nurses Association and the Voto Latino Foundation, both plaintiffs in the case.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Today, the courts affirmed a vital principle of our democracy: Voting is a fundamental right that citizens — whether born here or naturalized — should be able to exercise without armed government agents harassing them,” Beau Tremitiere, an attorney with the Protect Democracy Project who argued on behalf of plaintiffs in the case, said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Just weeks before Election Day, a federal judge has ordered a halt to the interrogations, arguing that they could intimidate eligible voters and questioning the government’s data.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A federal judge in Oakland has temporarily blocked the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/department-of-homeland-security\">Department of Homeland Security\u003c/a> from sending armed agents to interrogate registered voters it suspects are noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 midterm election, DHS and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have surged field investigations in nine states, including California, sending agents to the homes of people who the agency said may have registered illegally. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voter and immigrant rights advocates — in a coalition joined by the city and county of San Francisco and Santa Clara County — sued to block the practice, arguing that interrogations by armed agents could intimidate eligible voters ahead of the midterm election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a preliminary injunction issued late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinéz-Olguín ruled that the practice violates the federal Voting Rights Act and questioned the data that the federal government used to identify those it believes are ineligible to vote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1353\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CaliforniaElection2026Getty-e1781204236548.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087079\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An election worker processes mail-in ballots for the California state primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on June 5, 2026, in City of Industry, California. The U.S. Department of Justice sent a federal prosecutor to observe ballot counting in Los Angeles County after President Donald Trump alleged, without evidence, that delays in counting ballots were the result of election fraud. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“At issue here is the reliance on admittedly flawed and incomplete data to create a list of individuals for HSI to interview in the months leading up to an election,” Martinéz-Olguín wrote in her ruling. “Including the rollout of a social media campaign publishing photos and videos of individuals being arrested.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. Department of Justice relied on the same data to identify 28 noncitizens in California and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105139/federal-prosecutors-charge-28-california-green-card-holders-with-voting-violations\">charge them with election offenses\u003c/a> on Monday, in an escalation of tensions over the state’s voting process. The individuals are all lawful permanent residents, otherwise referred to as green card holders, according to the department.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, the U.S. government \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">sued California and Los Angeles County over their voter rolls\u003c/a>, two days after it demanded the state provide proof of citizenship for around 20,000 registered voters it believes may be noncitizens. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ asked a court to block California election officials from counting their ballots. The state has asked the Justice Department for information about how it determined the registrants in question were likely ineligible, but state officials said they have not received it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, this week’s ruling temporarily blocks DHS in its latest effort to root out alleged voter fraud, which the department documented in a recent social media campaign.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“HSI in Northern California will investigate any allegations of noncitizen voting and is committed to ensuring the enforcement of federal election law,” HSI NorCal wrote in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/HSISanFrancisco/status/2098537887965077953\">social media post\u003c/a> last month. The post is accompanied by photos of armed agents approaching what appear to be front doors at private residences.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Martinéz-Olguín’s ruling blocks the practice starting Friday through Election Day. The judge also said, “The federal government has a vested interest in free elections untainted by the threat that officers will dissuade voter engagement programs from conducting their core civic functions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s a win for advocacy groups including the California Nurses Association and the Voto Latino Foundation, both plaintiffs in the case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Today, the courts affirmed a vital principle of our democracy: Voting is a fundamental right that citizens — whether born here or naturalized — should be able to exercise without armed government agents harassing them,” Beau Tremitiere, an attorney with the Protect Democracy Project who argued on behalf of plaintiffs in the case, said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Día de los Muertos is almost here. And in the coming days, families across the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> will transform a corner of their home into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/dia-de-los-muertos\">an ofrenda\u003c/a> — colorful handmade altars honoring loved ones who have passed away. Photos and mementos are placed alongside candles, sugar skulls, cempasúchil (marigolds) and the departed’s favorite food and drinks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Traditionally celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2, Día de los Muertos is when the living pause from their daily routine and remember the dead.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For centuries, families in Mexico and several other Latin American countries — where it’s also known \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/02/500105108/bread-babies-and-purple-drink-ecuador-s-spin-on-day-of-the-deceased\">as Día de los Difuntos\u003c/a> — have also used this time of year to reunite with relatives and friends. Celebrating the dead can be done in both the privacy of one’s home and in community \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11894929/to-also-celebrate-the-living-dia-de-los-muertos-returns-to-the-mission\">out in the streets\u003c/a>, with music, dance and art.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102437\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mariachi group performs at the Welcome Ceremony for La Catrina de Oakland at Fruitvale Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to the Bay Area’s large Latino diaspora, there are multiple public Día de los Muertos events held across the region that are family-friendly and open to all — including those who are just starting to learn more about this tradition.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep in mind that some events are high-energy celebrations with spaces for dancing and socializing, while others are more solemn occasions that include traditional blessings and spoken word.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another thing to note: This year, because Nov. 1 and 2 fall on Sunday and Monday respectively, you’ll also find many organizers have scheduled their Día de los Muertos events a few days before (or after) the traditionally observed dates, with events running from this week through Nov. 8.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día De Los Muertos NightLife Celebration at the Academy of Sciences\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Thursday, Oct. 22\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each month, the California Academy of Sciences hosts 21+ nighttime gatherings where adults can enjoy the museum with live music, drinks and performances. This month’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.calacademy.org/nightlife/nightlife-d%C3%ADa-de-los-muertos\">NightLife event\u003c/a> is in collaboration \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085109/carnaval-brings-colorful-costumes-and-latin-dancing-to-san-franciscos-mission-district\">with Carnaval San Francisco\u003c/a> and will showcase different Día de los Muertos traditions from the Mexican state of Michoacán.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This occasion will also honor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985440/claude-albino-alligator-memorial-golden-gate-park-san-francisco\">Claude, the albino alligator\u003c/a> that lived at the Academy of Sciences since 2008 and became a local icon before dying last December at the age of 30. Sacramento-based artist Carolina Argote will unveil a sculpture of Claude in the incredibly colorful and intricate style of \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/tour-of-giant-brightly-colored-creatures-celebrates-artistic-heritage-of-oaxaca\">alebrijes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11784189\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A traditional Mexican altar for El Día de los Muertos celebration. (Tiffany Camhi/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you’re feeling like dancing, the Bay Area’s own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11835183/meet-the-latina-dj-crews-fighting-cultural-erasure-one-45-at-a-time\">Chulita Vinyl Club\u003c/a> — a collective of Latina DJs who work to preserve the region’s old-school cumbia scene — will be laying tracks in the Academy’s East Garden.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Full-priced tickets are $26 and EBT cardholders pay $5.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘In Their Name: Día de Los Muertos 2026’ exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Opening ceremony on Friday, Oct. 23; exhibition on display through Nov. 20\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Curated by Bridgètt Rex and Mission District-raised Rio Yañez, this exhibit celebrates the Mexican traditions of Día de los Muertos “while welcoming cultures around the globe to honor the dead together in solidarity.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dozens of artists have \u003ca href=\"https://somarts.org/intheirname-press/\">been invited\u003c/a> to create their own altars dedicated to loved ones who have died. This year’s exhibit is dedicated to Oakland-based florist and educator \u003ca href=\"https://evergreenfuneralservice.com/obituaries/latosha-stimage\">Latosha “Tosha” Stimage\u003c/a>, who passed away earlier this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A collage of photos with pink, green, and yellow paper flowers stands next a small mortar that carries burning sage. A few candles are nearby.\" class=\"wp-image-11894973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An altar made by the Young Women’s Freedom Center for people lost to police brutality and gender violence as well as people who passed through the program, at a Día de los Muertos celebration in San Francisco’s Mission District on Nov. 2, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The opening reception on Oct. 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. will feature an artists’ market and a musical performance by Las Hijas de la Madre.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A general admission ticket is $15, but those 16 years old and under get in free.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos in Half Moon Bay hosted by ALAS\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Saturday, Oct. 24\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ALAS stands for Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, or “Helping Latinos Dream,” and the nonprofit will host a \u003ca href=\"https://www.alasdreams.com/events-1/alas-dia-de-los-muertos-catrinas-calabazas-y-cumbia-1\">Day of the Dead celebration\u003c/a> at its office on 507 Purissima Street. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year’s theme is “Catrinas, Calabazas y Cumbia,” paying homage to Half Moon Bay’s nickname as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103119/half-moon-bay-pumpkin-festival-traffic-tips-2026\">World Pumpkin Capital\u003c/a>. There will also be Aztec dancers, face painting and sugar skull decorating.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Two people wear face paint and flowers in their hair and look at the camera.\" class=\"wp-image-11894972\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mariah Cativo (left) and Lucy Molina pause for a portrait as they walk along 24th Street in San Francisco’s Mission District during a Día de los Muertos celebration on Nov. 2, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healdsburg Día de los Muertos Celebration\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Oct. 25\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">City officials and local nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg will host a Día de los Muertos celebration in the city’s main plaza from noon to 6 p.m. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Families are welcome to bring photos of loved ones to add to the communal ofrenda. There will be live music, a car show, dance performances and craft activities for kids throughout the day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event has free admission.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos at Lawrence Hall of Science \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Oct. 25 and Oct. 31 \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley \u003ca href=\"https://lawrencehallofscience.org/events/dia-de-los-muertos-community-celebration/\">will host two workshops\u003c/a> in English and Spanish to create a community ofrenda that will be displayed at the Fruitvale Día de los Muertos Festival in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The workshops will be led by Lidia Ruelo-Salazar, a healer and culture keeper, and her sibling, Erick Salazar, an artist. The first workshop, from 1-3 p.m. on Oct. 25, will focus on the tradition of cartonería (papier-mâché) and the art of making alebrijes, mythical animals. The second workshop, on Oct. 31, will teach participants how to make calaveras (skulls) using seeds, soil, and natural materials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tickets are $27 for ages 3 and older. Children under age 2 are free.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Luna Mexicana at the Oakland Ballet\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Performances on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year sees the Oakland Ballet celebrating the 10th anniversary of its \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandballet.org/performances-events/luna-mexicana/\">Luna Mexicana\u003c/a> production, which brings different Mexican folklórico traditions onstage with contemporary dance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Performances are family-friendly and are advertised as “ideal for ages 7 and up.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tickets for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/oakland-ballet-luna-mexicana-oakland-california-10-30-2026/event/1C0064F9420695A3\">Oct. 30\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/oakland-ballet-luna-mexicana-oakland-california-11-01-2026/event/1C0064F94275961E\">Nov. 1\u003c/a> performances are already available on Ticketmaster and prices can range from $35 to $100.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Xol Venegas wears handmade butterfly gloves to the Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in Fruitvale on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. Día de los Muertos is her favorite holiday. “It’s about that nobody gets forgotten in the end. That everybody feels a sense of community,” she said. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Avenue of the Altars in San José’s Mexican Heritage Plaza\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Saturday, Oct. 31\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Located on the corner of Alum Rock Avenue and King Road, the Mexican Heritage Plaza is one of the most important gathering spots for East San José’s Latino community. This year, the venue celebrates the \u003ca href=\"https://mhplaza.org/allevents/avenida26\">10th annual Avenida de Altares\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to event organizers, folks are welcome to “explore a community altar gallery, participate in hands-on art activities for all ages, browse an artisanal vendor market, and experience colorful face painting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event has free admission and starts at 5:30 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In terms of attendance — and sheer scale of production — this is by far the biggest celebration for Día de los Muertos in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Sunday, Nov. 1, nine blocks along International Boulevard in the city’s Fruitvale neighborhood will fill up with giant ofrendas created by local artists, live music stages and dozens of booths from community groups and local artists.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063628\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danza Azteca performs a traditional Aztec ceremony at Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in Fruitvale on Oct. 29, 2023. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Someone making their first-ever appearance at the celebration is the towering 34-foot sculpture of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102579/a-giant-la-catrina-sculpture-sends-a-defiant-message-from-oaklands-latinx-community\">La Catrina\u003c/a>, an elegant female skull figure that serves as a symbol for the dead coming into the world of the living. The piece was brought in by the nonprofit Unity Council, which leads organizing efforts for the Oakland event.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a high-energy event, so expect to hear live banda music for hours and lowriders bouncing through the streets. And for the first time, the Oakland Roots and Soul will be hosting street soccer games along 39th Avenue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de Muertos Celebration at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">La Peña is one of the longest-running spaces dedicated to Latin American and Caribbean culture in the Bay Area, and this year’s \u003ca href=\"https://lapena.org/event/dia-de-muertos-celebracion-ceremony-ofrenda-son-jarocho-food/\">Day of the Dead celebration\u003c/a> will give families plenty of opportunities to be creative together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Programming starts at 5:30 p.m. with a bilingual storytime, then moves outdoors for a \u003ca href=\"https://aktalakota.stjo.org/lakota-culture/native-american-four-directions/\">Four Directions ceremony\u003c/a> that will then lead to guests building an ofrenda together. Guests are accordingly encouraged to bring photos and mementos of loved ones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11784506\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Altar for Día de los Muertos. (Adriana Morga/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The night will end with a jam session open to the community and a son jarocho concert — music emblematic of the Mexican state of Veracruz.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Admission is free, and there will be food and drinks available for purchase.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tenderloin Street Fair’s Día de Muertos Celebration\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San Francisco’s Tenderloin district is throwing a free family street fair from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Día de los Muertos, featuring a full lineup of live music from all over Latin America: rock with Soucano, salsa with Agua Pura, psychedelic Peruvian cumbia with Combo Tezeta and Mexican música regional with Banda La Tóxica.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There’ll also be lucha libre matches, a kids zone and loteria. Tickets are free, but you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tenderloin-street-fair-presents-dia-de-muertos-celebration-2026-tickets-2002305378287\">RSVP a spot now\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105590\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A poster for Tenderloin Street Fair’s Día de Muertos Celebration.\u003cbr> (Courtesy of Tenderloin Street Fair)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos at the Children’s Discovery Museum of San José\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Children’s Discovery Museum in downtown San José will host a family-friendly \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdm.org/event/dia-de-los-muertos/\">Día de los Muertos event\u003c/a> from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There’ll be storytelling for children, sand painting, performances by Aztec dancers, and the Chicano theater group Teatro Familia Aztlán will lead a short procession that stops at different installations in the museum, including its 14,000-year-old mammoth skeleton.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tickets are $22 for both adults and children. Seniors pay $20 for entrance and infants get in for free.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de Muertos celebration in Concord\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Local officials will \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/jpablobenavente/posts/pfbid0PPbXuAJw1fKaak2R8nY9KB1mF7HwuzvYQgMwpMQxMAj4HNbSnP4QCCGM1mevsRXUl\">host a gathering\u003c/a> at Concord’s Pacheco Square from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. that will feature live mariachi music and “free tacos for the community.” Residents are invited to bring photos of their loved ones for a community ofrenda.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Admission is free.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos in Santa Rosa\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1 and Monday, Nov. 2\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This two-day celebration in Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square brings together artists and performers from all over the North Bay, including the Tri County Pomo Dancers, traditional \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11987673/carnaval-putleco-brings-a-oaxacan-festival-of-colors-to-the-bay-area\">Oaxacan tiliches\u003c/a> and giant dancing \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q8FfWIFdF4\">mojigangas\u003c/a>. Organizers have scheduled a tianguis — or street market — featuring dozens of local businesses for Sunday and have invited schools from across the region to set up field trips to visit the celebration on Monday. There’ll be live music and food for sale on both days.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event has free admission.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Marigold Project’s Day of the Dead Festival of Altars in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Monday, Nov. 2\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more than 30 years, families have gathered in San Francisco’s Potrero Del Sol Park to install intricately decorated large-scale ofrendas. While honoring loved ones, many of these have also tackled larger political and social questions — like the federal government’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigration\u003c/a> policy or Israel’s 2023 war on Gaza. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year’s theme is “Familia: Entre raices y el Cielo,” which translates to “Family: between roots and heaven.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Event organizers ask visitors to reflect on family as “a living ecosystem” and point to the many families around the world that “continue to experience displacement, separation, and violence.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Altar building will begin at 10 a.m., and a sunset ceremony and land blessing is scheduled for 5 p.m. At 8.p.m. there’ll be a performance by the Mission District-based band La Gente SF, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13984468/best-concerts-2025-bay-area-live-music\">known for\u003c/a> blending cumbia, reggae, salsa and hip-hop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day of the Dead Ritual Procession in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Monday, Nov. 2\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Organized by the Colectivo del Rescate Cultural (the Culture Rescue Collective), San Francisco’s 45th annual Día de los Muertos procession brings together hundreds of musicians, artists and culture keepers. And this year’s theme is “Nuestros muertos no se venden” — “Our dead are not for sale.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The procession will first gather at Bryant and 22nd Street at 7 p.m., then move over to 24th Street in the direction of Mission Street.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thousands of families gather on the sidewalk to watch the procession, with many— both kids and adults — in skull face paint. If you don’t know how to paint a skull, don’t worry — you can easily find a makeup artist walking around that can help you out, along with food vendors and musicians set up on each corner.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event has free admission.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In previous years, the Mission District has hosted other public gatherings for Día de los Muertos, including an arts exhibition at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last January, however, this space \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071507/financial-crisis-forces-sfs-mission-cultural-center-for-latino-arts-to-close\">shut down\u003c/a> due to major financial pressures, taking away a historic venue for Day of the Dead celebrations in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos at the San Francisco Symphony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Saturday, Nov. 7\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city’s premier symphony orchestra will perform music from across Latin America with José Luis Gómez, music director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, as conductor. The culture of the Mexican state of Tlaxcala will be in the spotlight this year, with performances from salterio players David Hernández Pozos and Claudio Israel Vázquez, along with traditional dancers from Redwood City’s \u003ca href=\"https://casacirculocultural.org/\">Casa Círculo Cultural\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you get to the Symphony before the performance starts, you’ll have the chance to walk around the lobby to see interactive altars and plenty of catrinas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2026-27/Dia-de-los-Muertos\">Seat prices\u003c/a> depend on location and can range between $35 and $180.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A person wears an elaborate headdress, face paint and purple, ribboned dress as they dance in the streets.\" class=\"wp-image-11894971\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Daniela Zurita walks during Día de los Muertos in San Francisco on Nov. 2, 2021, in memory of her mother who passed away in August due to COVID-19. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Redwood City’s Día de los Muertos Celebration\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 8\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year, the biggest \u003ca href=\"https://casacirculocultural.org/adult-initiative/dia-de-los-muertos/\">Día de los Muertos celebration in San Mateo County\u003c/a> will take place a week after most events in the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dance and music performances will fill Redwood City’s Courthouse Square from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Families will also have the chance to learn how to make sugar skulls, get catrina face painting and join the ritual procession.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year’s celebration will also feature a competition for the best ofrenda mounted on a car — “Recuerdos sobre ruedas or “memories on wheels.” According to organizers, entries should honor the memory of children who have passed away and “should reflect tenderness, innocence, and the love families hold for the little ones who left too soon.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event has free admission.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Día de los Muertos is almost here. And in the coming days, families across the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> will transform a corner of their home into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/dia-de-los-muertos\">an ofrenda\u003c/a> — colorful handmade altars honoring loved ones who have passed away. Photos and mementos are placed alongside candles, sugar skulls, cempasúchil (marigolds) and the departed’s favorite food and drinks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Día de los Muertos is almost here. And in the coming days, families across the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> will transform a corner of their home into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/dia-de-los-muertos\">an ofrenda\u003c/a> — colorful handmade altars honoring loved ones who have passed away. Photos and mementos are placed alongside candles, sugar skulls, cempasúchil (marigolds) and the departed’s favorite food and drinks.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Traditionally celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2, Día de los Muertos is when the living pause from their daily routine and remember the dead.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Traditionally celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2, Día de los Muertos is when the living pause from their daily routine and remember the dead.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For centuries, families in Mexico and several other Latin American countries — where it’s also known \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/02/500105108/bread-babies-and-purple-drink-ecuador-s-spin-on-day-of-the-deceased\">as Día de los Difuntos\u003c/a> — have also used this time of year to reunite with relatives and friends. Celebrating the dead can be done in both the privacy of one’s home and in community \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11894929/to-also-celebrate-the-living-dia-de-los-muertos-returns-to-the-mission\">out in the streets\u003c/a>, with music, dance and art.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For centuries, families in Mexico and several other Latin American countries — where it’s also known \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/02/500105108/bread-babies-and-purple-drink-ecuador-s-spin-on-day-of-the-deceased\">as Día de los Difuntos\u003c/a> — have also used this time of year to reunite with relatives and friends. Celebrating the dead can be done in both the privacy of one’s home and in community \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11894929/to-also-celebrate-the-living-dia-de-los-muertos-returns-to-the-mission\">out in the streets\u003c/a>, with music, dance and art.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102437\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mariachi group performs at the Welcome Ceremony for La Catrina de Oakland at Fruitvale Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102437\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mariachi group performs at the Welcome Ceremony for La Catrina de Oakland at Fruitvale Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thanks to the Bay Area’s large Latino diaspora, there are multiple public Día de los Muertos events held across the region that are family-friendly and open to all — including those who are just starting to learn more about this tradition.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Thanks to the Bay Area’s large Latino diaspora, there are multiple public Día de los Muertos events held across the region that are family-friendly and open to all — including those who are just starting to learn more about this tradition.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Keep in mind that some events are high-energy celebrations with spaces for dancing and socializing, while others are more solemn occasions that include traditional blessings and spoken word.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Keep in mind that some events are high-energy celebrations with spaces for dancing and socializing, while others are more solemn occasions that include traditional blessings and spoken word.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another thing to note: This year, because Nov. 1 and 2 fall on Sunday and Monday respectively, you’ll also find many organizers have scheduled their Día de los Muertos events a few days before (or after) the traditionally observed dates, with events running from this week through Nov. 8.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Another thing to note: This year, because Nov. 1 and 2 fall on Sunday and Monday respectively, you’ll also find many organizers have scheduled their Día de los Muertos events a few days before (or after) the traditionally observed dates, with events running from this week through Nov. 8.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Día De Los Muertos NightLife Celebration at the Academy of Sciences",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día De Los Muertos NightLife Celebration at the Academy of Sciences\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día De Los Muertos NightLife Celebration at the Academy of Sciences\u003c/h2>\n"
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"text": "Thursday, Oct. 22"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Thursday, Oct. 22\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Thursday, Oct. 22\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each month, the California Academy of Sciences hosts 21+ nighttime gatherings where adults can enjoy the museum with live music, drinks and performances. This month’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.calacademy.org/nightlife/nightlife-d%C3%ADa-de-los-muertos\">NightLife event\u003c/a> is in collaboration \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085109/carnaval-brings-colorful-costumes-and-latin-dancing-to-san-franciscos-mission-district\">with Carnaval San Francisco\u003c/a> and will showcase different Día de los Muertos traditions from the Mexican state of Michoacán.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Each month, the California Academy of Sciences hosts 21+ nighttime gatherings where adults can enjoy the museum with live music, drinks and performances. This month’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.calacademy.org/nightlife/nightlife-d%C3%ADa-de-los-muertos\">NightLife event\u003c/a> is in collaboration \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085109/carnaval-brings-colorful-costumes-and-latin-dancing-to-san-franciscos-mission-district\">with Carnaval San Francisco\u003c/a> and will showcase different Día de los Muertos traditions from the Mexican state of Michoacán.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This occasion will also honor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985440/claude-albino-alligator-memorial-golden-gate-park-san-francisco\">Claude, the albino alligator\u003c/a> that lived at the Academy of Sciences since 2008 and became a local icon before dying last December at the age of 30. Sacramento-based artist Carolina Argote will unveil a sculpture of Claude in the incredibly colorful and intricate style of \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/tour-of-giant-brightly-colored-creatures-celebrates-artistic-heritage-of-oaxaca\">alebrijes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This occasion will also honor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985440/claude-albino-alligator-memorial-golden-gate-park-san-francisco\">Claude, the albino alligator\u003c/a> that lived at the Academy of Sciences since 2008 and became a local icon before dying last December at the age of 30. Sacramento-based artist Carolina Argote will unveil a sculpture of Claude in the incredibly colorful and intricate style of \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/tour-of-giant-brightly-colored-creatures-celebrates-artistic-heritage-of-oaxaca\">alebrijes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11784189\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A traditional Mexican altar for El Día de los Muertos celebration.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tiffany Camhi/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11784189\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A traditional Mexican altar for El Día de los Muertos celebration.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tiffany Camhi/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you’re feeling like dancing, the Bay Area’s own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11835183/meet-the-latina-dj-crews-fighting-cultural-erasure-one-45-at-a-time\">Chulita Vinyl Club\u003c/a> — a collective of Latina DJs who work to preserve the region’s old-school cumbia scene — will be laying tracks in the Academy’s East Garden.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if you’re feeling like dancing, the Bay Area’s own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11835183/meet-the-latina-dj-crews-fighting-cultural-erasure-one-45-at-a-time\">Chulita Vinyl Club\u003c/a> — a collective of Latina DJs who work to preserve the region’s old-school cumbia scene — will be laying tracks in the Academy’s East Garden.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Full-priced tickets are $26 and EBT cardholders pay $5.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Full-priced tickets are $26 and EBT cardholders pay $5.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘In Their Name: Día de Los Muertos 2026’ exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘In Their Name: Día de Los Muertos 2026’ exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center\u003c/h2>\n",
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"text": "Opening ceremony on Friday, Oct. 23; exhibition on display through Nov. 20"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Opening ceremony on Friday, Oct. 23; exhibition on display through Nov. 20\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Opening ceremony on Friday, Oct. 23; exhibition on display through Nov. 20\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Curated by Bridgètt Rex and Mission District-raised Rio Yañez, this exhibit celebrates the Mexican traditions of Día de los Muertos “while welcoming cultures around the globe to honor the dead together in solidarity.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Curated by Bridgètt Rex and Mission District-raised Rio Yañez, this exhibit celebrates the Mexican traditions of Día de los Muertos “while welcoming cultures around the globe to honor the dead together in solidarity.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dozens of artists have \u003ca href=\"https://somarts.org/intheirname-press/\">been invited\u003c/a> to create their own altars dedicated to loved ones who have died. This year’s exhibit is dedicated to Oakland-based florist and educator \u003ca href=\"https://evergreenfuneralservice.com/obituaries/latosha-stimage\">Latosha “Tosha” Stimage\u003c/a>, who passed away earlier this year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Dozens of artists have \u003ca href=\"https://somarts.org/intheirname-press/\">been invited\u003c/a> to create their own altars dedicated to loved ones who have died. This year’s exhibit is dedicated to Oakland-based florist and educator \u003ca href=\"https://evergreenfuneralservice.com/obituaries/latosha-stimage\">Latosha “Tosha” Stimage\u003c/a>, who passed away earlier this year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "A collage of photos with pink, green, and yellow paper flowers stands next a small mortar that carries burning sage. A few candles are nearby.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A collage of photos with pink, green, and yellow paper flowers stands next a small mortar that carries burning sage. A few candles are nearby.\" class=\"wp-image-11894973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An altar made by the Young Women’s Freedom Center for people lost to police brutality and gender violence as well as people who passed through the program, at a Día de los Muertos celebration in San Francisco’s Mission District on Nov. 2, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A collage of photos with pink, green, and yellow paper flowers stands next a small mortar that carries burning sage. A few candles are nearby.\" class=\"wp-image-11894973\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An altar made by the Young Women’s Freedom Center for people lost to police brutality and gender violence as well as people who passed through the program, at a Día de los Muertos celebration in San Francisco’s Mission District on Nov. 2, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The opening reception on Oct. 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. will feature an artists’ market and a musical performance by Las Hijas de la Madre.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The opening reception on Oct. 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. will feature an artists’ market and a musical performance by Las Hijas de la Madre.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A general admission ticket is $15, but those 16 years old and under get in free.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A general admission ticket is $15, but those 16 years old and under get in free.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
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"attrs": {
"text": "Día de los Muertos in Half Moon Bay hosted by ALAS",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos in Half Moon Bay hosted by ALAS\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos in Half Moon Bay hosted by ALAS\u003c/h2>\n"
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"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Saturday, Oct. 24"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Saturday, Oct. 24\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Saturday, Oct. 24\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>ALAS stands for Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, or “Helping Latinos Dream,” and the nonprofit will host a \u003ca href=\"https://www.alasdreams.com/events-1/alas-dia-de-los-muertos-catrinas-calabazas-y-cumbia-1\">Day of the Dead celebration\u003c/a> at its office on 507 Purissima Street. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>ALAS stands for Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, or “Helping Latinos Dream,” and the nonprofit will host a \u003ca href=\"https://www.alasdreams.com/events-1/alas-dia-de-los-muertos-catrinas-calabazas-y-cumbia-1\">Day of the Dead celebration\u003c/a> at its office on 507 Purissima Street. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year’s theme is “Catrinas, Calabazas y Cumbia,” paying homage to Half Moon Bay’s nickname as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103119/half-moon-bay-pumpkin-festival-traffic-tips-2026\">World Pumpkin Capital\u003c/a>. There will also be Aztec dancers, face painting and sugar skull decorating.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This year’s theme is “Catrinas, Calabazas y Cumbia,” paying homage to Half Moon Bay’s nickname as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103119/half-moon-bay-pumpkin-festival-traffic-tips-2026\">World Pumpkin Capital\u003c/a>. There will also be Aztec dancers, face painting and sugar skull decorating.\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Two people wear face paint and flowers in their hair and look at the camera.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Two people wear face paint and flowers in their hair and look at the camera.\" class=\"wp-image-11894972\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mariah Cativo (left) and Lucy Molina pause for a portrait as they walk along 24th Street in San Francisco’s Mission District during a Día de los Muertos celebration on Nov. 2, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Two people wear face paint and flowers in their hair and look at the camera.\" class=\"wp-image-11894972\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mariah Cativo (left) and Lucy Molina pause for a portrait as they walk along 24th Street in San Francisco’s Mission District during a Día de los Muertos celebration on Nov. 2, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Healdsburg Día de los Muertos Celebration",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healdsburg Día de los Muertos Celebration\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healdsburg Día de los Muertos Celebration\u003c/h2>\n"
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"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Sunday, Oct. 25"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Oct. 25\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Oct. 25\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City officials and local nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg will host a Día de los Muertos celebration in the city’s main plaza from noon to 6 p.m. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>City officials and local nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg will host a Día de los Muertos celebration in the city’s main plaza from noon to 6 p.m. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Families are welcome to bring photos of loved ones to add to the communal ofrenda. There will be live music, a car show, dance performances and craft activities for kids throughout the day.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Families are welcome to bring photos of loved ones to add to the communal ofrenda. There will be live music, a car show, dance performances and craft activities for kids throughout the day.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This event has free admission.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This event has free admission.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
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"attrs": {
"text": "Día de los Muertos at Lawrence Hall of Science ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos at Lawrence Hall of Science \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos at Lawrence Hall of Science \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Oct. 25 and Oct. 31 \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Oct. 25 and Oct. 31 \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley \u003ca href=\"https://lawrencehallofscience.org/events/dia-de-los-muertos-community-celebration/\">will host two workshops\u003c/a> in English and Spanish to create a community ofrenda that will be displayed at the Fruitvale Día de los Muertos Festival in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The workshops will be led by Lidia Ruelo-Salazar, a healer and culture keeper, and her sibling, Erick Salazar, an artist. The first workshop, from 1-3 p.m. on Oct. 25, will focus on the tradition of cartonería (papier-mâché) and the art of making alebrijes, mythical animals. The second workshop, on Oct. 31, will teach participants how to make calaveras (skulls) using seeds, soil, and natural materials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The workshops will be led by Lidia Ruelo-Salazar, a healer and culture keeper, and her sibling, Erick Salazar, an artist. The first workshop, from 1-3 p.m. on Oct. 25, will focus on the tradition of cartonería (papier-mâché) and the art of making alebrijes, mythical animals. The second workshop, on Oct. 31, will teach participants how to make calaveras (skulls) using seeds, soil, and natural materials. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tickets are $27 for ages 3 and older. Children under age 2 are free.\u003c/p>\n",
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"attrs": {
"text": "Luna Mexicana at the Oakland Ballet",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Luna Mexicana at the Oakland Ballet\u003c/h2>\n",
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"attrs": {
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"text": "Performances on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Performances on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year sees the Oakland Ballet celebrating the 10th anniversary of its \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandballet.org/performances-events/luna-mexicana/\">Luna Mexicana\u003c/a> production, which brings different Mexican folklórico traditions onstage with contemporary dance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This year sees the Oakland Ballet celebrating the 10th anniversary of its \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandballet.org/performances-events/luna-mexicana/\">Luna Mexicana\u003c/a> production, which brings different Mexican folklórico traditions onstage with contemporary dance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Performances are family-friendly and are advertised as “ideal for ages 7 and up.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Performances are family-friendly and are advertised as “ideal for ages 7 and up.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tickets for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/oakland-ballet-luna-mexicana-oakland-california-10-30-2026/event/1C0064F9420695A3\">Oct. 30\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/oakland-ballet-luna-mexicana-oakland-california-11-01-2026/event/1C0064F94275961E\">Nov. 1\u003c/a> performances are already available on Ticketmaster and prices can range from $35 to $100.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tickets for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/oakland-ballet-luna-mexicana-oakland-california-10-30-2026/event/1C0064F9420695A3\">Oct. 30\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/oakland-ballet-luna-mexicana-oakland-california-11-01-2026/event/1C0064F94275961E\">Nov. 1\u003c/a> performances are already available on Ticketmaster and prices can range from $35 to $100.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Xol Venegas wears handmade butterfly gloves to the Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in Fruitvale on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. Día de los Muertos is her favorite holiday. “It’s about that nobody gets forgotten in the end. That everybody feels a sense of community,” she said.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063629\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Xol Venegas wears handmade butterfly gloves to the Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in Fruitvale on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. Día de los Muertos is her favorite holiday. “It’s about that nobody gets forgotten in the end. That everybody feels a sense of community,” she said.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Avenue of the Altars in San José’s Mexican Heritage Plaza",
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"text": "Saturday, Oct. 31"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Saturday, Oct. 31\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Located on the corner of Alum Rock Avenue and King Road, the Mexican Heritage Plaza is one of the most important gathering spots for East San José’s Latino community. This year, the venue celebrates the \u003ca href=\"https://mhplaza.org/allevents/avenida26\">10th annual Avenida de Altares\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Located on the corner of Alum Rock Avenue and King Road, the Mexican Heritage Plaza is one of the most important gathering spots for East San José’s Latino community. This year, the venue celebrates the \u003ca href=\"https://mhplaza.org/allevents/avenida26\">10th annual Avenida de Altares\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to event organizers, folks are welcome to “explore a community altar gallery, participate in hands-on art activities for all ages, browse an artisanal vendor market, and experience colorful face painting.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>According to event organizers, folks are welcome to “explore a community altar gallery, participate in hands-on art activities for all ages, browse an artisanal vendor market, and experience colorful face painting.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This event has free admission and starts at 5:30 p.m.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This event has free admission and starts at 5:30 p.m.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival\u003c/h2>\n",
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"text": "Sunday, Nov. 1"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In terms of attendance — and sheer scale of production — this is by far the biggest celebration for Día de los Muertos in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In terms of attendance — and sheer scale of production — this is by far the biggest celebration for Día de los Muertos in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Sunday, Nov. 1, nine blocks along International Boulevard in the city’s Fruitvale neighborhood will fill up with giant ofrendas created by local artists, live music stages and dozens of booths from community groups and local artists.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>On Sunday, Nov. 1, nine blocks along International Boulevard in the city’s Fruitvale neighborhood will fill up with giant ofrendas created by local artists, live music stages and dozens of booths from community groups and local artists.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063628\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danza Azteca performs a traditional Aztec ceremony at Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in Fruitvale on Oct. 29, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063628\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danza Azteca performs a traditional Aztec ceremony at Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in Fruitvale on Oct. 29, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Someone making their first-ever appearance at the celebration is the towering 34-foot sculpture of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102579/a-giant-la-catrina-sculpture-sends-a-defiant-message-from-oaklands-latinx-community\">La Catrina\u003c/a>, an elegant female skull figure that serves as a symbol for the dead coming into the world of the living. The piece was brought in by the nonprofit Unity Council, which leads organizing efforts for the Oakland event.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Someone making their first-ever appearance at the celebration is the towering 34-foot sculpture of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102579/a-giant-la-catrina-sculpture-sends-a-defiant-message-from-oaklands-latinx-community\">La Catrina\u003c/a>, an elegant female skull figure that serves as a symbol for the dead coming into the world of the living. The piece was brought in by the nonprofit Unity Council, which leads organizing efforts for the Oakland event.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is a high-energy event, so expect to hear live banda music for hours and lowriders bouncing through the streets. And for the first time, the Oakland Roots and Soul will be hosting street soccer games along 39th Avenue.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This is a high-energy event, so expect to hear live banda music for hours and lowriders bouncing through the streets. And for the first time, the Oakland Roots and Soul will be hosting street soccer games along 39th Avenue.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Día de Muertos Celebration at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>La Peña is one of the longest-running spaces dedicated to Latin American and Caribbean culture in the Bay Area, and this year’s \u003ca href=\"https://lapena.org/event/dia-de-muertos-celebracion-ceremony-ofrenda-son-jarocho-food/\">Day of the Dead celebration\u003c/a> will give families plenty of opportunities to be creative together.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>La Peña is one of the longest-running spaces dedicated to Latin American and Caribbean culture in the Bay Area, and this year’s \u003ca href=\"https://lapena.org/event/dia-de-muertos-celebracion-ceremony-ofrenda-son-jarocho-food/\">Day of the Dead celebration\u003c/a> will give families plenty of opportunities to be creative together.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Programming starts at 5:30 p.m. with a bilingual storytime, then moves outdoors for a \u003ca href=\"https://aktalakota.stjo.org/lakota-culture/native-american-four-directions/\">Four Directions ceremony\u003c/a> that will then lead to guests building an ofrenda together. Guests are accordingly encouraged to bring photos and mementos of loved ones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Programming starts at 5:30 p.m. with a bilingual storytime, then moves outdoors for a \u003ca href=\"https://aktalakota.stjo.org/lakota-culture/native-american-four-directions/\">Four Directions ceremony\u003c/a> that will then lead to guests building an ofrenda together. Guests are accordingly encouraged to bring photos and mementos of loved ones. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11784506\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Altar for Día de los Muertos.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Adriana Morga/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11784506\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Altar for Día de los Muertos.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Adriana Morga/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The night will end with a jam session open to the community and a son jarocho concert — music emblematic of the Mexican state of Veracruz.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The night will end with a jam session open to the community and a son jarocho concert — music emblematic of the Mexican state of Veracruz.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Admission is free, and there will be food and drinks available for purchase.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Admission is free, and there will be food and drinks available for purchase.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Tenderloin Street Fair’s Día de Muertos Celebration",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s Tenderloin district is throwing a free family street fair from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Día de los Muertos, featuring a full lineup of live music from all over Latin America: rock with Soucano, salsa with Agua Pura, psychedelic Peruvian cumbia with Combo Tezeta and Mexican música regional with Banda La Tóxica.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’ll also be lucha libre matches, a kids zone and loteria. Tickets are free, but you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tenderloin-street-fair-presents-dia-de-muertos-celebration-2026-tickets-2002305378287\">RSVP a spot now\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There’ll also be lucha libre matches, a kids zone and loteria. Tickets are free, but you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tenderloin-street-fair-presents-dia-de-muertos-celebration-2026-tickets-2002305378287\">RSVP a spot now\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105590\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A poster for Tenderloin Street Fair’s Día de Muertos Celebration.\u003cbr>\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Tenderloin Street Fair)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"text": "Día de los Muertos at the Children’s Discovery Museum of San José",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Children’s Discovery Museum in downtown San José will host a family-friendly \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdm.org/event/dia-de-los-muertos/\">Día de los Muertos event\u003c/a> from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Children’s Discovery Museum in downtown San José will host a family-friendly \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdm.org/event/dia-de-los-muertos/\">Día de los Muertos event\u003c/a> from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’ll be storytelling for children, sand painting, performances by Aztec dancers, and the Chicano theater group Teatro Familia Aztlán will lead a short procession that stops at different installations in the museum, including its 14,000-year-old mammoth skeleton.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tickets are $22 for both adults and children. Seniors pay $20 for entrance and infants get in for free.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Día de Muertos celebration in Concord",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Local officials will \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/jpablobenavente/posts/pfbid0PPbXuAJw1fKaak2R8nY9KB1mF7HwuzvYQgMwpMQxMAj4HNbSnP4QCCGM1mevsRXUl\">host a gathering\u003c/a> at Concord’s Pacheco Square from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. that will feature live mariachi music and “free tacos for the community.” Residents are invited to bring photos of their loved ones for a community ofrenda.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Local officials will \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/jpablobenavente/posts/pfbid0PPbXuAJw1fKaak2R8nY9KB1mF7HwuzvYQgMwpMQxMAj4HNbSnP4QCCGM1mevsRXUl\">host a gathering\u003c/a> at Concord’s Pacheco Square from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. that will feature live mariachi music and “free tacos for the community.” Residents are invited to bring photos of their loved ones for a community ofrenda.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Día de los Muertos in Santa Rosa",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This two-day celebration in Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square brings together artists and performers from all over the North Bay, including the Tri County Pomo Dancers, traditional \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11987673/carnaval-putleco-brings-a-oaxacan-festival-of-colors-to-the-bay-area\">Oaxacan tiliches\u003c/a> and giant dancing \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q8FfWIFdF4\">mojigangas\u003c/a>. Organizers have scheduled a tianguis — or street market — featuring dozens of local businesses for Sunday and have invited schools from across the region to set up field trips to visit the celebration on Monday. There’ll be live music and food for sale on both days.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This two-day celebration in Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square brings together artists and performers from all over the North Bay, including the Tri County Pomo Dancers, traditional \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11987673/carnaval-putleco-brings-a-oaxacan-festival-of-colors-to-the-bay-area\">Oaxacan tiliches\u003c/a> and giant dancing \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q8FfWIFdF4\">mojigangas\u003c/a>. Organizers have scheduled a tianguis — or street market — featuring dozens of local businesses for Sunday and have invited schools from across the region to set up field trips to visit the celebration on Monday. There’ll be live music and food for sale on both days.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "The Marigold Project’s Day of the Dead Festival of Altars in San Francisco",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Monday, Nov. 2\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For more than 30 years, families have gathered in San Francisco’s Potrero Del Sol Park to install intricately decorated large-scale ofrendas. While honoring loved ones, many of these have also tackled larger political and social questions — like the federal government’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigration\u003c/a> policy or Israel’s 2023 war on Gaza. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For more than 30 years, families have gathered in San Francisco’s Potrero Del Sol Park to install intricately decorated large-scale ofrendas. While honoring loved ones, many of these have also tackled larger political and social questions — like the federal government’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigration\u003c/a> policy or Israel’s 2023 war on Gaza. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year’s theme is “Familia: Entre raices y el Cielo,” which translates to “Family: between roots and heaven.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This year’s theme is “Familia: Entre raices y el Cielo,” which translates to “Family: between roots and heaven.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Event organizers ask visitors to reflect on family as “a living ecosystem” and point to the many families around the world that “continue to experience displacement, separation, and violence.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Event organizers ask visitors to reflect on family as “a living ecosystem” and point to the many families around the world that “continue to experience displacement, separation, and violence.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Altar building will begin at 10 a.m., and a sunset ceremony and land blessing is scheduled for 5 p.m. At 8.p.m. there’ll be a performance by the Mission District-based band La Gente SF, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13984468/best-concerts-2025-bay-area-live-music\">known for\u003c/a> blending cumbia, reggae, salsa and hip-hop.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Altar building will begin at 10 a.m., and a sunset ceremony and land blessing is scheduled for 5 p.m. At 8.p.m. there’ll be a performance by the Mission District-based band La Gente SF, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13984468/best-concerts-2025-bay-area-live-music\">known for\u003c/a> blending cumbia, reggae, salsa and hip-hop.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Day of the Dead Ritual Procession in San Francisco",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Organized by the Colectivo del Rescate Cultural (the Culture Rescue Collective), San Francisco’s 45th annual Día de los Muertos procession brings together hundreds of musicians, artists and culture keepers. And this year’s theme is “Nuestros muertos no se venden” — “Our dead are not for sale.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Organized by the Colectivo del Rescate Cultural (the Culture Rescue Collective), San Francisco’s 45th annual Día de los Muertos procession brings together hundreds of musicians, artists and culture keepers. And this year’s theme is “Nuestros muertos no se venden” — “Our dead are not for sale.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The procession will first gather at Bryant and 22nd Street at 7 p.m., then move over to 24th Street in the direction of Mission Street.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The procession will first gather at Bryant and 22nd Street at 7 p.m., then move over to 24th Street in the direction of Mission Street.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thousands of families gather on the sidewalk to watch the procession, with many— both kids and adults — in skull face paint. If you don’t know how to paint a skull, don’t worry — you can easily find a makeup artist walking around that can help you out, along with food vendors and musicians set up on each corner.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thousands of families gather on the sidewalk to watch the procession, with many— both kids and adults — in skull face paint. If you don’t know how to paint a skull, don’t worry — you can easily find a makeup artist walking around that can help you out, along with food vendors and musicians set up on each corner.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In previous years, the Mission District has hosted other public gatherings for Día de los Muertos, including an arts exhibition at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last January, however, this space \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071507/financial-crisis-forces-sfs-mission-cultural-center-for-latino-arts-to-close\">shut down\u003c/a> due to major financial pressures, taking away a historic venue for Day of the Dead celebrations in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Día de los Muertos at the San Francisco Symphony",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city’s premier symphony orchestra will perform music from across Latin America with José Luis Gómez, music director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, as conductor. The culture of the Mexican state of Tlaxcala will be in the spotlight this year, with performances from salterio players David Hernández Pozos and Claudio Israel Vázquez, along with traditional dancers from Redwood City’s \u003ca href=\"https://casacirculocultural.org/\">Casa Círculo Cultural\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you get to the Symphony before the performance starts, you’ll have the chance to walk around the lobby to see interactive altars and plenty of catrinas.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2026-27/Dia-de-los-Muertos\">Seat prices\u003c/a> depend on location and can range between $35 and $180.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A person wears an elaborate headdress, face paint and purple, ribboned dress as they dance in the streets.\" class=\"wp-image-11894971\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Daniela Zurita walks during Día de los Muertos in San Francisco on Nov. 2, 2021, in memory of her mother who passed away in August due to COVID-19.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "Redwood City’s Día de los Muertos Celebration",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Redwood City’s Día de los Muertos Celebration\u003c/h2>\n",
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"text": "Sunday, Nov. 8"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year, the biggest \u003ca href=\"https://casacirculocultural.org/adult-initiative/dia-de-los-muertos/\">Día de los Muertos celebration in San Mateo County\u003c/a> will take place a week after most events in the region. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This year, the biggest \u003ca href=\"https://casacirculocultural.org/adult-initiative/dia-de-los-muertos/\">Día de los Muertos celebration in San Mateo County\u003c/a> will take place a week after most events in the region. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dance and music performances will fill Redwood City’s Courthouse Square from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Families will also have the chance to learn how to make sugar skulls, get catrina face painting and join the ritual procession.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Dance and music performances will fill Redwood City’s Courthouse Square from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Families will also have the chance to learn how to make sugar skulls, get catrina face painting and join the ritual procession.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year’s celebration will also feature a competition for the best ofrenda mounted on a car — “Recuerdos sobre ruedas or “memories on wheels.” According to organizers, entries should honor the memory of children who have passed away and “should reflect tenderness, innocence, and the love families hold for the little ones who left too soon.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This year’s celebration will also feature a competition for the best ofrenda mounted on a car — “Recuerdos sobre ruedas or “memories on wheels.” According to organizers, entries should honor the memory of children who have passed away and “should reflect tenderness, innocence, and the love families hold for the little ones who left too soon.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "No matter where you live in the region, we’ve got details on events organized by the community to honor and celebrate the dead, including both lively celebrations with music and dancing, along with more solemn gatherings.",
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"title": "Where to Celebrate Día de los Muertos Events in the Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Día de los Muertos is almost here. And in the coming days, families across the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> will transform a corner of their home into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/dia-de-los-muertos\">an ofrenda\u003c/a> — colorful handmade altars honoring loved ones who have passed away. Photos and mementos are placed alongside candles, sugar skulls, cempasúchil (marigolds) and the departed’s favorite food and drinks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Traditionally celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2, Día de los Muertos is when the living pause from their daily routine and remember the dead.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For centuries, families in Mexico and several other Latin American countries — where it’s also known \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/02/500105108/bread-babies-and-purple-drink-ecuador-s-spin-on-day-of-the-deceased\">as Día de los Difuntos\u003c/a> — have also used this time of year to reunite with relatives and friends. Celebrating the dead can be done in both the privacy of one’s home and in community \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11894929/to-also-celebrate-the-living-dia-de-los-muertos-returns-to-the-mission\">out in the streets\u003c/a>, with music, dance and art.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102437\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261001-LA-CATRINA-OAKLAND-MD-19-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mariachi group performs at the Welcome Ceremony for La Catrina de Oakland at Fruitvale Plaza in Oakland on Oct. 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to the Bay Area’s large Latino diaspora, there are multiple public Día de los Muertos events held across the region that are family-friendly and open to all — including those who are just starting to learn more about this tradition.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep in mind that some events are high-energy celebrations with spaces for dancing and socializing, while others are more solemn occasions that include traditional blessings and spoken word.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another thing to note: This year, because Nov. 1 and 2 fall on Sunday and Monday respectively, you’ll also find many organizers have scheduled their Día de los Muertos events a few days before (or after) the traditionally observed dates, with events running from this week through Nov. 8.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día De Los Muertos NightLife Celebration at the Academy of Sciences\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Thursday, Oct. 22\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each month, the California Academy of Sciences hosts 21+ nighttime gatherings where adults can enjoy the museum with live music, drinks and performances. This month’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.calacademy.org/nightlife/nightlife-d%C3%ADa-de-los-muertos\">NightLife event\u003c/a> is in collaboration \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085109/carnaval-brings-colorful-costumes-and-latin-dancing-to-san-franciscos-mission-district\">with Carnaval San Francisco\u003c/a> and will showcase different Día de los Muertos traditions from the Mexican state of Michoacán.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This occasion will also honor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13985440/claude-albino-alligator-memorial-golden-gate-park-san-francisco\">Claude, the albino alligator\u003c/a> that lived at the Academy of Sciences since 2008 and became a local icon before dying last December at the age of 30. Sacramento-based artist Carolina Argote will unveil a sculpture of Claude in the incredibly colorful and intricate style of \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/tour-of-giant-brightly-colored-creatures-celebrates-artistic-heritage-of-oaxaca\">alebrijes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11784189\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS27797_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-9-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A traditional Mexican altar for El Día de los Muertos celebration. (Tiffany Camhi/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you’re feeling like dancing, the Bay Area’s own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11835183/meet-the-latina-dj-crews-fighting-cultural-erasure-one-45-at-a-time\">Chulita Vinyl Club\u003c/a> — a collective of Latina DJs who work to preserve the region’s old-school cumbia scene — will be laying tracks in the Academy’s East Garden.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Full-priced tickets are $26 and EBT cardholders pay $5.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘In Their Name: Día de Los Muertos 2026’ exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Opening ceremony on Friday, Oct. 23; exhibition on display through Nov. 20\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Curated by Bridgètt Rex and Mission District-raised Rio Yañez, this exhibit celebrates the Mexican traditions of Día de los Muertos “while welcoming cultures around the globe to honor the dead together in solidarity.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dozens of artists have \u003ca href=\"https://somarts.org/intheirname-press/\">been invited\u003c/a> to create their own altars dedicated to loved ones who have died. This year’s exhibit is dedicated to Oakland-based florist and educator \u003ca href=\"https://evergreenfuneralservice.com/obituaries/latosha-stimage\">Latosha “Tosha” Stimage\u003c/a>, who passed away earlier this year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A collage of photos with pink, green, and yellow paper flowers stands next a small mortar that carries burning sage. A few candles are nearby.\" class=\"wp-image-11894973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52341_022_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An altar made by the Young Women’s Freedom Center for people lost to police brutality and gender violence as well as people who passed through the program, at a Día de los Muertos celebration in San Francisco’s Mission District on Nov. 2, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The opening reception on Oct. 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. will feature an artists’ market and a musical performance by Las Hijas de la Madre.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A general admission ticket is $15, but those 16 years old and under get in free.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos in Half Moon Bay hosted by ALAS\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Saturday, Oct. 24\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ALAS stands for Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, or “Helping Latinos Dream,” and the nonprofit will host a \u003ca href=\"https://www.alasdreams.com/events-1/alas-dia-de-los-muertos-catrinas-calabazas-y-cumbia-1\">Day of the Dead celebration\u003c/a> at its office on 507 Purissima Street. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year’s theme is “Catrinas, Calabazas y Cumbia,” paying homage to Half Moon Bay’s nickname as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103119/half-moon-bay-pumpkin-festival-traffic-tips-2026\">World Pumpkin Capital\u003c/a>. There will also be Aztec dancers, face painting and sugar skull decorating.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Two people wear face paint and flowers in their hair and look at the camera.\" class=\"wp-image-11894972\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52357_037_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mariah Cativo (left) and Lucy Molina pause for a portrait as they walk along 24th Street in San Francisco’s Mission District during a Día de los Muertos celebration on Nov. 2, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healdsburg Día de los Muertos Celebration\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Oct. 25\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">City officials and local nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg will host a Día de los Muertos celebration in the city’s main plaza from noon to 6 p.m. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Families are welcome to bring photos of loved ones to add to the communal ofrenda. There will be live music, a car show, dance performances and craft activities for kids throughout the day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event has free admission.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos at Lawrence Hall of Science \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Oct. 25 and Oct. 31 \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley \u003ca href=\"https://lawrencehallofscience.org/events/dia-de-los-muertos-community-celebration/\">will host two workshops\u003c/a> in English and Spanish to create a community ofrenda that will be displayed at the Fruitvale Día de los Muertos Festival in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The workshops will be led by Lidia Ruelo-Salazar, a healer and culture keeper, and her sibling, Erick Salazar, an artist. The first workshop, from 1-3 p.m. on Oct. 25, will focus on the tradition of cartonería (papier-mâché) and the art of making alebrijes, mythical animals. The second workshop, on Oct. 31, will teach participants how to make calaveras (skulls) using seeds, soil, and natural materials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tickets are $27 for ages 3 and older. Children under age 2 are free.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Luna Mexicana at the Oakland Ballet\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Performances on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year sees the Oakland Ballet celebrating the 10th anniversary of its \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandballet.org/performances-events/luna-mexicana/\">Luna Mexicana\u003c/a> production, which brings different Mexican folklórico traditions onstage with contemporary dance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Performances are family-friendly and are advertised as “ideal for ages 7 and up.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tickets for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/oakland-ballet-luna-mexicana-oakland-california-10-30-2026/event/1C0064F9420695A3\">Oct. 30\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/oakland-ballet-luna-mexicana-oakland-california-11-01-2026/event/1C0064F94275961E\">Nov. 1\u003c/a> performances are already available on Ticketmaster and prices can range from $35 to $100.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-38-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Xol Venegas wears handmade butterfly gloves to the Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in Fruitvale on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. Día de los Muertos is her favorite holiday. “It’s about that nobody gets forgotten in the end. That everybody feels a sense of community,” she said. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Avenue of the Altars in San José’s Mexican Heritage Plaza\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Saturday, Oct. 31\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Located on the corner of Alum Rock Avenue and King Road, the Mexican Heritage Plaza is one of the most important gathering spots for East San José’s Latino community. This year, the venue celebrates the \u003ca href=\"https://mhplaza.org/allevents/avenida26\">10th annual Avenida de Altares\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to event organizers, folks are welcome to “explore a community altar gallery, participate in hands-on art activities for all ages, browse an artisanal vendor market, and experience colorful face painting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event has free admission and starts at 5:30 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In terms of attendance — and sheer scale of production — this is by far the biggest celebration for Día de los Muertos in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Sunday, Nov. 1, nine blocks along International Boulevard in the city’s Fruitvale neighborhood will fill up with giant ofrendas created by local artists, live music stages and dozens of booths from community groups and local artists.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063628\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/231029_OAKDiadelosMuertosFestival_EG-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danza Azteca performs a traditional Aztec ceremony at Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in Fruitvale on Oct. 29, 2023. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Someone making their first-ever appearance at the celebration is the towering 34-foot sculpture of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102579/a-giant-la-catrina-sculpture-sends-a-defiant-message-from-oaklands-latinx-community\">La Catrina\u003c/a>, an elegant female skull figure that serves as a symbol for the dead coming into the world of the living. The piece was brought in by the nonprofit Unity Council, which leads organizing efforts for the Oakland event.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a high-energy event, so expect to hear live banda music for hours and lowriders bouncing through the streets. And for the first time, the Oakland Roots and Soul will be hosting street soccer games along 39th Avenue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de Muertos Celebration at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">La Peña is one of the longest-running spaces dedicated to Latin American and Caribbean culture in the Bay Area, and this year’s \u003ca href=\"https://lapena.org/event/dia-de-muertos-celebracion-ceremony-ofrenda-son-jarocho-food/\">Day of the Dead celebration\u003c/a> will give families plenty of opportunities to be creative together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Programming starts at 5:30 p.m. with a bilingual storytime, then moves outdoors for a \u003ca href=\"https://aktalakota.stjo.org/lakota-culture/native-american-four-directions/\">Four Directions ceremony\u003c/a> that will then lead to guests building an ofrenda together. Guests are accordingly encouraged to bring photos and mementos of loved ones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11784506\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/11/RS40044_DayofDead_Morga_009-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Altar for Día de los Muertos. (Adriana Morga/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The night will end with a jam session open to the community and a son jarocho concert — music emblematic of the Mexican state of Veracruz.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Admission is free, and there will be food and drinks available for purchase.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tenderloin Street Fair’s Día de Muertos Celebration\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San Francisco’s Tenderloin district is throwing a free family street fair from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Día de los Muertos, featuring a full lineup of live music from all over Latin America: rock with Soucano, salsa with Agua Pura, psychedelic Peruvian cumbia with Combo Tezeta and Mexican música regional with Banda La Tóxica.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There’ll also be lucha libre matches, a kids zone and loteria. Tickets are free, but you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tenderloin-street-fair-presents-dia-de-muertos-celebration-2026-tickets-2002305378287\">RSVP a spot now\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105590\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TL-DDLM-jpeg-8a5ac9ba-1638x2048.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A poster for Tenderloin Street Fair’s Día de Muertos Celebration.\u003cbr> (Courtesy of Tenderloin Street Fair)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos at the Children’s Discovery Museum of San José\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Children’s Discovery Museum in downtown San José will host a family-friendly \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdm.org/event/dia-de-los-muertos/\">Día de los Muertos event\u003c/a> from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There’ll be storytelling for children, sand painting, performances by Aztec dancers, and the Chicano theater group Teatro Familia Aztlán will lead a short procession that stops at different installations in the museum, including its 14,000-year-old mammoth skeleton.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tickets are $22 for both adults and children. Seniors pay $20 for entrance and infants get in for free.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de Muertos celebration in Concord\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Local officials will \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/jpablobenavente/posts/pfbid0PPbXuAJw1fKaak2R8nY9KB1mF7HwuzvYQgMwpMQxMAj4HNbSnP4QCCGM1mevsRXUl\">host a gathering\u003c/a> at Concord’s Pacheco Square from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. that will feature live mariachi music and “free tacos for the community.” Residents are invited to bring photos of their loved ones for a community ofrenda.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Admission is free.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos in Santa Rosa\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 1 and Monday, Nov. 2\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This two-day celebration in Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square brings together artists and performers from all over the North Bay, including the Tri County Pomo Dancers, traditional \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11987673/carnaval-putleco-brings-a-oaxacan-festival-of-colors-to-the-bay-area\">Oaxacan tiliches\u003c/a> and giant dancing \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q8FfWIFdF4\">mojigangas\u003c/a>. Organizers have scheduled a tianguis — or street market — featuring dozens of local businesses for Sunday and have invited schools from across the region to set up field trips to visit the celebration on Monday. There’ll be live music and food for sale on both days.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event has free admission.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Marigold Project’s Day of the Dead Festival of Altars in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Monday, Nov. 2\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more than 30 years, families have gathered in San Francisco’s Potrero Del Sol Park to install intricately decorated large-scale ofrendas. While honoring loved ones, many of these have also tackled larger political and social questions — like the federal government’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigration\u003c/a> policy or Israel’s 2023 war on Gaza. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year’s theme is “Familia: Entre raices y el Cielo,” which translates to “Family: between roots and heaven.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Event organizers ask visitors to reflect on family as “a living ecosystem” and point to the many families around the world that “continue to experience displacement, separation, and violence.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Altar building will begin at 10 a.m., and a sunset ceremony and land blessing is scheduled for 5 p.m. At 8.p.m. there’ll be a performance by the Mission District-based band La Gente SF, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13984468/best-concerts-2025-bay-area-live-music\">known for\u003c/a> blending cumbia, reggae, salsa and hip-hop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day of the Dead Ritual Procession in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Monday, Nov. 2\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Organized by the Colectivo del Rescate Cultural (the Culture Rescue Collective), San Francisco’s 45th annual Día de los Muertos procession brings together hundreds of musicians, artists and culture keepers. And this year’s theme is “Nuestros muertos no se venden” — “Our dead are not for sale.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The procession will first gather at Bryant and 22nd Street at 7 p.m., then move over to 24th Street in the direction of Mission Street.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thousands of families gather on the sidewalk to watch the procession, with many— both kids and adults — in skull face paint. If you don’t know how to paint a skull, don’t worry — you can easily find a makeup artist walking around that can help you out, along with food vendors and musicians set up on each corner.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event has free admission.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In previous years, the Mission District has hosted other public gatherings for Día de los Muertos, including an arts exhibition at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last January, however, this space \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071507/financial-crisis-forces-sfs-mission-cultural-center-for-latino-arts-to-close\">shut down\u003c/a> due to major financial pressures, taking away a historic venue for Day of the Dead celebrations in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Día de los Muertos at the San Francisco Symphony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Saturday, Nov. 7\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city’s premier symphony orchestra will perform music from across Latin America with José Luis Gómez, music director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, as conductor. The culture of the Mexican state of Tlaxcala will be in the spotlight this year, with performances from salterio players David Hernández Pozos and Claudio Israel Vázquez, along with traditional dancers from Redwood City’s \u003ca href=\"https://casacirculocultural.org/\">Casa Círculo Cultural\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you get to the Symphony before the performance starts, you’ll have the chance to walk around the lobby to see interactive altars and plenty of catrinas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2026-27/Dia-de-los-Muertos\">Seat prices\u003c/a> depend on location and can range between $35 and $180.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A person wears an elaborate headdress, face paint and purple, ribboned dress as they dance in the streets.\" class=\"wp-image-11894971\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/11/RS52348_030_SanFrancisco_DiadelosMuertos_11022021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Daniela Zurita walks during Día de los Muertos in San Francisco on Nov. 2, 2021, in memory of her mother who passed away in August due to COVID-19. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Redwood City’s Día de los Muertos Celebration\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cem>Sunday, Nov. 8\u003c/em>\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year, the biggest \u003ca href=\"https://casacirculocultural.org/adult-initiative/dia-de-los-muertos/\">Día de los Muertos celebration in San Mateo County\u003c/a> will take place a week after most events in the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dance and music performances will fill Redwood City’s Courthouse Square from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Families will also have the chance to learn how to make sugar skulls, get catrina face painting and join the ritual procession.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year’s celebration will also feature a competition for the best ofrenda mounted on a car — “Recuerdos sobre ruedas or “memories on wheels.” According to organizers, entries should honor the memory of children who have passed away and “should reflect tenderness, innocence, and the love families hold for the little ones who left too soon.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event has free admission.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "port-of-oakland-truck-drivers-say-record-high-diesel-prices-are-killing-the-business",
"title": "Port of Oakland Truck Drivers Say Record-High Diesel Prices Are ‘Killing the Business’",
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"headTitle": "Port of Oakland Truck Drivers Say Record-High Diesel Prices Are ‘Killing the Business’ | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Danny Bui’s semi-truck, a 2015 Freightliner Cascadia, is stocked with the essentials: a bed, a microwave, a refrigerator and a hearty supply of instant noodles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These comforts keep the 49-year-old father of four going during long days driving as a licensed motor carrier — the industry term for an independent contractor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ I love the job. I love its independence. You want more money, you work hard,” Bui said in the expansive yard of PCC Logistics, the shipping company he works for at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/port-of-oakland\">Port of Oakland\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the past six years, Bui, who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam when he was 14, has relied on trucking to support his family in San José. But as the wars in Iran and Ukraine have driven diesel prices to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915463/record-setting-diesel-prices-put-pressure-on-bay-area-businesses-and-consumers\">record levels\u003c/a> — over $8 per gallon on average in California, up $3 more than a year ago — Bui and other truckers said they’re struggling to afford loan and insurance payments and meet the high costs of living in the Bay Area, from housing to groceries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bui said he pays double what he used to— around $1,400 — to fill up his 240-gallon tank. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260928-DIESELPRICES-NG-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260928-DIESELPRICES-NG-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260928-DIESELPRICES-NG-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260928-DIESELPRICES-NG-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trucks pull oversized loads into the Port of Oakland where the loads are checked by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Sept. 28, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ Before, you make money. Now, you try to cover the cost. That’s how it works now,” he said. “ We just live day by day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PCC works with approximately 85 licensed motor carriers (among 800 at the port) and owns 10 company trucks. The company relies heavily on the licensed motor carriers — as opposed to drivers employed by the company — to cut down on costs, such as leasing and purchasing trucks and paying for fuel and insurance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company specializes in trucking meat and produce from the Central Valley to the Port of Oakland, where goods are loaded onto ships bound for Asia. This time of year, PCC distributes the Central Valley’s pomegranate and kiwi harvests, having wrapped up shipping honeydew melons out of the Fresno County city of Firebaugh, according to Steve Gardner, director of transportation for PCC.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the company’s independent truckers have become reluctant to make these long hauls because of high diesel prices, Gardner said. Diesel semi-trucks typically get around 7 miles to the gallon, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ They don’t want go that far because it costs money. They’re upset, and rightfully so,” he said. “ They’re complaining a lot more, and at some point it’s going to boil over.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gardner said he’s surprised that there hasn’t been a work stoppage or a protest, and for now, there are truckers willing to take on the work, as PCC currently charges its customers a 45% fuel surcharge — most of which goes to its independent truckers to help pay for the increased diesel prices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martin Ramirez, 59, of Oakland, who works for PCC as a licensed motor carrier, has been trucking for 34 years. He said 20 years ago, for every $1,000 he earned, he’d take home $750, after paying for fuel and insurance. But recently, he said fuel and insurance take the lion’s share: He now takes home $450 for every $1,000 he earns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ We’re not saving any money like before,” Ramirez said. “We’re not taking any vacations or taking our kids on a trip. We’re just surviving.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The longer prices remain elevated, the less likely truckers will be able to absorb the financial losses, ultimately affecting the price and availability of everyday retail goods, said Severin Borenstein, a petroleum industry expert at UC Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ In the short run, truckers end up eating some of it, and retailers end up eating some of it. But gradually, over time, they can’t keep doing that, and you get less supply and the price goes up,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut.jpg\" alt=\"View of a freeway with cars and trucks.\" class=\"wp-image-11945323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Traffic on Interstate 880 toward Oakland jam-packed with cars and diesel trucks mid-afternoon on June 28, 2021. (Joyce Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s especially true for goods like produce, which is heavy relative to its value, so the shipping costs are significant, Borenstein said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even if the wars were to end tomorrow, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/13/nx-s1-6000118/how-will-a-diesel-deal-with-russia-impact-the-u-s-market\">damage\u003c/a> done by missile and drone strikes to oil fields and refineries in Russia and the Middle East would take months to over a year to repair, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If I were a trucker, I would certainly not count on diesel prices getting back to pre-war levels any time in the next many months, possibly more than a year,” he said, referring to the start of the Iran war in late February 2026, when the state’s diesel prices were around $5 a gallon.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fuel prices in California are typically higher than the rest of the country due to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104393/california-democrats-hope-iran-war-flips-the-script-on-gas-prices\">number of factors\u003c/a>, namely taxes and the state’s emission reduction programs. The average price for a gallon of diesel in California is currently about $2 higher than the national average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/\">AAA\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/GettyImages-1396887368-scaled-e1792528283369.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11930567\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Close-up of a hydrogen fuel cell truck driving on a road. According to the California Air Resources Board, heavy-duty fossil-fuel trucks spew 70% of the state’s smog-forming gases and 80% of carcinogenic diesel pollutants. (Aranga87/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In August, the California Energy Commission approved a \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2026-08/cec-approves-95-million-plan-expand-zev-infrastructure\">$95 million plan\u003c/a> to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure across the state, including heavy-duty kinds for port and freight trucking. Gov. Gavin Newsom said this investment is partly aimed at “breaking Big Oil’s grip on Californians’ wallets.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Technology, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/margooge/2026/10/01/the-only-real-hedge-against-diesel-shock-is-an-electric-truck/?\">electric semi-trucks\u003c/a>, could help insulate truckers from volatility in the diesel market, but Gardner said those alternatives don’t yet have the infrastructure they need to be feasible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ You can put 1,000 electric trucks over here, but I don’t have any place to charge them,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For now, Bui has elected to only take short jobs, running loads between the port and nearby warehouses, to help minimize his exposure to high fuel costs. But he said it’s not a long-term solution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ The diesel is killing the business,” Bui said. “ I would give it until the end of this year. If not, then I’ll have to find something else to do.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>PCC works with approximately 85 licensed motor carriers (among 800 at the port) and owns 10 company trucks. The company relies heavily on the licensed motor carriers — as opposed to drivers employed by the company — to cut down on costs, such as leasing and purchasing trucks and paying for fuel and insurance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The company specializes in trucking meat and produce from the Central Valley to the Port of Oakland, where goods are loaded onto ships bound for Asia. This time of year, PCC distributes the Central Valley’s pomegranate and kiwi harvests, having wrapped up shipping honeydew melons out of the Fresno County city of Firebaugh, according to Steve Gardner, director of transportation for PCC.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the company’s independent truckers have become reluctant to make these long hauls because of high diesel prices, Gardner said. Diesel semi-trucks typically get around 7 miles to the gallon, he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ They don’t want go that far because it costs money. They’re upset, and rightfully so,” he said. “ They’re complaining a lot more, and at some point it’s going to boil over.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gardner said he’s surprised that there hasn’t been a work stoppage or a protest, and for now, there are truckers willing to take on the work, as PCC currently charges its customers a 45% fuel surcharge — most of which goes to its independent truckers to help pay for the increased diesel prices.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Martin Ramirez, 59, of Oakland, who works for PCC as a licensed motor carrier, has been trucking for 34 years. He said 20 years ago, for every $1,000 he earned, he’d take home $750, after paying for fuel and insurance. But recently, he said fuel and insurance take the lion’s share: He now takes home $450 for every $1,000 he earns.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Martin Ramirez, 59, of Oakland, who works for PCC as a licensed motor carrier, has been trucking for 34 years. He said 20 years ago, for every $1,000 he earned, he’d take home $750, after paying for fuel and insurance. But recently, he said fuel and insurance take the lion’s share: He now takes home $450 for every $1,000 he earns.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ We’re not saving any money like before,” Ramirez said. “We’re not taking any vacations or taking our kids on a trip. We’re just surviving.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The longer prices remain elevated, the less likely truckers will be able to absorb the financial losses, ultimately affecting the price and availability of everyday retail goods, said Severin Borenstein, a petroleum industry expert at UC Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ In the short run, truckers end up eating some of it, and retailers end up eating some of it. But gradually, over time, they can’t keep doing that, and you get less supply and the price goes up,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut.jpg\" alt=\"View of a freeway with cars and trucks.\" class=\"wp-image-11945323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Traffic on Interstate 880 toward Oakland jam-packed with cars and diesel trucks mid-afternoon on June 28, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joyce Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s especially true for goods like produce, which is heavy relative to its value, so the shipping costs are significant, Borenstein said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even if the wars were to end tomorrow, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/13/nx-s1-6000118/how-will-a-diesel-deal-with-russia-impact-the-u-s-market\">damage\u003c/a> done by missile and drone strikes to oil fields and refineries in Russia and the Middle East would take months to over a year to repair, he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even if the wars were to end tomorrow, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/13/nx-s1-6000118/how-will-a-diesel-deal-with-russia-impact-the-u-s-market\">damage\u003c/a> done by missile and drone strikes to oil fields and refineries in Russia and the Middle East would take months to over a year to repair, he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If I were a trucker, I would certainly not count on diesel prices getting back to pre-war levels any time in the next many months, possibly more than a year,” he said, referring to the start of the Iran war in late February 2026, when the state’s diesel prices were around $5 a gallon.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If I were a trucker, I would certainly not count on diesel prices getting back to pre-war levels any time in the next many months, possibly more than a year,” he said, referring to the start of the Iran war in late February 2026, when the state’s diesel prices were around $5 a gallon.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fuel prices in California are typically higher than the rest of the country due to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104393/california-democrats-hope-iran-war-flips-the-script-on-gas-prices\">number of factors\u003c/a>, namely taxes and the state’s emission reduction programs. The average price for a gallon of diesel in California is currently about $2 higher than the national average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/\">AAA\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Fuel prices in California are typically higher than the rest of the country due to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104393/california-democrats-hope-iran-war-flips-the-script-on-gas-prices\">number of factors\u003c/a>, namely taxes and the state’s emission reduction programs. The average price for a gallon of diesel in California is currently about $2 higher than the national average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/\">AAA\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In August, the California Energy Commission approved a \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2026-08/cec-approves-95-million-plan-expand-zev-infrastructure\">$95 million plan\u003c/a> to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure across the state, including heavy-duty kinds for port and freight trucking. Gov. Gavin Newsom said this investment is partly aimed at “breaking Big Oil’s grip on Californians’ wallets.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In August, the California Energy Commission approved a \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2026-08/cec-approves-95-million-plan-expand-zev-infrastructure\">$95 million plan\u003c/a> to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure across the state, including heavy-duty kinds for port and freight trucking. Gov. Gavin Newsom said this investment is partly aimed at “breaking Big Oil’s grip on Californians’ wallets.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Technology, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/margooge/2026/10/01/the-only-real-hedge-against-diesel-shock-is-an-electric-truck/?\">electric semi-trucks\u003c/a>, could help insulate truckers from volatility in the diesel market, but Gardner said those alternatives don’t yet have the infrastructure they need to be feasible.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ You can put 1,000 electric trucks over here, but I don’t have any place to charge them,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For now, Bui has elected to only take short jobs, running loads between the port and nearby warehouses, to help minimize his exposure to high fuel costs. But he said it’s not a long-term solution. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For now, Bui has elected to only take short jobs, running loads between the port and nearby warehouses, to help minimize his exposure to high fuel costs. But he said it’s not a long-term solution. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ The diesel is killing the business,” Bui said. “ I would give it until the end of this year. If not, then I’ll have to find something else to do.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ The diesel is killing the business,” Bui said. “ I would give it until the end of this year. If not, then I’ll have to find something else to do.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The average price for diesel in California has reached more than $8 per gallon for over a month, pushing some truckers to the edge. ",
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"title": "Port of Oakland Truck Drivers Say Record-High Diesel Prices Are ‘Killing the Business’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Danny Bui’s semi-truck, a 2015 Freightliner Cascadia, is stocked with the essentials: a bed, a microwave, a refrigerator and a hearty supply of instant noodles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These comforts keep the 49-year-old father of four going during long days driving as a licensed motor carrier — the industry term for an independent contractor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ I love the job. I love its independence. You want more money, you work hard,” Bui said in the expansive yard of PCC Logistics, the shipping company he works for at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/port-of-oakland\">Port of Oakland\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the past six years, Bui, who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam when he was 14, has relied on trucking to support his family in San José. But as the wars in Iran and Ukraine have driven diesel prices to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915463/record-setting-diesel-prices-put-pressure-on-bay-area-businesses-and-consumers\">record levels\u003c/a> — over $8 per gallon on average in California, up $3 more than a year ago — Bui and other truckers said they’re struggling to afford loan and insurance payments and meet the high costs of living in the Bay Area, from housing to groceries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bui said he pays double what he used to— around $1,400 — to fill up his 240-gallon tank. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260928-DIESELPRICES-NG-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260928-DIESELPRICES-NG-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260928-DIESELPRICES-NG-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260928-DIESELPRICES-NG-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trucks pull oversized loads into the Port of Oakland where the loads are checked by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Sept. 28, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ Before, you make money. Now, you try to cover the cost. That’s how it works now,” he said. “ We just live day by day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PCC works with approximately 85 licensed motor carriers (among 800 at the port) and owns 10 company trucks. The company relies heavily on the licensed motor carriers — as opposed to drivers employed by the company — to cut down on costs, such as leasing and purchasing trucks and paying for fuel and insurance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company specializes in trucking meat and produce from the Central Valley to the Port of Oakland, where goods are loaded onto ships bound for Asia. This time of year, PCC distributes the Central Valley’s pomegranate and kiwi harvests, having wrapped up shipping honeydew melons out of the Fresno County city of Firebaugh, according to Steve Gardner, director of transportation for PCC.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the company’s independent truckers have become reluctant to make these long hauls because of high diesel prices, Gardner said. Diesel semi-trucks typically get around 7 miles to the gallon, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ They don’t want go that far because it costs money. They’re upset, and rightfully so,” he said. “ They’re complaining a lot more, and at some point it’s going to boil over.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gardner said he’s surprised that there hasn’t been a work stoppage or a protest, and for now, there are truckers willing to take on the work, as PCC currently charges its customers a 45% fuel surcharge — most of which goes to its independent truckers to help pay for the increased diesel prices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martin Ramirez, 59, of Oakland, who works for PCC as a licensed motor carrier, has been trucking for 34 years. He said 20 years ago, for every $1,000 he earned, he’d take home $750, after paying for fuel and insurance. But recently, he said fuel and insurance take the lion’s share: He now takes home $450 for every $1,000 he earns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ We’re not saving any money like before,” Ramirez said. “We’re not taking any vacations or taking our kids on a trip. We’re just surviving.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The longer prices remain elevated, the less likely truckers will be able to absorb the financial losses, ultimately affecting the price and availability of everyday retail goods, said Severin Borenstein, a petroleum industry expert at UC Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ In the short run, truckers end up eating some of it, and retailers end up eating some of it. But gradually, over time, they can’t keep doing that, and you get less supply and the price goes up,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut.jpg\" alt=\"View of a freeway with cars and trucks.\" class=\"wp-image-11945323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS50203_IMG_6571-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Traffic on Interstate 880 toward Oakland jam-packed with cars and diesel trucks mid-afternoon on June 28, 2021. (Joyce Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s especially true for goods like produce, which is heavy relative to its value, so the shipping costs are significant, Borenstein said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even if the wars were to end tomorrow, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/13/nx-s1-6000118/how-will-a-diesel-deal-with-russia-impact-the-u-s-market\">damage\u003c/a> done by missile and drone strikes to oil fields and refineries in Russia and the Middle East would take months to over a year to repair, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If I were a trucker, I would certainly not count on diesel prices getting back to pre-war levels any time in the next many months, possibly more than a year,” he said, referring to the start of the Iran war in late February 2026, when the state’s diesel prices were around $5 a gallon.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fuel prices in California are typically higher than the rest of the country due to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104393/california-democrats-hope-iran-war-flips-the-script-on-gas-prices\">number of factors\u003c/a>, namely taxes and the state’s emission reduction programs. The average price for a gallon of diesel in California is currently about $2 higher than the national average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/\">AAA\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/GettyImages-1396887368-scaled-e1792528283369.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11930567\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Close-up of a hydrogen fuel cell truck driving on a road. According to the California Air Resources Board, heavy-duty fossil-fuel trucks spew 70% of the state’s smog-forming gases and 80% of carcinogenic diesel pollutants. (Aranga87/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In August, the California Energy Commission approved a \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2026-08/cec-approves-95-million-plan-expand-zev-infrastructure\">$95 million plan\u003c/a> to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure across the state, including heavy-duty kinds for port and freight trucking. Gov. Gavin Newsom said this investment is partly aimed at “breaking Big Oil’s grip on Californians’ wallets.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Technology, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/margooge/2026/10/01/the-only-real-hedge-against-diesel-shock-is-an-electric-truck/?\">electric semi-trucks\u003c/a>, could help insulate truckers from volatility in the diesel market, but Gardner said those alternatives don’t yet have the infrastructure they need to be feasible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ You can put 1,000 electric trucks over here, but I don’t have any place to charge them,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For now, Bui has elected to only take short jobs, running loads between the port and nearby warehouses, to help minimize his exposure to high fuel costs. But he said it’s not a long-term solution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ The diesel is killing the business,” Bui said. “ I would give it until the end of this year. If not, then I’ll have to find something else to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sheng-thao-on-trial",
"title": "The Federal Corruption Trial Against Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao",
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"headTitle": "The Federal Corruption Trial Against Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The federal corruption trial against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao kicked off this month. Thao and her three codefendants — Andre Jones, David Doung, and Andy Doung — are facing conspiracy and bribery charges. Prosecutors allege that the group engaged in a quid pro quo to advance the Doungs’ companies in exchange for money and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign. KQED’s Alex Hall joins us to break it all down.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall’s continuing coverage of the Sheng Thao trial\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Episode Transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This transcript is computer-generated. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:00:00]\u003c/em> I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao is on trial this month, nearly two years after she was indicted on federal corruption charges. Thao and three other defendants, including the head of Oakland’s recycling contractor, could go to prison if they’re found guilty of bribery and corruption charges, prosecutors alleged they engaged in a pay-to-play scheme when Thao ran for mayor in 2022. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:00:42]\u003c/em> You’ve got people who could testify in this trial who are either currently in Oakland City government or were in Oakland city government very recently. And I think it will just be interesting to see the kinds of things that they reveal when they’re on the stand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:00:59]\u003c/em> Today, Enterprise and Accountability reporter Alex Hall breaks down the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:01:20]\u003c/em> So before we dive into this trial in Oakland, I want to start actually a little further back with before Sheng Thao became this embattled former mayor at the center of this federal trial, she has this really compelling story of just how she sort of became this mayor of many firsts. Can you actually just remind us of that version of Shang Tao and why it was such a big deal when she was first elected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:01:50]\u003c/em> Yeah, so Tao was elected 2022 as mayor, and she was relatively young, 37 years old. She was the first Hmong American woman to be elected mayor of a major US city, so pretty big accomplishment. And she, like you said, had a pretty compelling story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>News Reel:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:10]\u003c/em> Through music and dance, Mayor Shang Tao was inaugurated as Oakland’s 51st mayor. The historic nature of Thao taking the oath of office has become a point of pride for many. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:21]\u003c/em> She talked about experiencing domestic violence, about how she had lived in her car with her infant son. She had gone to community college and transferred to UC Berkeley and started working as an intern in Oakland council member, Rebecca Kaplan’s office and eventually became her chief of staff. She ran for city council herself and won in 2018. And so, you know, she had this really interesting backstory and I think that the hope was that that experience would inform her policy priorities as mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Sheng Thao:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:57]\u003c/em> We believe our city deserves a government that serves all its people, not just a few, not just the wealthy, and not just well connected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:03:12]\u003c/em> I remember when she was elected, it was sort of like an example of just like this amazing, like really very Oakland story. But when did things start to really fall apart for Shang Tao after she was elected in 2022? And how did that all sort of lead us to where we are now with this trial?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:03:34]\u003c/em> Yeah, I mean, I think Thao definitely faced challenges from the get-go. There was this ransomware attack that the city had to deal with almost right away. City was dealing with public safety issues, issues with the city’s budget. So there were some problems that her administration inherited, but some of her decisions also were unpopular. Pretty soon after coming into office, Tao placed the city’s police chief at the time, LeRonne Armstrong, on administrative leave, and there was significant backlash in response to that. And in January 2024, her critics launched a recall campaign against her. And it wasn’t long after that, roughly six months, that the FBI executed search warrants at the home she shared with her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>News Reel:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:04:34]\u003c/em> Some breaking news coming into us tonight from the Bay Area with the FBI and other federal agencies raiding the Oakland Mayor’s home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:04:42]\u003c/em> So the FBI conducts these very public raids. Obviously, Thao is facing a ton of questions about what’s going on with this, and she’s also fighting a recall. So she’s holding events where she’s really fighting the recall, but also saying really publicly, I’m innocent, and I want to be crystal clear. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Sheng Thao:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:04]\u003c/em> I have done nothing wrong. I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:13]\u003c/em> And at this point, she hadn’t been charged with a crime, and it wasn’t really publicly known what the federal government was even interested in when it conducted those raids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:22]\u003c/em> Yeah, but it was so shocking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:24]\u003c/em> Yeah, yeah, there were a lot of questions, you know, even though obviously the FBI is not going to say publicly what they’re looking for. There were little hints here and there based on, you, know, the subpoenas to different entities, including the city of Oakland. We found out later that witnesses were being called to testify before a grand jury. And then in November, Tau did end up losing the recall. And she was indicted roughly two months later in January 2025. You know, it’s been almost two years since Tau was indicted, so we’ve been covering this case for quite some time, but only really through the court records. And the stakes are definitely high.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:06:06]\u003c/em> Let’s get into the basics of this trial, Alex. Who exactly is on trial aside from Sheng Thao and what exactly are they being accused of? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:06:16]\u003c/em> There are four defendants, including Thao. Andre Jones, Thao’s long-term partner. David Duong is the CEO of California Waste Solutions, which is Oakland’s curbside recycling provider. And Andy Duong previously worked for California Wastest Solutions and is his son. They’re essentially alleging a pay-to-play scheme. If you read the indictment, you see that the story that the prosecution is telling about what happened in this alleged scheme is that in the lead up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election when Thao was ultimately elected, the four agreed to a bribery scheme. You know, Tao was facing a pretty tight race, and the government says that she promised to, if she won, take steps that would benefit the Duong’s companies in exchange for money and negative campaign mailers targeting her opponents in that mayoral race. Actually, they specifically alleged that she promised to extend a California Waste Solutions contract and to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, which was this housing company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for the homeless that’s also really at the heart of this case. They also say that she agreed to appoint individuals to pretty high-level positions in Oakland City government who were either preferred by the Duongs or hand-picked by them. So, Thao, Jones, David, and Andy Duong are all facing conspiracy, bribery, honest services mail fraud, and honest services wire fraud charges. Andy Duong is additionally charged with making false statements to a government agency, essentially lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:08:31]\u003c/em> So we’re talking about what sound like pretty serious allegations about corruption within the city of Oakland, dating back to before Sheng Thao was even elected. What kind of evidence has come out so far? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:08:45]\u003c/em> Yeah, so prosecutors have described all types of evidence. Text messages, signal messages, financial records, toll records, audio and video recordings. There’s also a fifth person involved in this alleged scheme who isn’t actually charged in the indictment, but he’s a pretty big presence in the case, and that’s Mario Juarez. Juarez is an Oakland businessman, and he’s been described as a political operative, really active in Oakland city politics. So Juarez actually went into business with the Duangs on this business venture, Evolutionary Homes, around that time that the prosecutors say this alleged scheme started coming together. He has now pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme, and he is now a key cooperating witness for the government. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him that he recorded elected officials without their knowledge for use as potential leverage or potential blackmail later on. And we saw some of this supposed secret photos that were taken, including in opening statements.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:10:19]\u003c/em> We’re going to pause for a second, but to summarize, prosecutors allege Thao and the co-defendants agreed to a quid pro quo. They claim the CEO of Oakland’s waste management company, along with Mario Juarez, agreed to pay for campaign mailers to help Thao get elected mayor, and that the Duongs promised to pay TOW’s partner, Andre Jones. $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, according to the allegations, Thao promised to use her political power to advance the Duong’s business interests, to extend a contract for their waste management company, and buy container homes from another business venture. When we come back, how the defendants respond to the allegation and what to expect from the trial moving forward. We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:11:31]\u003c/em> Okay, Alex, so prosecutors are building this corruption case against Shane Tau and these co-defendants and they plan to present all this evidence, including pictures and videos. What do we know about how the defendants, including former Mayor Shane Taut, plan to fight this in court? Like, what have they said in response to these allegations? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:11:57]\u003c/em> Yeah, I mean, even before the defendants were indicted, Thao was saying publicly that she was innocent. Attorneys for both Thao and David Duong, when they were giving their opening statements, told the jury that basically their clients didn’t even know about the alleged scheme. Andy Duong’s attorney had this whole analogy about stars in the sky kind of being like facts and how the government might be trying to connect those stars as part of a constellation, But the story the government is telling isn’t true, that the dots don’t actually connect the way that they’re saying they do. So it’s like each individual team is kind of taking its own different approach. And defense attorneys have been really raising a lot of questions about Mario Juarez. What they’ve described as this decades-long history of fraud, I think it will be really interesting to see what they ask him about and how he responds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:12:59]\u003c/em> I mean, I want to talk about the potential outcomes of this trial, Alex. I mean are the people on trial here, including former Mayor Shang Tao, facing prison time? Or what could happen to them at the end of this trail?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:15]\u003c/em> If they are convicted, the defendants could face possible prison time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:21]\u003c/em> That alone is, I mean, really shocking that a former mayor of Oakland could go to prison. How long could this trial last, Alex?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:30]\u003c/em> The trial is expected to go until just before Thanksgiving. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has been really trying to move things along quickly, but it could go longer than expected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:45]\u003c/em> There are obviously very specific people at the center of this trial, but what implications could this trial you think have for Oakland beyond Sheng Thao? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:55]\u003c/em> You know, we don’t know what the outcome of this case is gonna be, but it will be really interesting to see how exactly it comes up during the trial, if at all, other allegations that Juarez has made about broader corruption in the city of Oakland that allegedly goes beyond this specific alleged scheme. You know, we don’t know how much of that is gonna come up during the trial, but the prosecution’s witness list includes multiple current and former elected officials and city staffers. It’s interesting that so many people who, you know, are intimately involved in the inner workings of Oakland government are either, you now, expected to be part of this trial or could otherwise be discussed. As part of the testimony in the trial, and I think that’s what makes it really interesting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:14:54]\u003c/em> Well, Alex Hall, thank you so much for breaking this down. I appreciate it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:14:57]\u003c/em> Yeah, thanks for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:00:00]\u003c/em> I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao is on trial this month, nearly two years after she was indicted on federal corruption charges. Thao and three other defendants, including the head of Oakland’s recycling contractor, could go to prison if they’re found guilty of bribery and corruption charges, prosecutors alleged they engaged in a pay-to-play scheme when Thao ran for mayor in 2022. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:00:00]\u003c/em> I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao is on trial this month, nearly two years after she was indicted on federal corruption charges. Thao and three other defendants, including the head of Oakland’s recycling contractor, could go to prison if they’re found guilty of bribery and corruption charges, prosecutors alleged they engaged in a pay-to-play scheme when Thao ran for mayor in 2022. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:00:42]\u003c/em> You’ve got people who could testify in this trial who are either currently in Oakland City government or were in Oakland city government very recently. And I think it will just be interesting to see the kinds of things that they reveal when they’re on the stand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:00:59]\u003c/em> Today, Enterprise and Accountability reporter Alex Hall breaks down the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:01:20]\u003c/em> So before we dive into this trial in Oakland, I want to start actually a little further back with before Sheng Thao became this embattled former mayor at the center of this federal trial, she has this really compelling story of just how she sort of became this mayor of many firsts. Can you actually just remind us of that version of Shang Tao and why it was such a big deal when she was first elected. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:01:20]\u003c/em> So before we dive into this trial in Oakland, I want to start actually a little further back with before Sheng Thao became this embattled former mayor at the center of this federal trial, she has this really compelling story of just how she sort of became this mayor of many firsts. Can you actually just remind us of that version of Shang Tao and why it was such a big deal when she was first elected. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:01:50]\u003c/em> Yeah, so Tao was elected 2022 as mayor, and she was relatively young, 37 years old. She was the first Hmong American woman to be elected mayor of a major US city, so pretty big accomplishment. And she, like you said, had a pretty compelling story. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>News Reel:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:10]\u003c/em> Through music and dance, Mayor Shang Tao was inaugurated as Oakland’s 51st mayor. The historic nature of Thao taking the oath of office has become a point of pride for many. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:21]\u003c/em> She talked about experiencing domestic violence, about how she had lived in her car with her infant son. She had gone to community college and transferred to UC Berkeley and started working as an intern in Oakland council member, Rebecca Kaplan’s office and eventually became her chief of staff. She ran for city council herself and won in 2018. And so, you know, she had this really interesting backstory and I think that the hope was that that experience would inform her policy priorities as mayor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:21]\u003c/em> She talked about experiencing domestic violence, about how she had lived in her car with her infant son. She had gone to community college and transferred to UC Berkeley and started working as an intern in Oakland council member, Rebecca Kaplan’s office and eventually became her chief of staff. She ran for city council herself and won in 2018. And so, you know, she had this really interesting backstory and I think that the hope was that that experience would inform her policy priorities as mayor. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sheng Thao:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:57]\u003c/em> We believe our city deserves a government that serves all its people, not just a few, not just the wealthy, and not just well connected. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sheng Thao:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:57]\u003c/em> We believe our city deserves a government that serves all its people, not just a few, not just the wealthy, and not just well connected. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:03:12]\u003c/em> I remember when she was elected, it was sort of like an example of just like this amazing, like really very Oakland story. But when did things start to really fall apart for Shang Tao after she was elected in 2022? And how did that all sort of lead us to where we are now with this trial?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:03:12]\u003c/em> I remember when she was elected, it was sort of like an example of just like this amazing, like really very Oakland story. But when did things start to really fall apart for Shang Tao after she was elected in 2022? And how did that all sort of lead us to where we are now with this trial?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:03:34]\u003c/em> Yeah, I mean, I think Thao definitely faced challenges from the get-go. There was this ransomware attack that the city had to deal with almost right away. City was dealing with public safety issues, issues with the city’s budget. So there were some problems that her administration inherited, but some of her decisions also were unpopular. Pretty soon after coming into office, Tao placed the city’s police chief at the time, LeRonne Armstrong, on administrative leave, and there was significant backlash in response to that. And in January 2024, her critics launched a recall campaign against her. And it wasn’t long after that, roughly six months, that the FBI executed search warrants at the home she shared with her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:03:34]\u003c/em> Yeah, I mean, I think Thao definitely faced challenges from the get-go. There was this ransomware attack that the city had to deal with almost right away. City was dealing with public safety issues, issues with the city’s budget. So there were some problems that her administration inherited, but some of her decisions also were unpopular. Pretty soon after coming into office, Tao placed the city’s police chief at the time, LeRonne Armstrong, on administrative leave, and there was significant backlash in response to that. And in January 2024, her critics launched a recall campaign against her. And it wasn’t long after that, roughly six months, that the FBI executed search warrants at the home she shared with her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>News Reel:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:04:34]\u003c/em> Some breaking news coming into us tonight from the Bay Area with the FBI and other federal agencies raiding the Oakland Mayor’s home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>News Reel:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:04:34]\u003c/em> Some breaking news coming into us tonight from the Bay Area with the FBI and other federal agencies raiding the Oakland Mayor’s home.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:04:42]\u003c/em> So the FBI conducts these very public raids. Obviously, Thao is facing a ton of questions about what’s going on with this, and she’s also fighting a recall. So she’s holding events where she’s really fighting the recall, but also saying really publicly, I’m innocent, and I want to be crystal clear. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:04:42]\u003c/em> So the FBI conducts these very public raids. Obviously, Thao is facing a ton of questions about what’s going on with this, and she’s also fighting a recall. So she’s holding events where she’s really fighting the recall, but also saying really publicly, I’m innocent, and I want to be crystal clear. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sheng Thao:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:04]\u003c/em> I have done nothing wrong. I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sheng Thao:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:04]\u003c/em> I have done nothing wrong. I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:13]\u003c/em> And at this point, she hadn’t been charged with a crime, and it wasn’t really publicly known what the federal government was even interested in when it conducted those raids. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:13]\u003c/em> And at this point, she hadn’t been charged with a crime, and it wasn’t really publicly known what the federal government was even interested in when it conducted those raids. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:22]\u003c/em> Yeah, but it was so shocking. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:22]\u003c/em> Yeah, but it was so shocking. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:24]\u003c/em> Yeah, yeah, there were a lot of questions, you know, even though obviously the FBI is not going to say publicly what they’re looking for. There were little hints here and there based on, you, know, the subpoenas to different entities, including the city of Oakland. We found out later that witnesses were being called to testify before a grand jury. And then in November, Tau did end up losing the recall. And she was indicted roughly two months later in January 2025. You know, it’s been almost two years since Tau was indicted, so we’ve been covering this case for quite some time, but only really through the court records. And the stakes are definitely high.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:24]\u003c/em> Yeah, yeah, there were a lot of questions, you know, even though obviously the FBI is not going to say publicly what they’re looking for. There were little hints here and there based on, you, know, the subpoenas to different entities, including the city of Oakland. We found out later that witnesses were being called to testify before a grand jury. And then in November, Tau did end up losing the recall. And she was indicted roughly two months later in January 2025. You know, it’s been almost two years since Tau was indicted, so we’ve been covering this case for quite some time, but only really through the court records. And the stakes are definitely high.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:06:06]\u003c/em> Let’s get into the basics of this trial, Alex. Who exactly is on trial aside from Sheng Thao and what exactly are they being accused of? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:06:06]\u003c/em> Let’s get into the basics of this trial, Alex. Who exactly is on trial aside from Sheng Thao and what exactly are they being accused of? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:06:16]\u003c/em> There are four defendants, including Thao. Andre Jones, Thao’s long-term partner. David Duong is the CEO of California Waste Solutions, which is Oakland’s curbside recycling provider. And Andy Duong previously worked for California Wastest Solutions and is his son. They’re essentially alleging a pay-to-play scheme. If you read the indictment, you see that the story that the prosecution is telling about what happened in this alleged scheme is that in the lead up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election when Thao was ultimately elected, the four agreed to a bribery scheme. You know, Tao was facing a pretty tight race, and the government says that she promised to, if she won, take steps that would benefit the Duong’s companies in exchange for money and negative campaign mailers targeting her opponents in that mayoral race. Actually, they specifically alleged that she promised to extend a California Waste Solutions contract and to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, which was this housing company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for the homeless that’s also really at the heart of this case. They also say that she agreed to appoint individuals to pretty high-level positions in Oakland City government who were either preferred by the Duongs or hand-picked by them. So, Thao, Jones, David, and Andy Duong are all facing conspiracy, bribery, honest services mail fraud, and honest services wire fraud charges. Andy Duong is additionally charged with making false statements to a government agency, essentially lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:06:16]\u003c/em> There are four defendants, including Thao. Andre Jones, Thao’s long-term partner. David Duong is the CEO of California Waste Solutions, which is Oakland’s curbside recycling provider. And Andy Duong previously worked for California Wastest Solutions and is his son. They’re essentially alleging a pay-to-play scheme. If you read the indictment, you see that the story that the prosecution is telling about what happened in this alleged scheme is that in the lead up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election when Thao was ultimately elected, the four agreed to a bribery scheme. You know, Tao was facing a pretty tight race, and the government says that she promised to, if she won, take steps that would benefit the Duong’s companies in exchange for money and negative campaign mailers targeting her opponents in that mayoral race. Actually, they specifically alleged that she promised to extend a California Waste Solutions contract and to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, which was this housing company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for the homeless that’s also really at the heart of this case. They also say that she agreed to appoint individuals to pretty high-level positions in Oakland City government who were either preferred by the Duongs or hand-picked by them. So, Thao, Jones, David, and Andy Duong are all facing conspiracy, bribery, honest services mail fraud, and honest services wire fraud charges. Andy Duong is additionally charged with making false statements to a government agency, essentially lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:08:31]\u003c/em> So we’re talking about what sound like pretty serious allegations about corruption within the city of Oakland, dating back to before Sheng Thao was even elected. What kind of evidence has come out so far? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:08:31]\u003c/em> So we’re talking about what sound like pretty serious allegations about corruption within the city of Oakland, dating back to before Sheng Thao was even elected. What kind of evidence has come out so far? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:08:45]\u003c/em> Yeah, so prosecutors have described all types of evidence. Text messages, signal messages, financial records, toll records, audio and video recordings. There’s also a fifth person involved in this alleged scheme who isn’t actually charged in the indictment, but he’s a pretty big presence in the case, and that’s Mario Juarez. Juarez is an Oakland businessman, and he’s been described as a political operative, really active in Oakland city politics. So Juarez actually went into business with the Duangs on this business venture, Evolutionary Homes, around that time that the prosecutors say this alleged scheme started coming together. He has now pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme, and he is now a key cooperating witness for the government. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him that he recorded elected officials without their knowledge for use as potential leverage or potential blackmail later on. And we saw some of this supposed secret photos that were taken, including in opening statements.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:08:45]\u003c/em> Yeah, so prosecutors have described all types of evidence. Text messages, signal messages, financial records, toll records, audio and video recordings. There’s also a fifth person involved in this alleged scheme who isn’t actually charged in the indictment, but he’s a pretty big presence in the case, and that’s Mario Juarez. Juarez is an Oakland businessman, and he’s been described as a political operative, really active in Oakland city politics. So Juarez actually went into business with the Duangs on this business venture, Evolutionary Homes, around that time that the prosecutors say this alleged scheme started coming together. He has now pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme, and he is now a key cooperating witness for the government. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him that he recorded elected officials without their knowledge for use as potential leverage or potential blackmail later on. And we saw some of this supposed secret photos that were taken, including in opening statements.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:10:19]\u003c/em> We’re going to pause for a second, but to summarize, prosecutors allege Thao and the co-defendants agreed to a quid pro quo. They claim the CEO of Oakland’s waste management company, along with Mario Juarez, agreed to pay for campaign mailers to help Thao get elected mayor, and that the Duongs promised to pay TOW’s partner, Andre Jones. $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, according to the allegations, Thao promised to use her political power to advance the Duong’s business interests, to extend a contract for their waste management company, and buy container homes from another business venture. When we come back, how the defendants respond to the allegation and what to expect from the trial moving forward. We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:10:19]\u003c/em> We’re going to pause for a second, but to summarize, prosecutors allege Thao and the co-defendants agreed to a quid pro quo. They claim the CEO of Oakland’s waste management company, along with Mario Juarez, agreed to pay for campaign mailers to help Thao get elected mayor, and that the Duongs promised to pay TOW’s partner, Andre Jones. $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, according to the allegations, Thao promised to use her political power to advance the Duong’s business interests, to extend a contract for their waste management company, and buy container homes from another business venture. When we come back, how the defendants respond to the allegation and what to expect from the trial moving forward. We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:11:31]\u003c/em> Okay, Alex, so prosecutors are building this corruption case against Shane Tau and these co-defendants and they plan to present all this evidence, including pictures and videos. What do we know about how the defendants, including former Mayor Shane Taut, plan to fight this in court? Like, what have they said in response to these allegations? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:11:31]\u003c/em> Okay, Alex, so prosecutors are building this corruption case against Shane Tau and these co-defendants and they plan to present all this evidence, including pictures and videos. What do we know about how the defendants, including former Mayor Shane Taut, plan to fight this in court? Like, what have they said in response to these allegations? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:11:57]\u003c/em> Yeah, I mean, even before the defendants were indicted, Thao was saying publicly that she was innocent. Attorneys for both Thao and David Duong, when they were giving their opening statements, told the jury that basically their clients didn’t even know about the alleged scheme. Andy Duong’s attorney had this whole analogy about stars in the sky kind of being like facts and how the government might be trying to connect those stars as part of a constellation, But the story the government is telling isn’t true, that the dots don’t actually connect the way that they’re saying they do. So it’s like each individual team is kind of taking its own different approach. And defense attorneys have been really raising a lot of questions about Mario Juarez. What they’ve described as this decades-long history of fraud, I think it will be really interesting to see what they ask him about and how he responds. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:11:57]\u003c/em> Yeah, I mean, even before the defendants were indicted, Thao was saying publicly that she was innocent. Attorneys for both Thao and David Duong, when they were giving their opening statements, told the jury that basically their clients didn’t even know about the alleged scheme. Andy Duong’s attorney had this whole analogy about stars in the sky kind of being like facts and how the government might be trying to connect those stars as part of a constellation, But the story the government is telling isn’t true, that the dots don’t actually connect the way that they’re saying they do. So it’s like each individual team is kind of taking its own different approach. And defense attorneys have been really raising a lot of questions about Mario Juarez. What they’ve described as this decades-long history of fraud, I think it will be really interesting to see what they ask him about and how he responds. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:12:59]\u003c/em> I mean, I want to talk about the potential outcomes of this trial, Alex. I mean are the people on trial here, including former Mayor Shang Tao, facing prison time? Or what could happen to them at the end of this trail?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:12:59]\u003c/em> I mean, I want to talk about the potential outcomes of this trial, Alex. I mean are the people on trial here, including former Mayor Shang Tao, facing prison time? Or what could happen to them at the end of this trail?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:15]\u003c/em> If they are convicted, the defendants could face possible prison time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:15]\u003c/em> If they are convicted, the defendants could face possible prison time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:21]\u003c/em> That alone is, I mean, really shocking that a former mayor of Oakland could go to prison. How long could this trial last, Alex?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:21]\u003c/em> That alone is, I mean, really shocking that a former mayor of Oakland could go to prison. How long could this trial last, Alex?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:30]\u003c/em> The trial is expected to go until just before Thanksgiving. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has been really trying to move things along quickly, but it could go longer than expected. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:30]\u003c/em> The trial is expected to go until just before Thanksgiving. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has been really trying to move things along quickly, but it could go longer than expected. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:45]\u003c/em> There are obviously very specific people at the center of this trial, but what implications could this trial you think have for Oakland beyond Sheng Thao? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:45]\u003c/em> There are obviously very specific people at the center of this trial, but what implications could this trial you think have for Oakland beyond Sheng Thao? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:55]\u003c/em> You know, we don’t know what the outcome of this case is gonna be, but it will be really interesting to see how exactly it comes up during the trial, if at all, other allegations that Juarez has made about broader corruption in the city of Oakland that allegedly goes beyond this specific alleged scheme. You know, we don’t know how much of that is gonna come up during the trial, but the prosecution’s witness list includes multiple current and former elected officials and city staffers. It’s interesting that so many people who, you know, are intimately involved in the inner workings of Oakland government are either, you now, expected to be part of this trial or could otherwise be discussed. As part of the testimony in the trial, and I think that’s what makes it really interesting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:55]\u003c/em> You know, we don’t know what the outcome of this case is gonna be, but it will be really interesting to see how exactly it comes up during the trial, if at all, other allegations that Juarez has made about broader corruption in the city of Oakland that allegedly goes beyond this specific alleged scheme. You know, we don’t know how much of that is gonna come up during the trial, but the prosecution’s witness list includes multiple current and former elected officials and city staffers. It’s interesting that so many people who, you know, are intimately involved in the inner workings of Oakland government are either, you now, expected to be part of this trial or could otherwise be discussed. As part of the testimony in the trial, and I think that’s what makes it really interesting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:14:54]\u003c/em> Well, Alex Hall, thank you so much for breaking this down. I appreciate it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:14:54]\u003c/em> Well, Alex Hall, thank you so much for breaking this down. I appreciate it. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:14:57]\u003c/em> Yeah, thanks for having me.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:14:57]\u003c/em> Yeah, thanks for having me.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Last week, opening statements began in the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The federal corruption trial against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao kicked off this month. Thao and her three codefendants — Andre Jones, David Doung, and Andy Doung — are facing conspiracy and bribery charges. Prosecutors allege that the group engaged in a quid pro quo to advance the Doungs’ companies in exchange for money and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign. KQED’s Alex Hall joins us to break it all down.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall’s continuing coverage of the Sheng Thao trial\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Episode Transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This transcript is computer-generated. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:00:00]\u003c/em> I’m Ericka Cruz Guevara and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao is on trial this month, nearly two years after she was indicted on federal corruption charges. Thao and three other defendants, including the head of Oakland’s recycling contractor, could go to prison if they’re found guilty of bribery and corruption charges, prosecutors alleged they engaged in a pay-to-play scheme when Thao ran for mayor in 2022. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:00:42]\u003c/em> You’ve got people who could testify in this trial who are either currently in Oakland City government or were in Oakland city government very recently. And I think it will just be interesting to see the kinds of things that they reveal when they’re on the stand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:00:59]\u003c/em> Today, Enterprise and Accountability reporter Alex Hall breaks down the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:01:20]\u003c/em> So before we dive into this trial in Oakland, I want to start actually a little further back with before Sheng Thao became this embattled former mayor at the center of this federal trial, she has this really compelling story of just how she sort of became this mayor of many firsts. Can you actually just remind us of that version of Shang Tao and why it was such a big deal when she was first elected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:01:50]\u003c/em> Yeah, so Tao was elected 2022 as mayor, and she was relatively young, 37 years old. She was the first Hmong American woman to be elected mayor of a major US city, so pretty big accomplishment. And she, like you said, had a pretty compelling story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>News Reel:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:10]\u003c/em> Through music and dance, Mayor Shang Tao was inaugurated as Oakland’s 51st mayor. The historic nature of Thao taking the oath of office has become a point of pride for many. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:21]\u003c/em> She talked about experiencing domestic violence, about how she had lived in her car with her infant son. She had gone to community college and transferred to UC Berkeley and started working as an intern in Oakland council member, Rebecca Kaplan’s office and eventually became her chief of staff. She ran for city council herself and won in 2018. And so, you know, she had this really interesting backstory and I think that the hope was that that experience would inform her policy priorities as mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Sheng Thao:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:02:57]\u003c/em> We believe our city deserves a government that serves all its people, not just a few, not just the wealthy, and not just well connected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:03:12]\u003c/em> I remember when she was elected, it was sort of like an example of just like this amazing, like really very Oakland story. But when did things start to really fall apart for Shang Tao after she was elected in 2022? And how did that all sort of lead us to where we are now with this trial?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:03:34]\u003c/em> Yeah, I mean, I think Thao definitely faced challenges from the get-go. There was this ransomware attack that the city had to deal with almost right away. City was dealing with public safety issues, issues with the city’s budget. So there were some problems that her administration inherited, but some of her decisions also were unpopular. Pretty soon after coming into office, Tao placed the city’s police chief at the time, LeRonne Armstrong, on administrative leave, and there was significant backlash in response to that. And in January 2024, her critics launched a recall campaign against her. And it wasn’t long after that, roughly six months, that the FBI executed search warrants at the home she shared with her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>News Reel:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:04:34]\u003c/em> Some breaking news coming into us tonight from the Bay Area with the FBI and other federal agencies raiding the Oakland Mayor’s home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:04:42]\u003c/em> So the FBI conducts these very public raids. Obviously, Thao is facing a ton of questions about what’s going on with this, and she’s also fighting a recall. So she’s holding events where she’s really fighting the recall, but also saying really publicly, I’m innocent, and I want to be crystal clear. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Sheng Thao:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:04]\u003c/em> I have done nothing wrong. I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:13]\u003c/em> And at this point, she hadn’t been charged with a crime, and it wasn’t really publicly known what the federal government was even interested in when it conducted those raids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:22]\u003c/em> Yeah, but it was so shocking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:05:24]\u003c/em> Yeah, yeah, there were a lot of questions, you know, even though obviously the FBI is not going to say publicly what they’re looking for. There were little hints here and there based on, you, know, the subpoenas to different entities, including the city of Oakland. We found out later that witnesses were being called to testify before a grand jury. And then in November, Tau did end up losing the recall. And she was indicted roughly two months later in January 2025. You know, it’s been almost two years since Tau was indicted, so we’ve been covering this case for quite some time, but only really through the court records. And the stakes are definitely high.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:06:06]\u003c/em> Let’s get into the basics of this trial, Alex. Who exactly is on trial aside from Sheng Thao and what exactly are they being accused of? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:06:16]\u003c/em> There are four defendants, including Thao. Andre Jones, Thao’s long-term partner. David Duong is the CEO of California Waste Solutions, which is Oakland’s curbside recycling provider. And Andy Duong previously worked for California Wastest Solutions and is his son. They’re essentially alleging a pay-to-play scheme. If you read the indictment, you see that the story that the prosecution is telling about what happened in this alleged scheme is that in the lead up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election when Thao was ultimately elected, the four agreed to a bribery scheme. You know, Tao was facing a pretty tight race, and the government says that she promised to, if she won, take steps that would benefit the Duong’s companies in exchange for money and negative campaign mailers targeting her opponents in that mayoral race. Actually, they specifically alleged that she promised to extend a California Waste Solutions contract and to commit the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, which was this housing company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for the homeless that’s also really at the heart of this case. They also say that she agreed to appoint individuals to pretty high-level positions in Oakland City government who were either preferred by the Duongs or hand-picked by them. So, Thao, Jones, David, and Andy Duong are all facing conspiracy, bribery, honest services mail fraud, and honest services wire fraud charges. Andy Duong is additionally charged with making false statements to a government agency, essentially lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:08:31]\u003c/em> So we’re talking about what sound like pretty serious allegations about corruption within the city of Oakland, dating back to before Sheng Thao was even elected. What kind of evidence has come out so far? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:08:45]\u003c/em> Yeah, so prosecutors have described all types of evidence. Text messages, signal messages, financial records, toll records, audio and video recordings. There’s also a fifth person involved in this alleged scheme who isn’t actually charged in the indictment, but he’s a pretty big presence in the case, and that’s Mario Juarez. Juarez is an Oakland businessman, and he’s been described as a political operative, really active in Oakland city politics. So Juarez actually went into business with the Duangs on this business venture, Evolutionary Homes, around that time that the prosecutors say this alleged scheme started coming together. He has now pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme, and he is now a key cooperating witness for the government. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him that he recorded elected officials without their knowledge for use as potential leverage or potential blackmail later on. And we saw some of this supposed secret photos that were taken, including in opening statements.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:10:19]\u003c/em> We’re going to pause for a second, but to summarize, prosecutors allege Thao and the co-defendants agreed to a quid pro quo. They claim the CEO of Oakland’s waste management company, along with Mario Juarez, agreed to pay for campaign mailers to help Thao get elected mayor, and that the Duongs promised to pay TOW’s partner, Andre Jones. $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, according to the allegations, Thao promised to use her political power to advance the Duong’s business interests, to extend a contract for their waste management company, and buy container homes from another business venture. When we come back, how the defendants respond to the allegation and what to expect from the trial moving forward. We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:11:31]\u003c/em> Okay, Alex, so prosecutors are building this corruption case against Shane Tau and these co-defendants and they plan to present all this evidence, including pictures and videos. What do we know about how the defendants, including former Mayor Shane Taut, plan to fight this in court? Like, what have they said in response to these allegations? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:11:57]\u003c/em> Yeah, I mean, even before the defendants were indicted, Thao was saying publicly that she was innocent. Attorneys for both Thao and David Duong, when they were giving their opening statements, told the jury that basically their clients didn’t even know about the alleged scheme. Andy Duong’s attorney had this whole analogy about stars in the sky kind of being like facts and how the government might be trying to connect those stars as part of a constellation, But the story the government is telling isn’t true, that the dots don’t actually connect the way that they’re saying they do. So it’s like each individual team is kind of taking its own different approach. And defense attorneys have been really raising a lot of questions about Mario Juarez. What they’ve described as this decades-long history of fraud, I think it will be really interesting to see what they ask him about and how he responds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:12:59]\u003c/em> I mean, I want to talk about the potential outcomes of this trial, Alex. I mean are the people on trial here, including former Mayor Shang Tao, facing prison time? Or what could happen to them at the end of this trail?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:15]\u003c/em> If they are convicted, the defendants could face possible prison time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:21]\u003c/em> That alone is, I mean, really shocking that a former mayor of Oakland could go to prison. How long could this trial last, Alex?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:30]\u003c/em> The trial is expected to go until just before Thanksgiving. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has been really trying to move things along quickly, but it could go longer than expected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:45]\u003c/em> There are obviously very specific people at the center of this trial, but what implications could this trial you think have for Oakland beyond Sheng Thao? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Alex Hall:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:13:55]\u003c/em> You know, we don’t know what the outcome of this case is gonna be, but it will be really interesting to see how exactly it comes up during the trial, if at all, other allegations that Juarez has made about broader corruption in the city of Oakland that allegedly goes beyond this specific alleged scheme. You know, we don’t know how much of that is gonna come up during the trial, but the prosecution’s witness list includes multiple current and former elected officials and city staffers. It’s interesting that so many people who, you know, are intimately involved in the inner workings of Oakland government are either, you now, expected to be part of this trial or could otherwise be discussed. As part of the testimony in the trial, and I think that’s what makes it really interesting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:14:54]\u003c/em> Well, Alex Hall, thank you so much for breaking this down. I appreciate it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>[00:14:57]\u003c/em> Yeah, thanks for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "According to an FBI investigator, an unpaid bill for negative campaign mailers and a tip from a citizen commission helped launch the federal investigation into former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her three codefendants over allegations of bribery, corruption and fraud. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "One Key To California's Climate Goals? How We Cook",
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"headTitle": "One Key To California’s Climate Goals? How We Cook | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The vast majority of commercial kitchens in California — some 85% — rely on gas to power their appliances. But scientists say that will have to change if the state hopes to reach its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Bay Area food franchise Flour + Water is one of many local shops leading the charge away from gas appliances. In today’s episode, KQED reporter Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman visits an electric pizza kitchen to help us understand the benefits of electrification and what’s preventing more kitchens from making the switch. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2002089/heres-what-all-electric-bay-area-restaurants-have-learned-from-ditching-gas\">Here’s What All-Electric Bay Area Restaurants Have Learned From Ditching Gas\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Episode Transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This transcript is computer-generated. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Many think of California as a leader when it comes to fighting climate change. We’ve got this ambitious goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. But there are a lot of things that get in the way of that. Like our reliance on cars and perhaps one less obvious reason, how we cook. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:32] \u003c/em>As long as there are stoves with a gas pipe leading to them, we’re going to keep burning gas in this state. And restaurants are this very entrenched use of natural gas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:47] \u003c/em>85% of California restaurants use gas to power their appliances. And it turns out, electrifying restaurant kitchens could actually play a pretty big role in getting us closer to our climate goals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:04] \u003c/em>We know that the pollution that’s created by burning fossil fuels is harmful and there’s no reason to do that now when cleaner, better technologies are available. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:14] \u003c/em>Today, the benefits of electrifying California’s restaurants and what it’s gonna take to get more of them on board. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>You know, we think of California as like this leader in climate change, right? We have more efficient fuel for our cars. We invest in transit and carpooling and all this stuff. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:39] \u003c/em>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman is a reporter for KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:44] \u003c/em>Buildings, and then restaurants in particular, are this one place where we’re really behind. Buildings are responsible for about a quarter of all of California’s greenhouse gas emissions and restaurants in our state use gas at a much higher rate than other states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandy Seals: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:03] \u003c/em>This is a sleeper issue. A lot of people don’t realize it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:07] \u003c/em>Brandy Seals is the Director of the Electrification for Health program at Stanford University. And they’re really looking at benefits of electrifying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandy Seals: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:18] \u003c/em>So when you look at commercial spaces, kitchens, and food service, they have about five times the energy usage of a standard office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:28] \u003c/em>She says that commercial kitchens really like punch above their weight. Because restaurants use gas, they’re also sort of cementing this demand for gas. So she says that if we’re gonna really address this issue of climate change, we need to start looking at buildings and specifically restaurants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:48] \u003c/em>So it sounds like commercial kitchens are maybe an untapped space for electrification that I’m definitely not thinking about. But what are the barriers to actually making it happen and also making it more common? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:03] \u003c/em>Well, I think like, first off, just put yourself in the shoes of a restaurant owner, right? Restaurants run on extremely thin margins. You know, there’s a lot of turnover, like, you know, most restaurants don’t even make it a year, right. And in order to switch to electricity, that’s a big investment, right, most restaurants are going to come with gas hookups for your appliances. But in order to switch electric, you gotta get a new panel, you got to pay for new electric service. You gotta buy these appliances. Electricity, not cheap in California. I mean, we have the most expensive electricity in the Continental 48. There’s also not as much of a demand in the market. So it’s just kind of like this small niche thing that’s growing that is kind of still waiting to see its moment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:59] \u003c/em>So you visited a restaurant that actually went electric. Who did you meet and what did they say about the practical barriers that they faced? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:11] \u003c/em>Can we do a little tour? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:12] \u003c/em>Yeah, of course. So our pantry section or garmagé. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:16] \u003c/em>So I went to Flower and Water. They have a pizza shop in Oakland, but they’re part of this restaurant group. They’ve essentially committed to making all of their future restaurants electric.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:29] \u003c/em>Machines, slushies, burners, fryers, everything here runs on electric.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:35] \u003c/em>I talked to their CEO, Thomas McNaughton. He said basically, when you said like electric oven to him like 10 years ago, he was like, he thought of like an Easy Bake Oven, you know, like a toy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:45] \u003c/em>And I didn’t realize how evolved the technology really is. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:49] \u003c/em>But he said that changed around six years ago. He started seeing these electric ovens that were like really powerful. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:56] \u003c/em>And that kind of introduced us to the idea, saying, like, if this oven is so powerful, couldn’t we build our entire operation around electricity?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:07] \u003c/em>He said that sustainability is like a really important value of theirs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:11] \u003c/em>Sustainability for us is not just where we buy our seafood from. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:19] \u003c/em>In terms of like the challenges that he faced, he said that whether or not a space has the ability to like accommodate the electrical load that like an electric kitchen requires is a limiting factor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:36] \u003c/em>A lot of older properties we’re not able to look at. And so that’s one that can feel somewhat constricting at times. Problem solving is one of the most fascinating parts of the job of a chef or a restaurateur. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:51] \u003c/em>And that sounds kind of expensive, maybe? What was that process like?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:55] \u003c/em>What McNaughton said is that in general to buy electric appliances is a little more expensive than gas ones, to run them is more expensive. They spend about $8,000 a month at their Oakland location on electricity, which is like 34 times higher than the average household in California. Oh my goodness. So it’s a considerable load. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:16] \u003c/em>That’s a lot of money every month, Azul, for electricity. I mean, what makes it worth it for him? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:22] \u003c/em>Well, I think on one hand, you know, he said sustainability is like a big part of their business So there is value in sort of like a non numerical thing for them I think now it’s sort of liked baked in no pun intended into their business, right? Like they are an electric Restaurant and it’s part of like kind of the identity of their pizza \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:46] \u003c/em>And really, these electric ovens, I think, really are creating this kind of new wave of pizza making because they’re so powerful, because you can toggle both deck top and bottom heat. It actually, we can incorporate a fair amount of char, like a Neapolitan pizza, but actually slow down the bake time. And that incorporates a lot more texture into our high-hydration dough that, to me, is incredibly craveable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:16] \u003c/em>Did you taste it?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:17] \u003c/em>I did. yeah, I mean flower waters. It’s good pizza. I don’t think that’s a controversial take McNaughton’s like a finalist for like the James Beard Awards before so \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:29] \u003c/em>Yeah, they’re doing pretty well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:31] \u003c/em>Yeah. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:32] \u003c/em>So my name’s Azul, I’m a reporter at KQED. Did you know that flour and water was all electric? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:38] \u003c/em>I did not know that they were all electric. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:59] \u003c/em>We’re gonna take a quick break, but when we come back, the health case for electric kitchens. By the way, if you appreciate the local deep dives that we bring you here on the Bay, consider becoming a sustaining KQED member. We can’t do this work without you. Just go to donate.kqed.org slash podcasts. We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:27] \u003c/em>I guess aside from the broader ecological benefits of going electric, what do experts say about the other benefits for restaurants going electric? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:38] \u003c/em>Just to like put a number on it, there’s a new study that actually came out this month that found that 70% of gas burning kitchens, so these are commercial kitchens that were studied, exceeded the recommended limits for nitrogen dioxide that’s like federal health standards. They also found, you know, like elevated levels of carbon dioxide, benzene, carbon monoxide. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:04] \u003c/em>You would never stand over the tailpipe of your car breathing in those pollutants, and yet people stand over a stove breathing the same pollutants day after day, meal after meal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:13] \u003c/em>I talked to Rob Jackson, he’s an environmental scientist at Stanford University, and he talked about this. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:18] \u003c/em>We know that the pollution that’s created by burning fossil fuels is harmful, and there’s no reason to do that now when cleaner, better technologies are available. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:28] \u003c/em>And then imagine if you’re a chef in a kitchen, you’re standing over that burner for eight hours a day. And I talked to some of the chefs, they said like, it’s less greasy, you have a little bit more control. Like one thing they said about induction is like, you’ll never have a pot of cream boil over because with an induction cooktop, you can just like set it at a number and it’ll just stay there. Whereas with like flame, the heat transfer, things just get hotter and hotter. There is like some push back against cooking with induction or electric. A lot of chefs, you know, have hesitation around changing their cooking practices. The California Restaurant Association, which is this trade association group for the California restaurant industry, in a commercial from 2019, they said like, what about like searing meat or charring vegetables? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:23] \u003c/em>Or cooking food in a wok over high intensity heat. All of that would go away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:28] \u003c/em>Some of that could be due to the fact that induction is still catching up to where it needs to be in terms of technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:36] \u003c/em>Try doing three or 400 covers a night on an electric stove. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:42] \u003c/em>How you cook is very personal. There’s cultural practices, there’s how you learned in cooking school, all these things that go into it. So, while McNaughton promotes this move that he’s made very heavily, a lot of people have doubts about it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:56] \u003c/em>Have there been any efforts at the local and statewide level to push more commercial kitchens to make this change?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:04] \u003c/em>There’s been like a specific push for commercial kitchens and there’s been a broader push just to get gas out of all buildings. So you can go back to like 2019 in Berkeley. Berkeley passed a ban on natural gas in new construction. And the city of Berkeley is leading the charge with the law that covers new construction. That got a lot of pushback from the California restaurant association that successfully defeated the, the band in the courts by arguing basically like Berkeley was overstepping its bounds. They were trying to regulate the efficiency of things when that’s the remit of the title. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Newscaster: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:40] \u003c/em>New at 10 tonight, the City of Berkeley lost its latest legal battle. Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied Berkeley’s petition for the court to rehear the case after the ban was ruled illegal last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:53] \u003c/em>There’s also efforts at the state level to incentivize kitchens specifically to go all electric. There’s rebates available through California utilities like PG&E for commercial kitchens to buy appliances. There’s these Chef Fluencers that is run by this group called the Building Decarbonization Coalition. And their jobs are basically to like preach the good word of induction and encourage people to adopt it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:22] \u003c/em>Yeah, there’s the practical piece of it of just making it easier, lowering the barriers for restaurants to get access to these things. But also there’s this norms piece of like really trying to get people in the restaurant industry to, I guess, see this as a thing that they could do that wouldn’t impact their food quality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:46] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, you know, when most people think of electric cooking, they think of those like janky electric coil stoves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:52] \u003c/em>Oh yeah, me too. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:53] \u003c/em>But like that’s not what this is. This is like the technology has come a long way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:58] \u003c/em>I think that there’s some misconceptions about it. Oh my goodness, it’s not gonna achieve the same quality. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:06] \u003c/em>I spoke to Katie Chin. She’s a chef fluencer and a caterer based in Southern California. And she’s had her own journey with induction. Like when she first used it, she was like, oh no, like, you know, I’m a cater, I’m professional caterer. Like I gotta cook. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:22] \u003c/em>I had never cooked on one and it scared me. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:25] \u003c/em>She told me this story about being stuck in Southern California traffic on the way to a catering gig and actually being thankful that there was induction at her client’s house.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:36] \u003c/em>Seeing is believing. So I was able to boil the water for, you know, 600 dumplings in a fraction of the time it would have taken for me to use a gas stove and heat up all that water. \u003cem>[00:13:45]\u003c/em>\u003cem>[9.1]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:46] \u003c/em>She really says that people should try to keep an open mind.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:52] \u003c/em>And a lot of people associate like, well, how can you, how can get those great stir fries if you’re not like, you know how people flip the wok like this? I think the main stereotype is that, oh, it’s not gonna get hot enough. And I see no difference at all. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:09] \u003c/em>I gotta say, Azul, when I think about our state fighting climate change, I don’t really think about commercial kitchens very much, but how much of a difference could it actually make if more commercial kitchens in the state address their emissions?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:26] \u003c/em>I think it comes down to this thing where it’s like, as long as there are stoves with a gas pipe leading to them, we’re going to keep burning gas in this state. And if California is going to truly like decarbonize and get off gas, then we need to start looking at our buildings and restaurants are this very entrenched use of natural gas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:55] \u003c/em>Azul, this was such an interesting story. Thank you so much for sharing your reporting with us. Appreciate it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:01] \u003c/em>You’re welcome. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The vast majority of commercial kitchens in California — some 85% — rely on gas to power their appliances. But scientists say that will have to change if the state hopes to reach its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Bay Area food franchise Flour + Water is one of many local shops leading the charge away from gas appliances. In today’s episode, KQED reporter Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman visits an electric pizza kitchen to help us understand the benefits of electrification and what’s preventing more kitchens from making the switch. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The vast majority of commercial kitchens in California — some 85% — rely on gas to power their appliances. But scientists say that will have to change if the state hopes to reach its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Bay Area food franchise Flour + Water is one of many local shops leading the charge away from gas appliances. In today’s episode, KQED reporter Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman visits an electric pizza kitchen to help us understand the benefits of electrification and what’s preventing more kitchens from making the switch. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This transcript is computer-generated. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Many think of California as a leader when it comes to fighting climate change. We’ve got this ambitious goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. But there are a lot of things that get in the way of that. Like our reliance on cars and perhaps one less obvious reason, how we cook. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Many think of California as a leader when it comes to fighting climate change. We’ve got this ambitious goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. But there are a lot of things that get in the way of that. Like our reliance on cars and perhaps one less obvious reason, how we cook. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:32] \u003c/em>As long as there are stoves with a gas pipe leading to them, we’re going to keep burning gas in this state. And restaurants are this very entrenched use of natural gas. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:32] \u003c/em>As long as there are stoves with a gas pipe leading to them, we’re going to keep burning gas in this state. And restaurants are this very entrenched use of natural gas. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:47] \u003c/em>85% of California restaurants use gas to power their appliances. And it turns out, electrifying restaurant kitchens could actually play a pretty big role in getting us closer to our climate goals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:47] \u003c/em>85% of California restaurants use gas to power their appliances. And it turns out, electrifying restaurant kitchens could actually play a pretty big role in getting us closer to our climate goals. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:04] \u003c/em>We know that the pollution that’s created by burning fossil fuels is harmful and there’s no reason to do that now when cleaner, better technologies are available. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:04] \u003c/em>We know that the pollution that’s created by burning fossil fuels is harmful and there’s no reason to do that now when cleaner, better technologies are available. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:14] \u003c/em>Today, the benefits of electrifying California’s restaurants and what it’s gonna take to get more of them on board. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:14] \u003c/em>Today, the benefits of electrifying California’s restaurants and what it’s gonna take to get more of them on board. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>You know, we think of California as like this leader in climate change, right? We have more efficient fuel for our cars. We invest in transit and carpooling and all this stuff. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>You know, we think of California as like this leader in climate change, right? We have more efficient fuel for our cars. We invest in transit and carpooling and all this stuff. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:39] \u003c/em>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman is a reporter for KQED. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:39] \u003c/em>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman is a reporter for KQED. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:44] \u003c/em>Buildings, and then restaurants in particular, are this one place where we’re really behind. Buildings are responsible for about a quarter of all of California’s greenhouse gas emissions and restaurants in our state use gas at a much higher rate than other states. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:44] \u003c/em>Buildings, and then restaurants in particular, are this one place where we’re really behind. Buildings are responsible for about a quarter of all of California’s greenhouse gas emissions and restaurants in our state use gas at a much higher rate than other states. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandy Seals: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:03] \u003c/em>This is a sleeper issue. A lot of people don’t realize it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandy Seals: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:03] \u003c/em>This is a sleeper issue. A lot of people don’t realize it. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:07] \u003c/em>Brandy Seals is the Director of the Electrification for Health program at Stanford University. And they’re really looking at benefits of electrifying. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandy Seals: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:18] \u003c/em>So when you look at commercial spaces, kitchens, and food service, they have about five times the energy usage of a standard office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandy Seals: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:18] \u003c/em>So when you look at commercial spaces, kitchens, and food service, they have about five times the energy usage of a standard office. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:28] \u003c/em>She says that commercial kitchens really like punch above their weight. Because restaurants use gas, they’re also sort of cementing this demand for gas. So she says that if we’re gonna really address this issue of climate change, we need to start looking at buildings and specifically restaurants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:28] \u003c/em>She says that commercial kitchens really like punch above their weight. Because restaurants use gas, they’re also sort of cementing this demand for gas. So she says that if we’re gonna really address this issue of climate change, we need to start looking at buildings and specifically restaurants. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:48] \u003c/em>So it sounds like commercial kitchens are maybe an untapped space for electrification that I’m definitely not thinking about. But what are the barriers to actually making it happen and also making it more common? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:03] \u003c/em>Well, I think like, first off, just put yourself in the shoes of a restaurant owner, right? Restaurants run on extremely thin margins. You know, there’s a lot of turnover, like, you know, most restaurants don’t even make it a year, right. And in order to switch to electricity, that’s a big investment, right, most restaurants are going to come with gas hookups for your appliances. But in order to switch electric, you gotta get a new panel, you got to pay for new electric service. You gotta buy these appliances. Electricity, not cheap in California. I mean, we have the most expensive electricity in the Continental 48. There’s also not as much of a demand in the market. So it’s just kind of like this small niche thing that’s growing that is kind of still waiting to see its moment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:03] \u003c/em>Well, I think like, first off, just put yourself in the shoes of a restaurant owner, right? Restaurants run on extremely thin margins. You know, there’s a lot of turnover, like, you know, most restaurants don’t even make it a year, right. And in order to switch to electricity, that’s a big investment, right, most restaurants are going to come with gas hookups for your appliances. But in order to switch electric, you gotta get a new panel, you got to pay for new electric service. You gotta buy these appliances. Electricity, not cheap in California. I mean, we have the most expensive electricity in the Continental 48. There’s also not as much of a demand in the market. So it’s just kind of like this small niche thing that’s growing that is kind of still waiting to see its moment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:59] \u003c/em>So you visited a restaurant that actually went electric. Who did you meet and what did they say about the practical barriers that they faced? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:11] \u003c/em>Can we do a little tour? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:12] \u003c/em>Yeah, of course. So our pantry section or garmagé. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:16] \u003c/em>So I went to Flower and Water. They have a pizza shop in Oakland, but they’re part of this restaurant group. They’ve essentially committed to making all of their future restaurants electric.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:29] \u003c/em>Machines, slushies, burners, fryers, everything here runs on electric.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:35] \u003c/em>I talked to their CEO, Thomas McNaughton. He said basically, when you said like electric oven to him like 10 years ago, he was like, he thought of like an Easy Bake Oven, you know, like a toy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:45] \u003c/em>And I didn’t realize how evolved the technology really is. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:49] \u003c/em>But he said that changed around six years ago. He started seeing these electric ovens that were like really powerful. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:56] \u003c/em>And that kind of introduced us to the idea, saying, like, if this oven is so powerful, couldn’t we build our entire operation around electricity?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:07] \u003c/em>He said that sustainability is like a really important value of theirs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:11] \u003c/em>Sustainability for us is not just where we buy our seafood from. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:19] \u003c/em>In terms of like the challenges that he faced, he said that whether or not a space has the ability to like accommodate the electrical load that like an electric kitchen requires is a limiting factor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:36] \u003c/em>A lot of older properties we’re not able to look at. And so that’s one that can feel somewhat constricting at times. Problem solving is one of the most fascinating parts of the job of a chef or a restaurateur. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:36] \u003c/em>A lot of older properties we’re not able to look at. And so that’s one that can feel somewhat constricting at times. Problem solving is one of the most fascinating parts of the job of a chef or a restaurateur. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:51] \u003c/em>And that sounds kind of expensive, maybe? What was that process like?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:51] \u003c/em>And that sounds kind of expensive, maybe? What was that process like?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:55] \u003c/em>What McNaughton said is that in general to buy electric appliances is a little more expensive than gas ones, to run them is more expensive. They spend about $8,000 a month at their Oakland location on electricity, which is like 34 times higher than the average household in California. Oh my goodness. So it’s a considerable load. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:55] \u003c/em>What McNaughton said is that in general to buy electric appliances is a little more expensive than gas ones, to run them is more expensive. They spend about $8,000 a month at their Oakland location on electricity, which is like 34 times higher than the average household in California. Oh my goodness. So it’s a considerable load. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:16] \u003c/em>That’s a lot of money every month, Azul, for electricity. I mean, what makes it worth it for him? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:16] \u003c/em>That’s a lot of money every month, Azul, for electricity. I mean, what makes it worth it for him? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:22] \u003c/em>Well, I think on one hand, you know, he said sustainability is like a big part of their business So there is value in sort of like a non numerical thing for them I think now it’s sort of liked baked in no pun intended into their business, right? Like they are an electric Restaurant and it’s part of like kind of the identity of their pizza \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:46] \u003c/em>And really, these electric ovens, I think, really are creating this kind of new wave of pizza making because they’re so powerful, because you can toggle both deck top and bottom heat. It actually, we can incorporate a fair amount of char, like a Neapolitan pizza, but actually slow down the bake time. And that incorporates a lot more texture into our high-hydration dough that, to me, is incredibly craveable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:46] \u003c/em>And really, these electric ovens, I think, really are creating this kind of new wave of pizza making because they’re so powerful, because you can toggle both deck top and bottom heat. It actually, we can incorporate a fair amount of char, like a Neapolitan pizza, but actually slow down the bake time. And that incorporates a lot more texture into our high-hydration dough that, to me, is incredibly craveable. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:16] \u003c/em>Did you taste it?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:17] \u003c/em>I did. yeah, I mean flower waters. It’s good pizza. I don’t think that’s a controversial take McNaughton’s like a finalist for like the James Beard Awards before so \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:17] \u003c/em>I did. yeah, I mean flower waters. It’s good pizza. I don’t think that’s a controversial take McNaughton’s like a finalist for like the James Beard Awards before so \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:29] \u003c/em>Yeah, they’re doing pretty well. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:29] \u003c/em>Yeah, they’re doing pretty well. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:31] \u003c/em>Yeah. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:31] \u003c/em>Yeah. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:32] \u003c/em>So my name’s Azul, I’m a reporter at KQED. Did you know that flour and water was all electric? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:32] \u003c/em>So my name’s Azul, I’m a reporter at KQED. Did you know that flour and water was all electric? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:38] \u003c/em>I did not know that they were all electric. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:38] \u003c/em>I did not know that they were all electric. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:59] \u003c/em>We’re gonna take a quick break, but when we come back, the health case for electric kitchens. By the way, if you appreciate the local deep dives that we bring you here on the Bay, consider becoming a sustaining KQED member. We can’t do this work without you. Just go to donate.kqed.org slash podcasts. We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:59] \u003c/em>We’re gonna take a quick break, but when we come back, the health case for electric kitchens. By the way, if you appreciate the local deep dives that we bring you here on the Bay, consider becoming a sustaining KQED member. We can’t do this work without you. Just go to donate.kqed.org slash podcasts. We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:27] \u003c/em>I guess aside from the broader ecological benefits of going electric, what do experts say about the other benefits for restaurants going electric? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:38] \u003c/em>Just to like put a number on it, there’s a new study that actually came out this month that found that 70% of gas burning kitchens, so these are commercial kitchens that were studied, exceeded the recommended limits for nitrogen dioxide that’s like federal health standards. They also found, you know, like elevated levels of carbon dioxide, benzene, carbon monoxide. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:04] \u003c/em>You would never stand over the tailpipe of your car breathing in those pollutants, and yet people stand over a stove breathing the same pollutants day after day, meal after meal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:04] \u003c/em>You would never stand over the tailpipe of your car breathing in those pollutants, and yet people stand over a stove breathing the same pollutants day after day, meal after meal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:13] \u003c/em>I talked to Rob Jackson, he’s an environmental scientist at Stanford University, and he talked about this. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:18] \u003c/em>We know that the pollution that’s created by burning fossil fuels is harmful, and there’s no reason to do that now when cleaner, better technologies are available. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:28] \u003c/em>And then imagine if you’re a chef in a kitchen, you’re standing over that burner for eight hours a day. And I talked to some of the chefs, they said like, it’s less greasy, you have a little bit more control. Like one thing they said about induction is like, you’ll never have a pot of cream boil over because with an induction cooktop, you can just like set it at a number and it’ll just stay there. Whereas with like flame, the heat transfer, things just get hotter and hotter. There is like some push back against cooking with induction or electric. A lot of chefs, you know, have hesitation around changing their cooking practices. The California Restaurant Association, which is this trade association group for the California restaurant industry, in a commercial from 2019, they said like, what about like searing meat or charring vegetables? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:28] \u003c/em>And then imagine if you’re a chef in a kitchen, you’re standing over that burner for eight hours a day. And I talked to some of the chefs, they said like, it’s less greasy, you have a little bit more control. Like one thing they said about induction is like, you’ll never have a pot of cream boil over because with an induction cooktop, you can just like set it at a number and it’ll just stay there. Whereas with like flame, the heat transfer, things just get hotter and hotter. There is like some push back against cooking with induction or electric. A lot of chefs, you know, have hesitation around changing their cooking practices. The California Restaurant Association, which is this trade association group for the California restaurant industry, in a commercial from 2019, they said like, what about like searing meat or charring vegetables? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:23] \u003c/em>Or cooking food in a wok over high intensity heat. All of that would go away. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:23] \u003c/em>Or cooking food in a wok over high intensity heat. All of that would go away. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:28] \u003c/em>Some of that could be due to the fact that induction is still catching up to where it needs to be in terms of technology. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:28] \u003c/em>Some of that could be due to the fact that induction is still catching up to where it needs to be in terms of technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:36] \u003c/em>Try doing three or 400 covers a night on an electric stove. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:36] \u003c/em>Try doing three or 400 covers a night on an electric stove. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:56] \u003c/em>Have there been any efforts at the local and statewide level to push more commercial kitchens to make this change?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:04] \u003c/em>There’s been like a specific push for commercial kitchens and there’s been a broader push just to get gas out of all buildings. So you can go back to like 2019 in Berkeley. Berkeley passed a ban on natural gas in new construction. And the city of Berkeley is leading the charge with the law that covers new construction. That got a lot of pushback from the California restaurant association that successfully defeated the, the band in the courts by arguing basically like Berkeley was overstepping its bounds. They were trying to regulate the efficiency of things when that’s the remit of the title. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Newscaster: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:40] \u003c/em>New at 10 tonight, the City of Berkeley lost its latest legal battle. Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied Berkeley’s petition for the court to rehear the case after the ban was ruled illegal last year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:53] \u003c/em>There’s also efforts at the state level to incentivize kitchens specifically to go all electric. There’s rebates available through California utilities like PG&E for commercial kitchens to buy appliances. There’s these Chef Fluencers that is run by this group called the Building Decarbonization Coalition. And their jobs are basically to like preach the good word of induction and encourage people to adopt it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:22] \u003c/em>Yeah, there’s the practical piece of it of just making it easier, lowering the barriers for restaurants to get access to these things. But also there’s this norms piece of like really trying to get people in the restaurant industry to, I guess, see this as a thing that they could do that wouldn’t impact their food quality.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:46] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, you know, when most people think of electric cooking, they think of those like janky electric coil stoves.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:52] \u003c/em>Oh yeah, me too. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:53] \u003c/em>But like that’s not what this is. This is like the technology has come a long way.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:58] \u003c/em>I think that there’s some misconceptions about it. Oh my goodness, it’s not gonna achieve the same quality. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:06] \u003c/em>I spoke to Katie Chin. She’s a chef fluencer and a caterer based in Southern California. And she’s had her own journey with induction. Like when she first used it, she was like, oh no, like, you know, I’m a cater, I’m professional caterer. Like I gotta cook. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:25] \u003c/em>She told me this story about being stuck in Southern California traffic on the way to a catering gig and actually being thankful that there was induction at her client’s house.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:36] \u003c/em>Seeing is believing. So I was able to boil the water for, you know, 600 dumplings in a fraction of the time it would have taken for me to use a gas stove and heat up all that water. \u003cem>[00:13:45]\u003c/em>\u003cem>[9.1]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:36] \u003c/em>Seeing is believing. So I was able to boil the water for, you know, 600 dumplings in a fraction of the time it would have taken for me to use a gas stove and heat up all that water. \u003cem>[00:13:45]\u003c/em>\u003cem>[9.1]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:46] \u003c/em>She really says that people should try to keep an open mind.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:52] \u003c/em>And a lot of people associate like, well, how can you, how can get those great stir fries if you’re not like, you know how people flip the wok like this? I think the main stereotype is that, oh, it’s not gonna get hot enough. And I see no difference at all. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:09] \u003c/em>I gotta say, Azul, when I think about our state fighting climate change, I don’t really think about commercial kitchens very much, but how much of a difference could it actually make if more commercial kitchens in the state address their emissions?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:26] \u003c/em>I think it comes down to this thing where it’s like, as long as there are stoves with a gas pipe leading to them, we’re going to keep burning gas in this state. And if California is going to truly like decarbonize and get off gas, then we need to start looking at our buildings and restaurants are this very entrenched use of natural gas. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:55] \u003c/em>Azul, this was such an interesting story. Thank you so much for sharing your reporting with us. Appreciate it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The vast majority of commercial kitchens in California — some 85% — rely on gas to power their appliances. But scientists say that will have to change if the state hopes to reach its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Bay Area food franchise Flour + Water is one of many local shops leading the charge away from gas appliances. In today’s episode, KQED reporter Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman visits an electric pizza kitchen to help us understand the benefits of electrification and what’s preventing more kitchens from making the switch. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2002089/heres-what-all-electric-bay-area-restaurants-have-learned-from-ditching-gas\">Here’s What All-Electric Bay Area Restaurants Have Learned From Ditching Gas\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Episode Transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This transcript is computer-generated. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Many think of California as a leader when it comes to fighting climate change. We’ve got this ambitious goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. But there are a lot of things that get in the way of that. Like our reliance on cars and perhaps one less obvious reason, how we cook. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:32] \u003c/em>As long as there are stoves with a gas pipe leading to them, we’re going to keep burning gas in this state. And restaurants are this very entrenched use of natural gas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:47] \u003c/em>85% of California restaurants use gas to power their appliances. And it turns out, electrifying restaurant kitchens could actually play a pretty big role in getting us closer to our climate goals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:04] \u003c/em>We know that the pollution that’s created by burning fossil fuels is harmful and there’s no reason to do that now when cleaner, better technologies are available. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:14] \u003c/em>Today, the benefits of electrifying California’s restaurants and what it’s gonna take to get more of them on board. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>You know, we think of California as like this leader in climate change, right? We have more efficient fuel for our cars. We invest in transit and carpooling and all this stuff. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:39] \u003c/em>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman is a reporter for KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:44] \u003c/em>Buildings, and then restaurants in particular, are this one place where we’re really behind. Buildings are responsible for about a quarter of all of California’s greenhouse gas emissions and restaurants in our state use gas at a much higher rate than other states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandy Seals: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:03] \u003c/em>This is a sleeper issue. A lot of people don’t realize it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:07] \u003c/em>Brandy Seals is the Director of the Electrification for Health program at Stanford University. And they’re really looking at benefits of electrifying. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brandy Seals: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:18] \u003c/em>So when you look at commercial spaces, kitchens, and food service, they have about five times the energy usage of a standard office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:28] \u003c/em>She says that commercial kitchens really like punch above their weight. Because restaurants use gas, they’re also sort of cementing this demand for gas. So she says that if we’re gonna really address this issue of climate change, we need to start looking at buildings and specifically restaurants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:48] \u003c/em>So it sounds like commercial kitchens are maybe an untapped space for electrification that I’m definitely not thinking about. But what are the barriers to actually making it happen and also making it more common? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:03] \u003c/em>Well, I think like, first off, just put yourself in the shoes of a restaurant owner, right? Restaurants run on extremely thin margins. You know, there’s a lot of turnover, like, you know, most restaurants don’t even make it a year, right. And in order to switch to electricity, that’s a big investment, right, most restaurants are going to come with gas hookups for your appliances. But in order to switch electric, you gotta get a new panel, you got to pay for new electric service. You gotta buy these appliances. Electricity, not cheap in California. I mean, we have the most expensive electricity in the Continental 48. There’s also not as much of a demand in the market. So it’s just kind of like this small niche thing that’s growing that is kind of still waiting to see its moment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:59] \u003c/em>So you visited a restaurant that actually went electric. Who did you meet and what did they say about the practical barriers that they faced? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:11] \u003c/em>Can we do a little tour? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:12] \u003c/em>Yeah, of course. So our pantry section or garmagé. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:16] \u003c/em>So I went to Flower and Water. They have a pizza shop in Oakland, but they’re part of this restaurant group. They’ve essentially committed to making all of their future restaurants electric.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:29] \u003c/em>Machines, slushies, burners, fryers, everything here runs on electric.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:35] \u003c/em>I talked to their CEO, Thomas McNaughton. He said basically, when you said like electric oven to him like 10 years ago, he was like, he thought of like an Easy Bake Oven, you know, like a toy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:45] \u003c/em>And I didn’t realize how evolved the technology really is. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:49] \u003c/em>But he said that changed around six years ago. He started seeing these electric ovens that were like really powerful. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:56] \u003c/em>And that kind of introduced us to the idea, saying, like, if this oven is so powerful, couldn’t we build our entire operation around electricity?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:07] \u003c/em>He said that sustainability is like a really important value of theirs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:11] \u003c/em>Sustainability for us is not just where we buy our seafood from. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:19] \u003c/em>In terms of like the challenges that he faced, he said that whether or not a space has the ability to like accommodate the electrical load that like an electric kitchen requires is a limiting factor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:36] \u003c/em>A lot of older properties we’re not able to look at. And so that’s one that can feel somewhat constricting at times. Problem solving is one of the most fascinating parts of the job of a chef or a restaurateur. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:51] \u003c/em>And that sounds kind of expensive, maybe? What was that process like?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:55] \u003c/em>What McNaughton said is that in general to buy electric appliances is a little more expensive than gas ones, to run them is more expensive. They spend about $8,000 a month at their Oakland location on electricity, which is like 34 times higher than the average household in California. Oh my goodness. So it’s a considerable load. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:16] \u003c/em>That’s a lot of money every month, Azul, for electricity. I mean, what makes it worth it for him? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:22] \u003c/em>Well, I think on one hand, you know, he said sustainability is like a big part of their business So there is value in sort of like a non numerical thing for them I think now it’s sort of liked baked in no pun intended into their business, right? Like they are an electric Restaurant and it’s part of like kind of the identity of their pizza \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thomas McNaughton: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:46] \u003c/em>And really, these electric ovens, I think, really are creating this kind of new wave of pizza making because they’re so powerful, because you can toggle both deck top and bottom heat. It actually, we can incorporate a fair amount of char, like a Neapolitan pizza, but actually slow down the bake time. And that incorporates a lot more texture into our high-hydration dough that, to me, is incredibly craveable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:16] \u003c/em>Did you taste it?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:17] \u003c/em>I did. yeah, I mean flower waters. It’s good pizza. I don’t think that’s a controversial take McNaughton’s like a finalist for like the James Beard Awards before so \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:29] \u003c/em>Yeah, they’re doing pretty well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:31] \u003c/em>Yeah. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:32] \u003c/em>So my name’s Azul, I’m a reporter at KQED. Did you know that flour and water was all electric? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:38] \u003c/em>I did not know that they were all electric. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:59] \u003c/em>We’re gonna take a quick break, but when we come back, the health case for electric kitchens. By the way, if you appreciate the local deep dives that we bring you here on the Bay, consider becoming a sustaining KQED member. We can’t do this work without you. Just go to donate.kqed.org slash podcasts. We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:27] \u003c/em>I guess aside from the broader ecological benefits of going electric, what do experts say about the other benefits for restaurants going electric? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:38] \u003c/em>Just to like put a number on it, there’s a new study that actually came out this month that found that 70% of gas burning kitchens, so these are commercial kitchens that were studied, exceeded the recommended limits for nitrogen dioxide that’s like federal health standards. They also found, you know, like elevated levels of carbon dioxide, benzene, carbon monoxide. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:04] \u003c/em>You would never stand over the tailpipe of your car breathing in those pollutants, and yet people stand over a stove breathing the same pollutants day after day, meal after meal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:13] \u003c/em>I talked to Rob Jackson, he’s an environmental scientist at Stanford University, and he talked about this. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rob Jackson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:18] \u003c/em>We know that the pollution that’s created by burning fossil fuels is harmful, and there’s no reason to do that now when cleaner, better technologies are available. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:28] \u003c/em>And then imagine if you’re a chef in a kitchen, you’re standing over that burner for eight hours a day. And I talked to some of the chefs, they said like, it’s less greasy, you have a little bit more control. Like one thing they said about induction is like, you’ll never have a pot of cream boil over because with an induction cooktop, you can just like set it at a number and it’ll just stay there. Whereas with like flame, the heat transfer, things just get hotter and hotter. There is like some push back against cooking with induction or electric. A lot of chefs, you know, have hesitation around changing their cooking practices. The California Restaurant Association, which is this trade association group for the California restaurant industry, in a commercial from 2019, they said like, what about like searing meat or charring vegetables? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:23] \u003c/em>Or cooking food in a wok over high intensity heat. All of that would go away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:28] \u003c/em>Some of that could be due to the fact that induction is still catching up to where it needs to be in terms of technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Commerical: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:36] \u003c/em>Try doing three or 400 covers a night on an electric stove. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:42] \u003c/em>How you cook is very personal. There’s cultural practices, there’s how you learned in cooking school, all these things that go into it. So, while McNaughton promotes this move that he’s made very heavily, a lot of people have doubts about it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:56] \u003c/em>Have there been any efforts at the local and statewide level to push more commercial kitchens to make this change?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:04] \u003c/em>There’s been like a specific push for commercial kitchens and there’s been a broader push just to get gas out of all buildings. So you can go back to like 2019 in Berkeley. Berkeley passed a ban on natural gas in new construction. And the city of Berkeley is leading the charge with the law that covers new construction. That got a lot of pushback from the California restaurant association that successfully defeated the, the band in the courts by arguing basically like Berkeley was overstepping its bounds. They were trying to regulate the efficiency of things when that’s the remit of the title. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Newscaster: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:40] \u003c/em>New at 10 tonight, the City of Berkeley lost its latest legal battle. Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied Berkeley’s petition for the court to rehear the case after the ban was ruled illegal last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:53] \u003c/em>There’s also efforts at the state level to incentivize kitchens specifically to go all electric. There’s rebates available through California utilities like PG&E for commercial kitchens to buy appliances. There’s these Chef Fluencers that is run by this group called the Building Decarbonization Coalition. And their jobs are basically to like preach the good word of induction and encourage people to adopt it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:22] \u003c/em>Yeah, there’s the practical piece of it of just making it easier, lowering the barriers for restaurants to get access to these things. But also there’s this norms piece of like really trying to get people in the restaurant industry to, I guess, see this as a thing that they could do that wouldn’t impact their food quality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:46] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, you know, when most people think of electric cooking, they think of those like janky electric coil stoves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:52] \u003c/em>Oh yeah, me too. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:53] \u003c/em>But like that’s not what this is. This is like the technology has come a long way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:58] \u003c/em>I think that there’s some misconceptions about it. Oh my goodness, it’s not gonna achieve the same quality. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:06] \u003c/em>I spoke to Katie Chin. She’s a chef fluencer and a caterer based in Southern California. And she’s had her own journey with induction. Like when she first used it, she was like, oh no, like, you know, I’m a cater, I’m professional caterer. Like I gotta cook. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:22] \u003c/em>I had never cooked on one and it scared me. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:25] \u003c/em>She told me this story about being stuck in Southern California traffic on the way to a catering gig and actually being thankful that there was induction at her client’s house.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:36] \u003c/em>Seeing is believing. So I was able to boil the water for, you know, 600 dumplings in a fraction of the time it would have taken for me to use a gas stove and heat up all that water. \u003cem>[00:13:45]\u003c/em>\u003cem>[9.1]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:46] \u003c/em>She really says that people should try to keep an open mind.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie Chin: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:52] \u003c/em>And a lot of people associate like, well, how can you, how can get those great stir fries if you’re not like, you know how people flip the wok like this? I think the main stereotype is that, oh, it’s not gonna get hot enough. And I see no difference at all. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:09] \u003c/em>I gotta say, Azul, when I think about our state fighting climate change, I don’t really think about commercial kitchens very much, but how much of a difference could it actually make if more commercial kitchens in the state address their emissions?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:26] \u003c/em>I think it comes down to this thing where it’s like, as long as there are stoves with a gas pipe leading to them, we’re going to keep burning gas in this state. And if California is going to truly like decarbonize and get off gas, then we need to start looking at our buildings and restaurants are this very entrenched use of natural gas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:55] \u003c/em>Azul, this was such an interesting story. Thank you so much for sharing your reporting with us. Appreciate it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:01] \u003c/em>You’re welcome. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
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"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"here-and-now": {
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
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"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
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