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"content": "\u003cp>Oakland Police released body camera footage from a fatal July 13 shooting of a man in the Fruitvale neighborhood on Wednesday, a month after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091598/after-third-opd-shooting-this-year-advocates-demand-body-cam-footage\">advocates demanded the department \u003c/a>make the video public.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The release comes a month after OPD’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/News-Releases/Police/Officer-Involved-Shooting-in-the-4000-block-of-International-Boulevard\">initial account\u003c/a> of the shooting, which said only that officers “located an armed individual” who “lunged at officers with a weapon.” The department did not describe the weapon publicly at the time, which activists criticized, calling for transparency around the use of force.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police identified the man as José Ángel Castillo, 43. The department said that it is waiting on the Alameda County Coroner’s office to formally verify his identity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The footage shows what the department calls “homemade weapons”: two long poles with blades affixed to the ends, one in each of Castillo’s hands. The footage shows officers with their guns drawn following Castillo down an East Oakland street for roughly a minute, firing Tasers at him as he stood in a parking lot, then shooting him seconds later as he swung one of two bladed poles he was carrying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The videos do not capture every angle of the encounter, and CHP has not released footage from its officers, but OPD’s release offers more insight into the moments leading up to Castillo’s death. The videos can be publicly viewed \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandca.nextrequest.com/documents?folder_filter=26-0708_OIS\">here\u003c/a>, with a warning that they contain graphic content. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Video footage\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The footage shows California Highway Patrol officers first encountering Castillo at a homeless encampment near 40th Avenue and International Boulevard after 2 p.m. He is holding a hammer and complies when officers tell him to drop it. Castillo then raises the two bladed poles toward the officers, one of whom points a gun at him. He then walks away from the encampment toward the street.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Oakland officers arrive at East 12th Street and 41st Avenue, Castillo is still carrying both poles. Officers get out of their cars and order him to drop the weapons. He keeps walking. One officer can be heard telling him, “Just stop and talk to us.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Castillo yells back, but most of what he says is difficult to make out.\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/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046794\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Oakland Police Department Vehicle in Oakland on July 1, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Castillo walks up 41st Avenue toward International Boulevard, footage from a second officer’s camera and a nearby security camera shows two adults and a child walking past Castillo on the sidewalk. An officer waves them along. Roughly 20 seconds later, as Castillo continues walking toward International Boulevard on 41st Avenue, one of the officers says, “We are going to use force. Just stop.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Castillo walks into a parking lot on 41st Avenue, connected to businesses on International Boulevard. Around five officers follow him at a walking pace. Tasers are deployed — an officer can be heard saying, “Hit him again,” before a second Taser is heard. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Castillo swings one pole. Immediately, multiple gunshots follow, and he falls forward. One more shot is heard. In the footage, no officer appears to be within arm’s reach of him when he swings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A wider angle from the parking lot shows nine officers in view. Text on one video states that two officers fired their weapons. After a resuscitation attempt, Castillo died on scene.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The officers who fired were placed on paid administrative leave. The department is conducting criminal and internal affairs investigations. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is also conducting an independent investigation, and the city’s civilian Community Police Review Agency has been notified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OPD told KQED the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional information is being provided at this time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The shooting is the third by Oakland officers this year and the second that was fatal, following an April 27 shooting in the 1800 block of 89th Avenue that left one dead, and a May 8 shooting near Ninth Avenue that wounded a man police said dragged one officer and pinned another against a parked car. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It also lands seven weeks before U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick is scheduled to decide whether to end more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085228/oakland-police-judge-clears-path-for-possible-end-to-federal-oversight\">two decades of federal oversight\u003c/a> of the department. Federal monitor Robert Warshaw found in a May 22 report that OPD had met all 51 court-ordered reforms for the first time, and Orrick has said he will close the case at a Sept. 29 hearing as long as the department stays in compliance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Community response\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cat Brooks, co-founder and executive director of the Anti Police-Terror Project, questioned the role of CHP on the scene and said the man visible in the footage appeared to be in crisis.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He needed help,” Brooks said. “He needed somebody that knows how to talk to people that are in elevated states of mental health crisis.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12017328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Oakland Police Department on Nov. 12, 2016. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brooks said officers could have backed off instead of following Castillo and called a non-police crisis responder. She added that she did not believe the shooting was justified.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>APTP said it is still trying to reach Castillo’s family, and OPD is asking the public for help locating his next of kin. Brooks said the organization is holding a protest at 5 p.m. Friday at Oscar Grant Plaza in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was somebody’s son,” she said. “Probably somebody’s brother, father. Whether he lived outside or he lived inside, he was one of us.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The videos do not capture every angle of the encounter, and CHP has not released footage from its officers, but OPD’s release offers more insight into the moments leading up to Castillo’s death. The videos can be publicly viewed \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandca.nextrequest.com/documents?folder_filter=26-0708_OIS\">here\u003c/a>, with a warning that they contain graphic content. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The footage shows California Highway Patrol officers first encountering Castillo at a homeless encampment near 40th Avenue and International Boulevard after 2 p.m. He is holding a hammer and complies when officers tell him to drop it. Castillo then raises the two bladed poles toward the officers, one of whom points a gun at him. He then walks away from the encampment toward the street.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Oakland officers arrive at East 12th Street and 41st Avenue, Castillo is still carrying both poles. Officers get out of their cars and order him to drop the weapons. He keeps walking. One officer can be heard telling him, “Just stop and talk to us.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Castillo yells back, but most of what he says is difficult to make out.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As Castillo walks up 41st Avenue toward International Boulevard, footage from a second officer’s camera and a nearby security camera shows two adults and a child walking past Castillo on the sidewalk. An officer waves them along. Roughly 20 seconds later, as Castillo continues walking toward International Boulevard on 41st Avenue, one of the officers says, “We are going to use force. Just stop.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As Castillo walks up 41st Avenue toward International Boulevard, footage from a second officer’s camera and a nearby security camera shows two adults and a child walking past Castillo on the sidewalk. An officer waves them along. Roughly 20 seconds later, as Castillo continues walking toward International Boulevard on 41st Avenue, one of the officers says, “We are going to use force. Just stop.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Castillo walks into a parking lot on 41st Avenue, connected to businesses on International Boulevard. Around five officers follow him at a walking pace. Tasers are deployed — an officer can be heard saying, “Hit him again,” before a second Taser is heard. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Castillo walks into a parking lot on 41st Avenue, connected to businesses on International Boulevard. Around five officers follow him at a walking pace. Tasers are deployed — an officer can be heard saying, “Hit him again,” before a second Taser is heard. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Castillo swings one pole. Immediately, multiple gunshots follow, and he falls forward. One more shot is heard. In the footage, no officer appears to be within arm’s reach of him when he swings.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Castillo swings one pole. Immediately, multiple gunshots follow, and he falls forward. One more shot is heard. In the footage, no officer appears to be within arm’s reach of him when he swings.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A wider angle from the parking lot shows nine officers in view. Text on one video states that two officers fired their weapons. After a resuscitation attempt, Castillo died on scene.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A wider angle from the parking lot shows nine officers in view. Text on one video states that two officers fired their weapons. After a resuscitation attempt, Castillo died on scene.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The officers who fired were placed on paid administrative leave. The department is conducting criminal and internal affairs investigations. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is also conducting an independent investigation, and the city’s civilian Community Police Review Agency has been notified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The officers who fired were placed on paid administrative leave. The department is conducting criminal and internal affairs investigations. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is also conducting an independent investigation, and the city’s civilian Community Police Review Agency has been notified. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>OPD told KQED the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional information is being provided at this time.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The shooting is the third by Oakland officers this year and the second that was fatal, following an April 27 shooting in the 1800 block of 89th Avenue that left one dead, and a May 8 shooting near Ninth Avenue that wounded a man police said dragged one officer and pinned another against a parked car. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It also lands seven weeks before U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick is scheduled to decide whether to end more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085228/oakland-police-judge-clears-path-for-possible-end-to-federal-oversight\">two decades of federal oversight\u003c/a> of the department. Federal monitor Robert Warshaw found in a May 22 report that OPD had met all 51 court-ordered reforms for the first time, and Orrick has said he will close the case at a Sept. 29 hearing as long as the department stays in compliance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It also lands seven weeks before U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick is scheduled to decide whether to end more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085228/oakland-police-judge-clears-path-for-possible-end-to-federal-oversight\">two decades of federal oversight\u003c/a> of the department. Federal monitor Robert Warshaw found in a May 22 report that OPD had met all 51 court-ordered reforms for the first time, and Orrick has said he will close the case at a Sept. 29 hearing as long as the department stays in compliance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cat Brooks, co-founder and executive director of the Anti Police-Terror Project, questioned the role of CHP on the scene and said the man visible in the footage appeared to be in crisis.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He needed help,” Brooks said. “He needed somebody that knows how to talk to people that are in elevated states of mental health crisis.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brooks said officers could have backed off instead of following Castillo and called a non-police crisis responder. She added that she did not believe the shooting was justified.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>APTP said it is still trying to reach Castillo’s family, and OPD is asking the public for help locating his next of kin. Brooks said the organization is holding a protest at 5 p.m. Friday at Oscar Grant Plaza in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That was somebody’s son,” she said. “Probably somebody’s brother, father. Whether he lived outside or he lived inside, he was one of us.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Footage released Wednesday shows a man carrying two bladed poles down an East Oakland street before officers open fire. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Oakland Police released body camera footage from a fatal July 13 shooting of a man in the Fruitvale neighborhood on Wednesday, a month after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091598/after-third-opd-shooting-this-year-advocates-demand-body-cam-footage\">advocates demanded the department \u003c/a>make the video public.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The release comes a month after OPD’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/News-Releases/Police/Officer-Involved-Shooting-in-the-4000-block-of-International-Boulevard\">initial account\u003c/a> of the shooting, which said only that officers “located an armed individual” who “lunged at officers with a weapon.” The department did not describe the weapon publicly at the time, which activists criticized, calling for transparency around the use of force.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police identified the man as José Ángel Castillo, 43. The department said that it is waiting on the Alameda County Coroner’s office to formally verify his identity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The footage shows what the department calls “homemade weapons”: two long poles with blades affixed to the ends, one in each of Castillo’s hands. The footage shows officers with their guns drawn following Castillo down an East Oakland street for roughly a minute, firing Tasers at him as he stood in a parking lot, then shooting him seconds later as he swung one of two bladed poles he was carrying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The videos do not capture every angle of the encounter, and CHP has not released footage from its officers, but OPD’s release offers more insight into the moments leading up to Castillo’s death. The videos can be publicly viewed \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandca.nextrequest.com/documents?folder_filter=26-0708_OIS\">here\u003c/a>, with a warning that they contain graphic content. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Video footage\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The footage shows California Highway Patrol officers first encountering Castillo at a homeless encampment near 40th Avenue and International Boulevard after 2 p.m. He is holding a hammer and complies when officers tell him to drop it. Castillo then raises the two bladed poles toward the officers, one of whom points a gun at him. He then walks away from the encampment toward the street.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Oakland officers arrive at East 12th Street and 41st Avenue, Castillo is still carrying both poles. Officers get out of their cars and order him to drop the weapons. He keeps walking. One officer can be heard telling him, “Just stop and talk to us.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Castillo yells back, but most of what he says is difficult to make out.\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/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046794\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Oakland Police Department Vehicle in Oakland on July 1, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Castillo walks up 41st Avenue toward International Boulevard, footage from a second officer’s camera and a nearby security camera shows two adults and a child walking past Castillo on the sidewalk. An officer waves them along. Roughly 20 seconds later, as Castillo continues walking toward International Boulevard on 41st Avenue, one of the officers says, “We are going to use force. Just stop.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Castillo walks into a parking lot on 41st Avenue, connected to businesses on International Boulevard. Around five officers follow him at a walking pace. Tasers are deployed — an officer can be heard saying, “Hit him again,” before a second Taser is heard. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Castillo swings one pole. Immediately, multiple gunshots follow, and he falls forward. One more shot is heard. In the footage, no officer appears to be within arm’s reach of him when he swings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A wider angle from the parking lot shows nine officers in view. Text on one video states that two officers fired their weapons. After a resuscitation attempt, Castillo died on scene.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The officers who fired were placed on paid administrative leave. The department is conducting criminal and internal affairs investigations. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is also conducting an independent investigation, and the city’s civilian Community Police Review Agency has been notified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OPD told KQED the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional information is being provided at this time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The shooting is the third by Oakland officers this year and the second that was fatal, following an April 27 shooting in the 1800 block of 89th Avenue that left one dead, and a May 8 shooting near Ninth Avenue that wounded a man police said dragged one officer and pinned another against a parked car. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It also lands seven weeks before U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick is scheduled to decide whether to end more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085228/oakland-police-judge-clears-path-for-possible-end-to-federal-oversight\">two decades of federal oversight\u003c/a> of the department. Federal monitor Robert Warshaw found in a May 22 report that OPD had met all 51 court-ordered reforms for the first time, and Orrick has said he will close the case at a Sept. 29 hearing as long as the department stays in compliance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Community response\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cat Brooks, co-founder and executive director of the Anti Police-Terror Project, questioned the role of CHP on the scene and said the man visible in the footage appeared to be in crisis.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He needed help,” Brooks said. “He needed somebody that knows how to talk to people that are in elevated states of mental health crisis.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12017328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Oakland Police Department on Nov. 12, 2016. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brooks said officers could have backed off instead of following Castillo and called a non-police crisis responder. She added that she did not believe the shooting was justified.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>APTP said it is still trying to reach Castillo’s family, and OPD is asking the public for help locating his next of kin. Brooks said the organization is holding a protest at 5 p.m. Friday at Oscar Grant Plaza in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was somebody’s son,” she said. “Probably somebody’s brother, father. Whether he lived outside or he lived inside, he was one of us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-best-places-to-bring-your-book-in-the-bay-area-performative-reading-accusations-not-included",
"title": "The Best Places to Bring Your Book in the Bay Area (‘Performative Reading’ Accusations Not Included)",
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"headTitle": "The Best Places to Bring Your Book in the Bay Area (‘Performative Reading’ Accusations Not Included) | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>One of the easiest ways to remind myself that life is worth living is grabbing my current read and taking it out of the house with me. It’s an essential tote bag accessory, along with my keys, chapstick and sunscreen. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So imagine my surprise when I saw this post from a user whose friend took a picture of them reading — on what appears to be a lovely bench — captioned: “My friends called me performative cause this is how they found me lmao??” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yes, it’s probably a joke — and it definitely sounds like something my friends would say ironically as well. (“Going to bring a book to the BTS concert so RM sees me reading in the audience and knows I’m not like other girls,” etc. etc.) But \u003ca href=\"https://www.instyle.com/elle-fanning-reading-interview-coach-11914208\">being a\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/Lilys_verses/status/2082914715525611989\">“performative reader”\u003c/a> — \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/performative-reading?_sp=5af1db0a-9ac4-4ed6-a317-ecbb6b519457.1786058480642\">i.e., reading in public\u003c/a>, in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F_A7qvs5Gs\">various configurations\u003c/a> —\u003cem>has \u003c/em>turned into \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/books/performative-reading-trend-social-media-booktok-readers-weigh-in-rcna237393\">something of a jab\u003c/a> from \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jun/30/performative-reading-public-tiktok\">the Very Online\u003c/a>. And it’s for everyone, not just the apparent \u003ca href=\"https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/chore-coats-moustaches-and-female-fiction-meet-the-men-doing-the-performative-reading-meme-irl\">“pretentious guy on a dating app\u003c/a>” archetype.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://twitter.com/mariahyreva/status/2081521301714284976\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/performative-reading?_sp=5af1db0a-9ac4-4ed6-a317-ecbb6b519457.1786058480642\">\u003cem>The New Yorker’s \u003c/em>Brady Brickner-Wood\u003c/a> wrote, “If everything is potentially performative, how will we ever work up the courage to step outside of our sphere of normal, to risk being earnest and cringe, and experience something transformative?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And as Brickner-Wood said, “Reading a book is antithetical to scrolling; online platforms cannot replicate the slow, patient, and complex experience of reading a weighty novel.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So in celebration of reading outside — \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@hopeurdoingwellbruh/video/7653930211234336031\">which \u003cem>is\u003c/em> a vibe\u003c/a> — I consulted some of the Bay Area’s writers, librarians and booksellers and went on the hunt to find excellent spots in the region that will let you sit down for a while with a good read. (As always, be sure to check the hours of any businesses on this list before heading out, to make sure it’s still open.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.tiktok.com/@hopeurdoingwellbruh/video/7653930211234336031\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you don’t have something in your \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/tbr\">TBR list\u003c/a> that’s speaking to you right now, you can check out KQED’s Forum episode \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914694/whats-on-your-summer-reading-list-4\">interviewing Bay Area booksellers on some popular summer titles\u003c/a>. (I am currently reading \u003cem>The Brothers Karamazov\u003c/em> with a friend, which, I’ll admit, is not helping me beat the performative reading allegations.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jump straight to the best places to read in:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#east-bay\">East Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#north-bay\">North Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#peninsula\">South Bay and Peninsula\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The best places to read in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vesuvio Cafe in North Beach\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Rae Alexandra, KQED Arts and Culture reporter and author of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077049/unsung-heroines-rebel-girls-of-the-bay-area\">\u003cem>Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vesuvio Cafe is a gorgeous bar right next to City Lights, the famous bookstore once frequented by figures like \u003ca href=\"https://www.timeout.com/san-francisco/bars/vesuvio\">Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg\u003c/a> (they also publish books, and \u003cem>Unsung Heroines\u003c/em> is one of them). Alexandra’s preference is at the end of the bar, near the front door.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094749\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vesuvio Bar in San Francisco, California, on July 13, 2017. (Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>It’s a habit that started by accident — going book shopping in City Lights and deciding I just \u003cem>had \u003c/em>to start reading what I’d bought immediately, so popping next door to the bar,” Alexandra said. “Vesuvio is quiet in the afternoon, so a nice place to read.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you want some nature reading with your City Lights read instead, take a 12-minute walk up Columbus Avenue to \u003cstrong>Ina Coolbrith Park,\u003c/strong> a small space with beautiful city views named after \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlfR1eeDoME\">the state’s first poet laureate\u003c/a>. Alternatively, a little way up Columbus is \u003cstrong>Washington Square Park. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Golden Gate Park\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/booknerderika?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Erika Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, high school librarian in Concord \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s hard \u003cem>not \u003c/em>to find a pretty spot in Golden Gate Park to read — but \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/conservatory-of-flowers/\">the Conservatory of Flowers\u003c/a> is probably my all-time favorite place to spread a blanket and rest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Librarian Naulu agrees. For her, the best spot is the area between the California Academy of Sciences and de Young Museum. “There are fountains and benches where you can sit and relax,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12022568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">View from the SkyStar Observation Wheel of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park on March 4, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are music performances sometimes at the music concourse that can get distracting if you are looking for a quiet spot,” Naulu said. “I like the background music sometimes though.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What makes the park particularly excellent for readers is the plethora of bookstores also available nearby, including: \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/shop/\">Gardens of Golden Gate Park\u003c/a> has its own bookstore \u003cem>in\u003c/em> the park, near Lincoln Way and Ninth Avenue. \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/learn/library-collection/\">The Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture\u003c/a> is also nearby.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://greenapplebooks.com/\">Green Apple Books on the Park\u003c/a> is around a minute walk from the Ninth Street entrance to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://borderlands-books.com/v2/index.html\">Borderlands Books\u003c/a> (science fiction and fantasy focused) is around a 3-minute walk from the Stanyan Street entrance to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdsf.com/\">Blackbird Bookstore and Cafe\u003c/a> is around a 6-minute walk from the closest entrance on Lincoln Way to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://booksmith.com/\">The Booksmith\u003c/a> is around a 7-minute walk away from the closest entrance on Stanyan Street to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.globusbooks.com/\">Globus Books\u003c/a> is around a 7-minute walk away from the closest entrance on Fulton Street to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://boundtogether.org/\">Bound Together Bookstore\u003c/a> is around an 11-minute walk from the closest entrance on Stanyan Street to Golden Gate Park — but is just around the corner from Buena Vista Park, too.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">La Promenade Café in the Outer Richmond\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Amy Gloriana, owner of bookstore \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.betweenthebookendssf.com/\">\u003cem>Between the Bookends\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gloriana said that \u003ca href=\"https://www.lapromenadecafe.com/\">La Promenade Café\u003c/a> has “so many options for seating and it’s so cozy!” There are usually a good amount of customers inside, but “never too loud” and “food and coffee is pretty good,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And probably the most winning part of her rec: “It feels like you’re in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9mRoCerrpY&list=RDY9mRoCerrpY&start_radio=1&pp=ygUQbG9maSBjb2ZmZWUgc2hvcKAHAdIHCQnECwGHKiGM7w%3D%3D\">a coffee shop lofi video\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Charlie’s Cafe in the Mission\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Sirkka Miller, bookseller at Dog Eared Books Valencia\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miller said Charlie’s Cafe has good coffee and, in the morning, is “well lit” and “nice and airy” in addition to being quiet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A bonus for Charlie’s is that it is \u003cem>right\u003c/em> next to Precita Park, which has \u003ca href=\"https://sfrecpark.org/898/Precita-Park\">a butterfly garden\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1293\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081136\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty-1536x993.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People relaxing in the grass at Dolores Park in San Francisco. (Lonely Planet/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dolores Park in the Mission \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Grace Wathen, bookseller at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thelovepotionlibrary.com/\">\u003cem>The Love Potion Library\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wathen said her usual spots are “anywhere I can read under a tree.” Near Dolores Park is \u003cstrong>Dolores Cafe\u003c/strong>, which includes outside seating and a pretty magnificent view of the park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you need a book, there are also stores near the park, including:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dogearedbooks.com/\">Dog Eared Books\u003c/a>, around a 6-minute walk away from the closest entrance to Dolores Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://fabulosabooks.com/\">Fabulosa Books\u003c/a>, around a 10-minute walk away from the closest entrance to Dolores Park.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The International Library of Young Authors in the Mission\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This incredible sweet spot — which features titles written by young writers across the country — is a favorite of this reporter, as it’s also the home of literary magazines like McSweeney’s (founded by the Bay Area’s Dave Eggers) and The Believer. The “library” has comfy couches, plenty of sunlight and a pretty whimsical hidden room at the back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The space sometimes hosts workshops for young people, so it’s best to check their schedule beforehand to make sure you’re able to pop in during the quiet, empty hours.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"east-bay\">The best places to read in East Bay\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clio’s in Oakland\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gabbi.rose?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Gabbi Sharp\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, host of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/67c8f1a4596bfd2f00183710\">\u003cem>the Black Authors Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at the West Oakland Branch Library\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cliosbooks.com/\">Clio’s\u003c/a> is a stylish bar and bookstore. As Sharp said, “I always bring my own book to read. They have such cozy couches, a warm atmosphere, and they are open late!” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lake Chabot in Castro Valley\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Concord librarian Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Naulu recommends this \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/lake-chabot\">gated regional park\u003c/a> where people also boat and fish. “I like to walk the trails while listening to audiobooks,” Naulu said. “There are places to sit and read as well near the lake, but depending on the day, it can get busy and noisy with campers or other people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You’ll need to pay for parking within the regional park itself, but there’s also parking available on the road just outside the park, which is free.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1378\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty-1536x1058.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman reads a book at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California, on Saturday, May 16, 2020. (Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lake Merritt in Oakland\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ablacklibrarian?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Makayla Walker\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, librarian in Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lake Merritt is a favorite, especially on sunny days, Walker said. There are also \u003ca href=\"https://www.lakemerritt.org/gardens.html\">specific gardens\u003c/a> within Lake Merritt to choose from. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps Lake Merritt is the place for a nice fantasy novel, considering \u003ca href=\"https://www.lakemerritt.org/fairyland.html\">children’s amusement park Fairyland\u003c/a> is nearby as well.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bishop Ranch in San Ramon\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Concord librarian Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a large, lush open space, Naulu called Bishop Ranch a “hidden gem of San Ramon.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s also \u003ca href=\"https://www.bishopranch.com/venue/annabel-lake/\">Annabel Lake \u003c/a>nearby, with “a lot of benches around it that are perfect for reading,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Book Society is a wine lounge based in Berkeley. (Courtesy of Kara Brodgesell via Book Society.)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Book Society in Berkeley\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A wine lounge with \u003ca href=\"https://www.booksociety.social/menu\">a menu of snacks and nonalcoholic options\u003c/a> to choose from, the Book Society is a stylish space with popular titles for sale as well. There are also couches to lounge on, as well as soft chairs and bar stools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"north-bay\">The best places to read in North Bay\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mill Valley Depot Café & Bookstore in Mill Valley \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This cafe offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.depotcafeandbookstore.com/\">a large menu\u003c/a>, allowing you to spend some time grazing while going through your book.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cafe also doubles as an independent bookstore and an event space — so be sure to \u003ca href=\"https://www.depotcafeandbookstore.com/events\">check out the calendar\u003c/a> if you’d like to see a live music show that day as well (or avoid one, if you’re seeking serenity!).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Mill Valley Public Library\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Mill Valley branch has \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mill_valley_library/?hl=en\">wide glass windows, high ceilings and cozy lighting\u003c/a> that allow visitors to really feel like they are engulfed in the surrounding woods. In this reporter’s humble opinion, it’s probably one of the prettiest public libraries in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aqus Cafe in Petaluma\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Danielle Venton, KQED Science and climate reporter, host of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/4149/climate-book-club\">\u003cem>KQED’s Climate Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A little away from the bustling downtown, Venton said that Aqus Cafe is “very welcoming to those bookishly quiet of us, who want to be around other people without necessarily talking to them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if you \u003cem>would \u003c/em>like to be closer to downtown, Venton also recommended historic saloon \u003cstrong>McNears, \u003c/strong>adding that the staff there has “been kind and patient with me, letting me hide out upstairs reading and writing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oak Hill in Petaluma\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Danielle Venton, KQED Science and climate reporter, host of KQED’s Climate Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Venton said that this park has “everything you want.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are picnic tables, a kid’s playground, dog run, petanque court, basketball hoop and, most importantly for readers, “enormous live oak trees offering abundant shade over a large lawn,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"peninsula\">The best places to read in South Bay and the Peninsula\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fioli Estate in Woodside\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recommendation from: Yung Le, co-founder of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/anovelaffairbookcafe/\">A Novel Affair\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This gorgeous, Austenland-like garden was actually Le’s previous recommendation to KQED for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081122/bay-area-book-lovers-we-have-highly-literary-date-or-friend-hang-ideas-for-your-weekend\">a literary-themed date\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://51772.blackbaudhosting.com/51772/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=85164de0-552f-49c6-8ba5-ce4be2af4d14\">around $45 for adults\u003c/a>, Filoli is a pricier option for a day out with a book. But people with \u003ca href=\"https://filoli.org/visit/#!\">a SNAP (CalFresh) EBT card or a Discover and Go pass\u003c/a> from the library can get free and reduced admission.\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/10/2026/04/Filoli-AlbertDros-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081141\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Filoli-AlbertDros-9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Filoli-AlbertDros-9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Filoli-AlbertDros-9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fioli, in Woodside, is an historic estate with landscape gardens that brings pure Pemberley vibes to the Peninsula. \u003cbr> (Courtesy of Albert Dros via Fioli)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The A.M. Craft in San José\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Amy Ly, \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/silentbookclubsanjose?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==\">\u003cem>San José Silent Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> moderator\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This cafe and restaurant is located in downtown San José, and Ly called \u003ca href=\"https://am-craft.mailchimpsites.com/about-us\">A.M. Craft\u003c/a> “my little hideout when I want to get some reading done on a Saturday morning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Gimme a cold brew, pastry and a good read, and I’ll happily read for a few hours,” Ly said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Atherton Library in Atherton\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfbookgirl?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Ciera Pasturel\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, San Mateo County librarian\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pasturel recommends specifically the patio of the Atherton Library, which is “under an enormous oak tree.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is ample seating as well as a cafe that sells delicious coffee and pastries,” Pasturel added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Half Moon Bay Beach\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Concord librarian Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weather permitting, of course! Naulu said that she tends to take her e-reader to the beach instead of a physical book, since it “does get windy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it makes for a pleasant family outing, since she can settle with a book while her kids build sandcastles next to her.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the easiest ways to remind myself that life is worth living is grabbing my current read and taking it out of the house with me. It’s an essential tote bag accessory, along with my keys, chapstick and sunscreen. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So imagine my surprise when I saw this post from a user whose friend took a picture of them reading — on what appears to be a lovely bench — captioned: “My friends called me performative cause this is how they found me lmao??” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So imagine my surprise when I saw this post from a user whose friend took a picture of them reading — on what appears to be a lovely bench — captioned: “My friends called me performative cause this is how they found me lmao??” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yes, it’s probably a joke — and it definitely sounds like something my friends would say ironically as well. (“Going to bring a book to the BTS concert so RM sees me reading in the audience and knows I’m not like other girls,” etc. etc.) But \u003ca href=\"https://www.instyle.com/elle-fanning-reading-interview-coach-11914208\">being a\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/Lilys_verses/status/2082914715525611989\">“performative reader”\u003c/a> — \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/performative-reading?_sp=5af1db0a-9ac4-4ed6-a317-ecbb6b519457.1786058480642\">i.e., reading in public\u003c/a>, in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F_A7qvs5Gs\">various configurations\u003c/a> —\u003cem>has \u003c/em>turned into \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/books/performative-reading-trend-social-media-booktok-readers-weigh-in-rcna237393\">something of a jab\u003c/a> from \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jun/30/performative-reading-public-tiktok\">the Very Online\u003c/a>. And it’s for everyone, not just the apparent \u003ca href=\"https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/chore-coats-moustaches-and-female-fiction-meet-the-men-doing-the-performative-reading-meme-irl\">“pretentious guy on a dating app\u003c/a>” archetype.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yes, it’s probably a joke — and it definitely sounds like something my friends would say ironically as well. (“Going to bring a book to the BTS concert so RM sees me reading in the audience and knows I’m not like other girls,” etc. etc.) But \u003ca href=\"https://www.instyle.com/elle-fanning-reading-interview-coach-11914208\">being a\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/Lilys_verses/status/2082914715525611989\">“performative reader”\u003c/a> — \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/performative-reading?_sp=5af1db0a-9ac4-4ed6-a317-ecbb6b519457.1786058480642\">i.e., reading in public\u003c/a>, in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F_A7qvs5Gs\">various configurations\u003c/a> —\u003cem>has \u003c/em>turned into \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/books/performative-reading-trend-social-media-booktok-readers-weigh-in-rcna237393\">something of a jab\u003c/a> from \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jun/30/performative-reading-public-tiktok\">the Very Online\u003c/a>. And it’s for everyone, not just the apparent \u003ca href=\"https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/chore-coats-moustaches-and-female-fiction-meet-the-men-doing-the-performative-reading-meme-irl\">“pretentious guy on a dating app\u003c/a>” archetype.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://twitter.com/mariahyreva/status/2081521301714284976\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://twitter.com/mariahyreva/status/2081521301714284976\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But as \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/performative-reading?_sp=5af1db0a-9ac4-4ed6-a317-ecbb6b519457.1786058480642\">\u003cem>The New Yorker’s \u003c/em>Brady Brickner-Wood\u003c/a> wrote, “If everything is potentially performative, how will we ever work up the courage to step outside of our sphere of normal, to risk being earnest and cringe, and experience something transformative?” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But as \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/performative-reading?_sp=5af1db0a-9ac4-4ed6-a317-ecbb6b519457.1786058480642\">\u003cem>The New Yorker’s \u003c/em>Brady Brickner-Wood\u003c/a> wrote, “If everything is potentially performative, how will we ever work up the courage to step outside of our sphere of normal, to risk being earnest and cringe, and experience something transformative?” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And as Brickner-Wood said, “Reading a book is antithetical to scrolling; online platforms cannot replicate the slow, patient, and complex experience of reading a weighty novel.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And as Brickner-Wood said, “Reading a book is antithetical to scrolling; online platforms cannot replicate the slow, patient, and complex experience of reading a weighty novel.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So in celebration of reading outside — \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@hopeurdoingwellbruh/video/7653930211234336031\">which \u003cem>is\u003c/em> a vibe\u003c/a> — I consulted some of the Bay Area’s writers, librarians and booksellers and went on the hunt to find excellent spots in the region that will let you sit down for a while with a good read. (As always, be sure to check the hours of any businesses on this list before heading out, to make sure it’s still open.)\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>So in celebration of reading outside — \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@hopeurdoingwellbruh/video/7653930211234336031\">which \u003cem>is\u003c/em> a vibe\u003c/a> — I consulted some of the Bay Area’s writers, librarians and booksellers and went on the hunt to find excellent spots in the region that will let you sit down for a while with a good read. (As always, be sure to check the hours of any businesses on this list before heading out, to make sure it’s still open.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.tiktok.com/@hopeurdoingwellbruh/video/7653930211234336031\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you don’t have something in your \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/tbr\">TBR list\u003c/a> that’s speaking to you right now, you can check out KQED’s Forum episode \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914694/whats-on-your-summer-reading-list-4\">interviewing Bay Area booksellers on some popular summer titles\u003c/a>. (I am currently reading \u003cem>The Brothers Karamazov\u003c/em> with a friend, which, I’ll admit, is not helping me beat the performative reading allegations.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if you don’t have something in your \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/tbr\">TBR list\u003c/a> that’s speaking to you right now, you can check out KQED’s Forum episode \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914694/whats-on-your-summer-reading-list-4\">interviewing Bay Area booksellers on some popular summer titles\u003c/a>. (I am currently reading \u003cem>The Brothers Karamazov\u003c/em> with a friend, which, I’ll admit, is not helping me beat the performative reading allegations.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jump straight to the best places to read in:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jump straight to the best places to read in:\u003c/p>\n"
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"East Bay",
"North Bay",
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null,
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null,
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#east-bay\">East Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#east-bay\">East Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#north-bay\">North Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#north-bay\">North Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#peninsula\">South Bay and Peninsula\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"text": "The best places to read in San Francisco",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The best places to read in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The best places to read in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n"
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"text": "Vesuvio Cafe in North Beach"
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vesuvio Cafe in North Beach\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Rae Alexandra, KQED Arts and Culture reporter and author of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077049/unsung-heroines-rebel-girls-of-the-bay-area\">\u003cem>Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Rae Alexandra, KQED Arts and Culture reporter and author of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077049/unsung-heroines-rebel-girls-of-the-bay-area\">\u003cem>Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vesuvio Cafe is a gorgeous bar right next to City Lights, the famous bookstore once frequented by figures like \u003ca href=\"https://www.timeout.com/san-francisco/bars/vesuvio\">Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg\u003c/a> (they also publish books, and \u003cem>Unsung Heroines\u003c/em> is one of them). Alexandra’s preference is at the end of the bar, near the front door.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Vesuvio Cafe is a gorgeous bar right next to City Lights, the famous bookstore once frequented by figures like \u003ca href=\"https://www.timeout.com/san-francisco/bars/vesuvio\">Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg\u003c/a> (they also publish books, and \u003cem>Unsung Heroines\u003c/em> is one of them). Alexandra’s preference is at the end of the bar, near the front door.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094749\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vesuvio Bar in San Francisco, California, on July 13, 2017. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094749\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vesuvio Bar in San Francisco, California, on July 13, 2017. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>It’s a habit that started by accident — going book shopping in City Lights and deciding I just \u003cem>had \u003c/em>to start reading what I’d bought immediately, so popping next door to the bar,” Alexandra said. “Vesuvio is quiet in the afternoon, so a nice place to read.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>It’s a habit that started by accident — going book shopping in City Lights and deciding I just \u003cem>had \u003c/em>to start reading what I’d bought immediately, so popping next door to the bar,” Alexandra said. “Vesuvio is quiet in the afternoon, so a nice place to read.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you want some nature reading with your City Lights read instead, take a 12-minute walk up Columbus Avenue to \u003cstrong>Ina Coolbrith Park,\u003c/strong> a small space with beautiful city views named after \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlfR1eeDoME\">the state’s first poet laureate\u003c/a>. Alternatively, a little way up Columbus is \u003cstrong>Washington Square Park. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you want some nature reading with your City Lights read instead, take a 12-minute walk up Columbus Avenue to \u003cstrong>Ina Coolbrith Park,\u003c/strong> a small space with beautiful city views named after \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlfR1eeDoME\">the state’s first poet laureate\u003c/a>. Alternatively, a little way up Columbus is \u003cstrong>Washington Square Park. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Golden Gate Park"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Golden Gate Park\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/booknerderika?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Erika Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, high school librarian in Concord \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/booknerderika?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Erika Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, high school librarian in Concord \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s hard \u003cem>not \u003c/em>to find a pretty spot in Golden Gate Park to read — but \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/conservatory-of-flowers/\">the Conservatory of Flowers\u003c/a> is probably my all-time favorite place to spread a blanket and rest.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s hard \u003cem>not \u003c/em>to find a pretty spot in Golden Gate Park to read — but \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/conservatory-of-flowers/\">the Conservatory of Flowers\u003c/a> is probably my all-time favorite place to spread a blanket and rest.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Librarian Naulu agrees. For her, the best spot is the area between the California Academy of Sciences and de Young Museum. “There are fountains and benches where you can sit and relax,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Librarian Naulu agrees. For her, the best spot is the area between the California Academy of Sciences and de Young Museum. “There are fountains and benches where you can sit and relax,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12022568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">View from the SkyStar Observation Wheel of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park on March 4, 2021.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12022568\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">View from the SkyStar Observation Wheel of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park on March 4, 2021.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There are music performances sometimes at the music concourse that can get distracting if you are looking for a quiet spot,” Naulu said. “I like the background music sometimes though.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There are music performances sometimes at the music concourse that can get distracting if you are looking for a quiet spot,” Naulu said. “I like the background music sometimes though.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What makes the park particularly excellent for readers is the plethora of bookstores also available nearby, including: \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What makes the park particularly excellent for readers is the plethora of bookstores also available nearby, including: \u003c/p>\n"
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"Gardens of Golden Gate Park has its own bookstore in the park, near Lincoln Way and Ninth Avenue. The Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture is also nearby.",
"Green Apple Books on the Park is around a minute walk from the Ninth Street entrance to Golden Gate Park.",
"Borderlands Books (science fiction and fantasy focused) is around a 3-minute walk from the Stanyan Street entrance to Golden Gate Park.",
"Blackbird Bookstore and Cafe is around a 6-minute walk from the closest entrance on Lincoln Way to Golden Gate Park.",
"The Booksmith is around a 7-minute walk away from the closest entrance on Stanyan Street to Golden Gate Park.",
"Globus Books is around a 7-minute walk away from the closest entrance on Fulton Street to Golden Gate Park.",
"Bound Together Bookstore is around an 11-minute walk from the closest entrance on Stanyan Street to Golden Gate Park — but is just around the corner from Buena Vista Park, too."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"\n\n",
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/shop/\">Gardens of Golden Gate Park\u003c/a> has its own bookstore \u003cem>in\u003c/em> the park, near Lincoln Way and Ninth Avenue. \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/learn/library-collection/\">The Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture\u003c/a> is also nearby.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/shop/\">Gardens of Golden Gate Park\u003c/a> has its own bookstore \u003cem>in\u003c/em> the park, near Lincoln Way and Ninth Avenue. \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/learn/library-collection/\">The Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture\u003c/a> is also nearby.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://greenapplebooks.com/\">Green Apple Books on the Park\u003c/a> is around a minute walk from the Ninth Street entrance to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://greenapplebooks.com/\">Green Apple Books on the Park\u003c/a> is around a minute walk from the Ninth Street entrance to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://borderlands-books.com/v2/index.html\">Borderlands Books\u003c/a> (science fiction and fantasy focused) is around a 3-minute walk from the Stanyan Street entrance to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://borderlands-books.com/v2/index.html\">Borderlands Books\u003c/a> (science fiction and fantasy focused) is around a 3-minute walk from the Stanyan Street entrance to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdsf.com/\">Blackbird Bookstore and Cafe\u003c/a> is around a 6-minute walk from the closest entrance on Lincoln Way to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdsf.com/\">Blackbird Bookstore and Cafe\u003c/a> is around a 6-minute walk from the closest entrance on Lincoln Way to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n"
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://booksmith.com/\">The Booksmith\u003c/a> is around a 7-minute walk away from the closest entrance on Stanyan Street to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://booksmith.com/\">The Booksmith\u003c/a> is around a 7-minute walk away from the closest entrance on Stanyan Street to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n"
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.globusbooks.com/\">Globus Books\u003c/a> is around a 7-minute walk away from the closest entrance on Fulton Street to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.globusbooks.com/\">Globus Books\u003c/a> is around a 7-minute walk away from the closest entrance on Fulton Street to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n"
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://boundtogether.org/\">Bound Together Bookstore\u003c/a> is around an 11-minute walk from the closest entrance on Stanyan Street to Golden Gate Park — but is just around the corner from Buena Vista Park, too.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://boundtogether.org/\">Bound Together Bookstore\u003c/a> is around an 11-minute walk from the closest entrance on Stanyan Street to Golden Gate Park — but is just around the corner from Buena Vista Park, too.\u003c/li>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "La Promenade Café in the Outer Richmond"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">La Promenade Café in the Outer Richmond\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">La Promenade Café in the Outer Richmond\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Amy Gloriana, owner of bookstore \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.betweenthebookendssf.com/\">\u003cem>Between the Bookends\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Amy Gloriana, owner of bookstore \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.betweenthebookendssf.com/\">\u003cem>Between the Bookends\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gloriana said that \u003ca href=\"https://www.lapromenadecafe.com/\">La Promenade Café\u003c/a> has “so many options for seating and it’s so cozy!” There are usually a good amount of customers inside, but “never too loud” and “food and coffee is pretty good,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Gloriana said that \u003ca href=\"https://www.lapromenadecafe.com/\">La Promenade Café\u003c/a> has “so many options for seating and it’s so cozy!” There are usually a good amount of customers inside, but “never too loud” and “food and coffee is pretty good,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And probably the most winning part of her rec: “It feels like you’re in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9mRoCerrpY&list=RDY9mRoCerrpY&start_radio=1&pp=ygUQbG9maSBjb2ZmZWUgc2hvcKAHAdIHCQnECwGHKiGM7w%3D%3D\">a coffee shop lofi video\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And probably the most winning part of her rec: “It feels like you’re in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9mRoCerrpY&list=RDY9mRoCerrpY&start_radio=1&pp=ygUQbG9maSBjb2ZmZWUgc2hvcKAHAdIHCQnECwGHKiGM7w%3D%3D\">a coffee shop lofi video\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Charlie’s Cafe in the Mission"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Charlie’s Cafe in the Mission\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Sirkka Miller, bookseller at Dog Eared Books Valencia\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Sirkka Miller, bookseller at Dog Eared Books Valencia\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Miller said Charlie’s Cafe has good coffee and, in the morning, is “well lit” and “nice and airy” in addition to being quiet. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Miller said Charlie’s Cafe has good coffee and, in the morning, is “well lit” and “nice and airy” in addition to being quiet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A bonus for Charlie’s is that it is \u003cem>right\u003c/em> next to Precita Park, which has \u003ca href=\"https://sfrecpark.org/898/Precita-Park\">a butterfly garden\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A bonus for Charlie’s is that it is \u003cem>right\u003c/em> next to Precita Park, which has \u003ca href=\"https://sfrecpark.org/898/Precita-Park\">a butterfly garden\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty-1536x993.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/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081136\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty-1536x993.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People relaxing in the grass at Dolores Park in San Francisco.\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/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081136\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People relaxing in the grass at Dolores Park in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "Dolores Park in the Mission "
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Grace Wathen, bookseller at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thelovepotionlibrary.com/\">\u003cem>The Love Potion Library\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Grace Wathen, bookseller at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thelovepotionlibrary.com/\">\u003cem>The Love Potion Library\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wathen said her usual spots are “anywhere I can read under a tree.” Near Dolores Park is \u003cstrong>Dolores Cafe\u003c/strong>, which includes outside seating and a pretty magnificent view of the park.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wathen said her usual spots are “anywhere I can read under a tree.” Near Dolores Park is \u003cstrong>Dolores Cafe\u003c/strong>, which includes outside seating and a pretty magnificent view of the park.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you need a book, there are also stores near the park, including:\u003c/p>\n",
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"Dog Eared Books, around a 6-minute walk away from the closest entrance to Dolores Park.",
"Fabulosa Books, around a 10-minute walk away from the closest entrance to Dolores Park."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dogearedbooks.com/\">Dog Eared Books\u003c/a>, around a 6-minute walk away from the closest entrance to Dolores Park.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dogearedbooks.com/\">Dog Eared Books\u003c/a>, around a 6-minute walk away from the closest entrance to Dolores Park.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://fabulosabooks.com/\">Fabulosa Books\u003c/a>, around a 10-minute walk away from the closest entrance to Dolores Park.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://fabulosabooks.com/\">Fabulosa Books\u003c/a>, around a 10-minute walk away from the closest entrance to Dolores Park.\u003c/li>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "The International Library of Young Authors in the Mission"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The International Library of Young Authors in the Mission\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This incredible sweet spot — which features titles written by young writers across the country — is a favorite of this reporter, as it’s also the home of literary magazines like McSweeney’s (founded by the Bay Area’s Dave Eggers) and The Believer. The “library” has comfy couches, plenty of sunlight and a pretty whimsical hidden room at the back. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This incredible sweet spot — which features titles written by young writers across the country — is a favorite of this reporter, as it’s also the home of literary magazines like McSweeney’s (founded by the Bay Area’s Dave Eggers) and The Believer. The “library” has comfy couches, plenty of sunlight and a pretty whimsical hidden room at the back. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The space sometimes hosts workshops for young people, so it’s best to check their schedule beforehand to make sure you’re able to pop in during the quiet, empty hours.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The space sometimes hosts workshops for young people, so it’s best to check their schedule beforehand to make sure you’re able to pop in during the quiet, empty hours.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "The best places to read in East Bay",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"east-bay\">The best places to read in East Bay\u003c/h2>\n",
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"text": "Clio’s in Oakland"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clio’s in Oakland\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gabbi.rose?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Gabbi Sharp\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, host of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/67c8f1a4596bfd2f00183710\">\u003cem>the Black Authors Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at the West Oakland Branch Library\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gabbi.rose?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Gabbi Sharp\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, host of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/67c8f1a4596bfd2f00183710\">\u003cem>the Black Authors Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at the West Oakland Branch Library\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cliosbooks.com/\">Clio’s\u003c/a> is a stylish bar and bookstore. As Sharp said, “I always bring my own book to read. They have such cozy couches, a warm atmosphere, and they are open late!” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cliosbooks.com/\">Clio’s\u003c/a> is a stylish bar and bookstore. As Sharp said, “I always bring my own book to read. They have such cozy couches, a warm atmosphere, and they are open late!” \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"text": "Lake Chabot in Castro Valley"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lake Chabot in Castro Valley\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lake Chabot in Castro Valley\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Concord librarian Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Concord librarian Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Naulu recommends this \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/lake-chabot\">gated regional park\u003c/a> where people also boat and fish. “I like to walk the trails while listening to audiobooks,” Naulu said. “There are places to sit and read as well near the lake, but depending on the day, it can get busy and noisy with campers or other people.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Naulu recommends this \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/lake-chabot\">gated regional park\u003c/a> where people also boat and fish. “I like to walk the trails while listening to audiobooks,” Naulu said. “There are places to sit and read as well near the lake, but depending on the day, it can get busy and noisy with campers or other people.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You’ll need to pay for parking within the regional park itself, but there’s also parking available on the road just outside the park, which is free.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You’ll need to pay for parking within the regional park itself, but there’s also parking available on the road just outside the park, which is free.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty-1536x1058.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/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty-1536x1058.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman reads a book at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California, on Saturday, May 16, 2020. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094745\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman reads a book at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California, on Saturday, May 16, 2020. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "Lake Merritt in Oakland"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lake Merritt in Oakland\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ablacklibrarian?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Makayla Walker\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, librarian in Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ablacklibrarian?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Makayla Walker\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, librarian in Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lake Merritt is a favorite, especially on sunny days, Walker said. There are also \u003ca href=\"https://www.lakemerritt.org/gardens.html\">specific gardens\u003c/a> within Lake Merritt to choose from. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Lake Merritt is a favorite, especially on sunny days, Walker said. There are also \u003ca href=\"https://www.lakemerritt.org/gardens.html\">specific gardens\u003c/a> within Lake Merritt to choose from. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Perhaps Lake Merritt is the place for a nice fantasy novel, considering \u003ca href=\"https://www.lakemerritt.org/fairyland.html\">children’s amusement park Fairyland\u003c/a> is nearby as well.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Perhaps Lake Merritt is the place for a nice fantasy novel, considering \u003ca href=\"https://www.lakemerritt.org/fairyland.html\">children’s amusement park Fairyland\u003c/a> is nearby as well.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"text": "Bishop Ranch in San Ramon"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bishop Ranch in San Ramon\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bishop Ranch in San Ramon\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Concord librarian Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Concord librarian Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a large, lush open space, Naulu called Bishop Ranch a “hidden gem of San Ramon.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>As a large, lush open space, Naulu called Bishop Ranch a “hidden gem of San Ramon.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s also \u003ca href=\"https://www.bishopranch.com/venue/annabel-lake/\">Annabel Lake \u003c/a>nearby, with “a lot of benches around it that are perfect for reading,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There’s also \u003ca href=\"https://www.bishopranch.com/venue/annabel-lake/\">Annabel Lake \u003c/a>nearby, with “a lot of benches around it that are perfect for reading,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"imageCredit": "Courtesy of Kara Brodgesell via Book Society. ",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Book Society is a wine lounge based in Berkeley. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081140\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Book Society is a wine lounge based in Berkeley. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "Book Society in Berkeley"
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Book Society in Berkeley\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A wine lounge with \u003ca href=\"https://www.booksociety.social/menu\">a menu of snacks and nonalcoholic options\u003c/a> to choose from, the Book Society is a stylish space with popular titles for sale as well. There are also couches to lounge on, as well as soft chairs and bar stools. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A wine lounge with \u003ca href=\"https://www.booksociety.social/menu\">a menu of snacks and nonalcoholic options\u003c/a> to choose from, the Book Society is a stylish space with popular titles for sale as well. There are also couches to lounge on, as well as soft chairs and bar stools. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "The best places to read in North Bay",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"north-bay\">The best places to read in North Bay\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"north-bay\">The best places to read in North Bay\u003c/h2>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "Mill Valley Depot Café & Bookstore in Mill Valley "
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mill Valley Depot Café & Bookstore in Mill Valley \u003c/h3>\n",
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This cafe offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.depotcafeandbookstore.com/\">a large menu\u003c/a>, allowing you to spend some time grazing while going through your book.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This cafe offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.depotcafeandbookstore.com/\">a large menu\u003c/a>, allowing you to spend some time grazing while going through your book.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cafe also doubles as an independent bookstore and an event space — so be sure to \u003ca href=\"https://www.depotcafeandbookstore.com/events\">check out the calendar\u003c/a> if you’d like to see a live music show that day as well (or avoid one, if you’re seeking serenity!).\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The cafe also doubles as an independent bookstore and an event space — so be sure to \u003ca href=\"https://www.depotcafeandbookstore.com/events\">check out the calendar\u003c/a> if you’d like to see a live music show that day as well (or avoid one, if you’re seeking serenity!).\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"text": "The Mill Valley Public Library"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Mill Valley branch has \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mill_valley_library/?hl=en\">wide glass windows, high ceilings and cozy lighting\u003c/a> that allow visitors to really feel like they are engulfed in the surrounding woods. In this reporter’s humble opinion, it’s probably one of the prettiest public libraries in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Mill Valley branch has \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mill_valley_library/?hl=en\">wide glass windows, high ceilings and cozy lighting\u003c/a> that allow visitors to really feel like they are engulfed in the surrounding woods. In this reporter’s humble opinion, it’s probably one of the prettiest public libraries in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"text": "Aqus Cafe in Petaluma"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aqus Cafe in Petaluma\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aqus Cafe in Petaluma\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Danielle Venton, KQED Science and climate reporter, host of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/4149/climate-book-club\">\u003cem>KQED’s Climate Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Danielle Venton, KQED Science and climate reporter, host of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/4149/climate-book-club\">\u003cem>KQED’s Climate Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A little away from the bustling downtown, Venton said that Aqus Cafe is “very welcoming to those bookishly quiet of us, who want to be around other people without necessarily talking to them.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>A little away from the bustling downtown, Venton said that Aqus Cafe is “very welcoming to those bookishly quiet of us, who want to be around other people without necessarily talking to them.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But if you \u003cem>would \u003c/em>like to be closer to downtown, Venton also recommended historic saloon \u003cstrong>McNears, \u003c/strong>adding that the staff there has “been kind and patient with me, letting me hide out upstairs reading and writing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Oak Hill in Petaluma"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Danielle Venton, KQED Science and climate reporter, host of KQED’s Climate Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Venton said that this park has “everything you want.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are picnic tables, a kid’s playground, dog run, petanque court, basketball hoop and, most importantly for readers, “enormous live oak trees offering abundant shade over a large lawn,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "The best places to read in South Bay and the Peninsula",
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"text": "Fioli Estate in Woodside"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Recommendation from: Yung Le, co-founder of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/anovelaffairbookcafe/\">A Novel Affair\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This gorgeous, Austenland-like garden was actually Le’s previous recommendation to KQED for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081122/bay-area-book-lovers-we-have-highly-literary-date-or-friend-hang-ideas-for-your-weekend\">a literary-themed date\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://51772.blackbaudhosting.com/51772/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=85164de0-552f-49c6-8ba5-ce4be2af4d14\">around $45 for adults\u003c/a>, Filoli is a pricier option for a day out with a book. But people with \u003ca href=\"https://filoli.org/visit/#!\">a SNAP (CalFresh) EBT card or a Discover and Go pass\u003c/a> from the library can get free and reduced admission.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "The A.M. Craft in San José"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Amy Ly, \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/silentbookclubsanjose?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==\">\u003cem>San José Silent Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> moderator\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This cafe and restaurant is located in downtown San José, and Ly called \u003ca href=\"https://am-craft.mailchimpsites.com/about-us\">A.M. Craft\u003c/a> “my little hideout when I want to get some reading done on a Saturday morning.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Gimme a cold brew, pastry and a good read, and I’ll happily read for a few hours,” Ly said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfbookgirl?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Ciera Pasturel\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, San Mateo County librarian\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pasturel recommends specifically the patio of the Atherton Library, which is “under an enormous oak tree.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There is ample seating as well as a cafe that sells delicious coffee and pastries,” Pasturel added.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weather permitting, of course! Naulu said that she tends to take her e-reader to the beach instead of a physical book, since it “does get windy.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>One of the easiest ways to remind myself that life is worth living is grabbing my current read and taking it out of the house with me. It’s an essential tote bag accessory, along with my keys, chapstick and sunscreen. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So imagine my surprise when I saw this post from a user whose friend took a picture of them reading — on what appears to be a lovely bench — captioned: “My friends called me performative cause this is how they found me lmao??” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yes, it’s probably a joke — and it definitely sounds like something my friends would say ironically as well. (“Going to bring a book to the BTS concert so RM sees me reading in the audience and knows I’m not like other girls,” etc. etc.) But \u003ca href=\"https://www.instyle.com/elle-fanning-reading-interview-coach-11914208\">being a\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/Lilys_verses/status/2082914715525611989\">“performative reader”\u003c/a> — \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/performative-reading?_sp=5af1db0a-9ac4-4ed6-a317-ecbb6b519457.1786058480642\">i.e., reading in public\u003c/a>, in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F_A7qvs5Gs\">various configurations\u003c/a> —\u003cem>has \u003c/em>turned into \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/books/performative-reading-trend-social-media-booktok-readers-weigh-in-rcna237393\">something of a jab\u003c/a> from \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jun/30/performative-reading-public-tiktok\">the Very Online\u003c/a>. And it’s for everyone, not just the apparent \u003ca href=\"https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/chore-coats-moustaches-and-female-fiction-meet-the-men-doing-the-performative-reading-meme-irl\">“pretentious guy on a dating app\u003c/a>” archetype.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/performative-reading?_sp=5af1db0a-9ac4-4ed6-a317-ecbb6b519457.1786058480642\">\u003cem>The New Yorker’s \u003c/em>Brady Brickner-Wood\u003c/a> wrote, “If everything is potentially performative, how will we ever work up the courage to step outside of our sphere of normal, to risk being earnest and cringe, and experience something transformative?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And as Brickner-Wood said, “Reading a book is antithetical to scrolling; online platforms cannot replicate the slow, patient, and complex experience of reading a weighty novel.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So in celebration of reading outside — \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@hopeurdoingwellbruh/video/7653930211234336031\">which \u003cem>is\u003c/em> a vibe\u003c/a> — I consulted some of the Bay Area’s writers, librarians and booksellers and went on the hunt to find excellent spots in the region that will let you sit down for a while with a good read. (As always, be sure to check the hours of any businesses on this list before heading out, to make sure it’s still open.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.tiktok.com/@hopeurdoingwellbruh/video/7653930211234336031\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you don’t have something in your \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/tbr\">TBR list\u003c/a> that’s speaking to you right now, you can check out KQED’s Forum episode \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101914694/whats-on-your-summer-reading-list-4\">interviewing Bay Area booksellers on some popular summer titles\u003c/a>. (I am currently reading \u003cem>The Brothers Karamazov\u003c/em> with a friend, which, I’ll admit, is not helping me beat the performative reading allegations.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jump straight to the best places to read in:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#east-bay\">East Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#north-bay\">North Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"#peninsula\">South Bay and Peninsula\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The best places to read in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vesuvio Cafe in North Beach\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Rae Alexandra, KQED Arts and Culture reporter and author of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077049/unsung-heroines-rebel-girls-of-the-bay-area\">\u003cem>Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vesuvio Cafe is a gorgeous bar right next to City Lights, the famous bookstore once frequented by figures like \u003ca href=\"https://www.timeout.com/san-francisco/bars/vesuvio\">Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg\u003c/a> (they also publish books, and \u003cem>Unsung Heroines\u003c/em> is one of them). Alexandra’s preference is at the end of the bar, near the front door.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094749\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/VesuvioSFGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vesuvio Bar in San Francisco, California, on July 13, 2017. (Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>It’s a habit that started by accident — going book shopping in City Lights and deciding I just \u003cem>had \u003c/em>to start reading what I’d bought immediately, so popping next door to the bar,” Alexandra said. “Vesuvio is quiet in the afternoon, so a nice place to read.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you want some nature reading with your City Lights read instead, take a 12-minute walk up Columbus Avenue to \u003cstrong>Ina Coolbrith Park,\u003c/strong> a small space with beautiful city views named after \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlfR1eeDoME\">the state’s first poet laureate\u003c/a>. Alternatively, a little way up Columbus is \u003cstrong>Washington Square Park. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Golden Gate Park\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/booknerderika?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Erika Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, high school librarian in Concord \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s hard \u003cem>not \u003c/em>to find a pretty spot in Golden Gate Park to read — but \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/conservatory-of-flowers/\">the Conservatory of Flowers\u003c/a> is probably my all-time favorite place to spread a blanket and rest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Librarian Naulu agrees. For her, the best spot is the area between the California Academy of Sciences and de Young Museum. “There are fountains and benches where you can sit and relax,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12022568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/009_SanFrancisco_SkyStarWheel_03042021_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">View from the SkyStar Observation Wheel of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park on March 4, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are music performances sometimes at the music concourse that can get distracting if you are looking for a quiet spot,” Naulu said. “I like the background music sometimes though.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What makes the park particularly excellent for readers is the plethora of bookstores also available nearby, including: \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/shop/\">Gardens of Golden Gate Park\u003c/a> has its own bookstore \u003cem>in\u003c/em> the park, near Lincoln Way and Ninth Avenue. \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/learn/library-collection/\">The Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture\u003c/a> is also nearby.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://greenapplebooks.com/\">Green Apple Books on the Park\u003c/a> is around a minute walk from the Ninth Street entrance to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://borderlands-books.com/v2/index.html\">Borderlands Books\u003c/a> (science fiction and fantasy focused) is around a 3-minute walk from the Stanyan Street entrance to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://blackbirdsf.com/\">Blackbird Bookstore and Cafe\u003c/a> is around a 6-minute walk from the closest entrance on Lincoln Way to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://booksmith.com/\">The Booksmith\u003c/a> is around a 7-minute walk away from the closest entrance on Stanyan Street to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.globusbooks.com/\">Globus Books\u003c/a> is around a 7-minute walk away from the closest entrance on Fulton Street to Golden Gate Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://boundtogether.org/\">Bound Together Bookstore\u003c/a> is around an 11-minute walk from the closest entrance on Stanyan Street to Golden Gate Park — but is just around the corner from Buena Vista Park, too.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">La Promenade Café in the Outer Richmond\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Amy Gloriana, owner of bookstore \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.betweenthebookendssf.com/\">\u003cem>Between the Bookends\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gloriana said that \u003ca href=\"https://www.lapromenadecafe.com/\">La Promenade Café\u003c/a> has “so many options for seating and it’s so cozy!” There are usually a good amount of customers inside, but “never too loud” and “food and coffee is pretty good,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And probably the most winning part of her rec: “It feels like you’re in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9mRoCerrpY&list=RDY9mRoCerrpY&start_radio=1&pp=ygUQbG9maSBjb2ZmZWUgc2hvcKAHAdIHCQnECwGHKiGM7w%3D%3D\">a coffee shop lofi video\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Charlie’s Cafe in the Mission\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Sirkka Miller, bookseller at Dog Eared Books Valencia\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miller said Charlie’s Cafe has good coffee and, in the morning, is “well lit” and “nice and airy” in addition to being quiet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A bonus for Charlie’s is that it is \u003cem>right\u003c/em> next to Precita Park, which has \u003ca href=\"https://sfrecpark.org/898/Precita-Park\">a butterfly garden\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1293\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081136\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RomanceGetty-1536x993.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People relaxing in the grass at Dolores Park in San Francisco. (Lonely Planet/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dolores Park in the Mission \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Grace Wathen, bookseller at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thelovepotionlibrary.com/\">\u003cem>The Love Potion Library\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wathen said her usual spots are “anywhere I can read under a tree.” Near Dolores Park is \u003cstrong>Dolores Cafe\u003c/strong>, which includes outside seating and a pretty magnificent view of the park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you need a book, there are also stores near the park, including:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dogearedbooks.com/\">Dog Eared Books\u003c/a>, around a 6-minute walk away from the closest entrance to Dolores Park.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"http://fabulosabooks.com/\">Fabulosa Books\u003c/a>, around a 10-minute walk away from the closest entrance to Dolores Park.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The International Library of Young Authors in the Mission\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This incredible sweet spot — which features titles written by young writers across the country — is a favorite of this reporter, as it’s also the home of literary magazines like McSweeney’s (founded by the Bay Area’s Dave Eggers) and The Believer. The “library” has comfy couches, plenty of sunlight and a pretty whimsical hidden room at the back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The space sometimes hosts workshops for young people, so it’s best to check their schedule beforehand to make sure you’re able to pop in during the quiet, empty hours.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"east-bay\">The best places to read in East Bay\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clio’s in Oakland\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gabbi.rose?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Gabbi Sharp\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, host of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/67c8f1a4596bfd2f00183710\">\u003cem>the Black Authors Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> at the West Oakland Branch Library\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cliosbooks.com/\">Clio’s\u003c/a> is a stylish bar and bookstore. As Sharp said, “I always bring my own book to read. They have such cozy couches, a warm atmosphere, and they are open late!” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lake Chabot in Castro Valley\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Concord librarian Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Naulu recommends this \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/lake-chabot\">gated regional park\u003c/a> where people also boat and fish. “I like to walk the trails while listening to audiobooks,” Naulu said. “There are places to sit and read as well near the lake, but depending on the day, it can get busy and noisy with campers or other people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You’ll need to pay for parking within the regional park itself, but there’s also parking available on the road just outside the park, which is free.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1378\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/LakeMerrittReadingGetty-1536x1058.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman reads a book at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California, on Saturday, May 16, 2020. (Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lake Merritt in Oakland\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ablacklibrarian?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Makayla Walker\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, librarian in Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lake Merritt is a favorite, especially on sunny days, Walker said. There are also \u003ca href=\"https://www.lakemerritt.org/gardens.html\">specific gardens\u003c/a> within Lake Merritt to choose from. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps Lake Merritt is the place for a nice fantasy novel, considering \u003ca href=\"https://www.lakemerritt.org/fairyland.html\">children’s amusement park Fairyland\u003c/a> is nearby as well.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bishop Ranch in San Ramon\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Concord librarian Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a large, lush open space, Naulu called Bishop Ranch a “hidden gem of San Ramon.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s also \u003ca href=\"https://www.bishopranch.com/venue/annabel-lake/\">Annabel Lake \u003c/a>nearby, with “a lot of benches around it that are perfect for reading,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081140\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BookSociety_Jan2025_001-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Book Society is a wine lounge based in Berkeley. (Courtesy of Kara Brodgesell via Book Society.)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Book Society in Berkeley\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A wine lounge with \u003ca href=\"https://www.booksociety.social/menu\">a menu of snacks and nonalcoholic options\u003c/a> to choose from, the Book Society is a stylish space with popular titles for sale as well. There are also couches to lounge on, as well as soft chairs and bar stools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"north-bay\">The best places to read in North Bay\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mill Valley Depot Café & Bookstore in Mill Valley \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This cafe offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.depotcafeandbookstore.com/\">a large menu\u003c/a>, allowing you to spend some time grazing while going through your book.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cafe also doubles as an independent bookstore and an event space — so be sure to \u003ca href=\"https://www.depotcafeandbookstore.com/events\">check out the calendar\u003c/a> if you’d like to see a live music show that day as well (or avoid one, if you’re seeking serenity!).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Mill Valley Public Library\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Mill Valley branch has \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mill_valley_library/?hl=en\">wide glass windows, high ceilings and cozy lighting\u003c/a> that allow visitors to really feel like they are engulfed in the surrounding woods. In this reporter’s humble opinion, it’s probably one of the prettiest public libraries in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aqus Cafe in Petaluma\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Danielle Venton, KQED Science and climate reporter, host of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/4149/climate-book-club\">\u003cem>KQED’s Climate Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A little away from the bustling downtown, Venton said that Aqus Cafe is “very welcoming to those bookishly quiet of us, who want to be around other people without necessarily talking to them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if you \u003cem>would \u003c/em>like to be closer to downtown, Venton also recommended historic saloon \u003cstrong>McNears, \u003c/strong>adding that the staff there has “been kind and patient with me, letting me hide out upstairs reading and writing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oak Hill in Petaluma\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Danielle Venton, KQED Science and climate reporter, host of KQED’s Climate Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Venton said that this park has “everything you want.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are picnic tables, a kid’s playground, dog run, petanque court, basketball hoop and, most importantly for readers, “enormous live oak trees offering abundant shade over a large lawn,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"peninsula\">The best places to read in South Bay and the Peninsula\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fioli Estate in Woodside\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recommendation from: Yung Le, co-founder of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/anovelaffairbookcafe/\">A Novel Affair\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This gorgeous, Austenland-like garden was actually Le’s previous recommendation to KQED for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081122/bay-area-book-lovers-we-have-highly-literary-date-or-friend-hang-ideas-for-your-weekend\">a literary-themed date\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://51772.blackbaudhosting.com/51772/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=85164de0-552f-49c6-8ba5-ce4be2af4d14\">around $45 for adults\u003c/a>, Filoli is a pricier option for a day out with a book. But people with \u003ca href=\"https://filoli.org/visit/#!\">a SNAP (CalFresh) EBT card or a Discover and Go pass\u003c/a> from the library can get free and reduced admission.\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/10/2026/04/Filoli-AlbertDros-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081141\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Filoli-AlbertDros-9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Filoli-AlbertDros-9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Filoli-AlbertDros-9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fioli, in Woodside, is an historic estate with landscape gardens that brings pure Pemberley vibes to the Peninsula. \u003cbr> (Courtesy of Albert Dros via Fioli)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The A.M. Craft in San José\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Amy Ly, \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/silentbookclubsanjose?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==\">\u003cem>San José Silent Book Club\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> moderator\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This cafe and restaurant is located in downtown San José, and Ly called \u003ca href=\"https://am-craft.mailchimpsites.com/about-us\">A.M. Craft\u003c/a> “my little hideout when I want to get some reading done on a Saturday morning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Gimme a cold brew, pastry and a good read, and I’ll happily read for a few hours,” Ly said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Atherton Library in Atherton\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfbookgirl?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\">\u003cem>Ciera Pasturel\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, San Mateo County librarian\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pasturel recommends specifically the patio of the Atherton Library, which is “under an enormous oak tree.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is ample seating as well as a cafe that sells delicious coffee and pastries,” Pasturel added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Half Moon Bay Beach\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Recommendation from: Concord librarian Naulu\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weather permitting, of course! Naulu said that she tends to take her e-reader to the beach instead of a physical book, since it “does get windy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it makes for a pleasant family outing, since she can settle with a book while her kids build sandcastles next to her.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "meta-faces-up-to-1-4-trillion-reckoning-as-youth-addiction-trial-opens-in-oakland",
"title": "Meta Faces Up to $1.4 Trillion Reckoning as Youth-Addiction Trial Opens in Oakland",
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"headTitle": "Meta Faces Up to $1.4 Trillion Reckoning as Youth-Addiction Trial Opens in Oakland | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Since the dawn of social media, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/meta\">Meta\u003c/a> and other platforms have faced lawsuits charging that the sites caused harm to their users. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The companies have largely shielded themselves from those legal attacks, arguing they are not responsible for content published on their sites. But in the last two years, plaintiffs’ lawyers and state attorneys general have found success with a new strategy: arguing social media companies knowingly designed their products and policies in ways that could harm children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913414/addictive-social-media-is-harmful-to-youth-jury-says\">Earlier this year,\u003c/a> Meta attorneys faced two juries and lost in both cases. A Los Angeles jury held Meta and Google’s YouTube liable for negligent design. A New Mexico jury found the company willfully violated state consumer-protection laws. The judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/tech/meta-ordered-to-pay-942-million-to-address-harm-to-kids-from-social-media-8ba5aab7?mod=e2li\">ordered Meta to pay $942 million\u003c/a> and change how its products work for young users in that state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Starting this week in Oakland, the company faces its biggest challenge yet, when a federal trial brought by \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-files-lawsuit-against-meta-over-harms-youth-mental-health\">four state attorneys general\u003c/a> goes before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey argue Meta built features it knew would hook young users, and kept children under 13 on its platforms because they were valuable future customers, while claiming otherwise to parents and regulators. \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/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037105\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Federal Courthouse in Oakland on Aug. 16, 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement released Tuesday, a Meta spokesperson wrote, “We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people. We’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re always working to do better.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In pre-trial documents, the states have calculated Meta \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67908468/465/5/people-of-the-state-of-california-v-meta-platforms-inc/\">could owe $1.4 trillion\u003c/a>, roughly as much as the company is worth on Wall Street. Legal observers say that demand is not expected to survive the trial or the appeal likely to follow, but money is not the only demand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The states also want the court to order Meta to redesign its platforms to alter some of the very features that have made its products \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11965392/us-states-sue-meta-for-addictive-apps-fueling-youth-mental-health-crisis\">sticky enough\u003c/a> to attract \u003ca href=\"https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx\">3.6 billion people\u003c/a> around the globe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re talking about platforms that were never designed for kids to begin with,” said Dr. Jen King, privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. “So every feature there is really around engaging adults, designed to engage adults, without much thought to what would be developmentally appropriate design.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Internal documents released by \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/07/1211339737/meta-failed-to-address-harm-to-teens-whistleblower-testifies-as-senators-vow-act\">whistleblowers\u003c/a> have revealed that Meta’s own research showed how their site’s features could be harmful to teens, and that the company didn’t change course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta has always officially required Facebook and Instagram users to be at least 13 years old, in conformity with federal law. It was not until September of 2024 that the company launched \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084499/momfluencers-for-hire-metas-campaign-to-reshape-its-child-safety-image-faces-scrutiny\">age-appropriate versions\u003c/a> of Instagram for users ages 13 to 17, with content filters, screen time limits and parental supervision tools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta has long been able to tell when users are underage, King said. “Even if they’ve lied about their age, it’s usually easy to tell by who they’re friends with, or what their activities are, what they like.” She said that internal documents demonstrate Meta platforms actually encouraged underage users, “because that’s their future user base.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outcome of the Oakland case has the potential to drive a stake through the heart of not just Meta, but social media at large, according to Eric Goldman, associate dean for research and professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These lawsuits are really existential in nature. The stakes here are about whether or not players can even exist in the industry,” he told KQED. $1.4 trillion, even if the plaintiffs downsize their demand during the trial, is “a very powerful statement, and from my perspective, a chilling statement,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Meta’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx\">earnings report\u003c/a>, CFO Susan Li said, “We continue to see scrutiny on youth-related issues in several markets and have a number of youth-related trials scheduled for this year in the U.S., which may ultimately result in a material loss.”\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/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084574\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 14-year-old boy holds an iPhone with various social media and messaging apps on Feb. 23, 2026. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/12/10/nx-s1-5639694/social-media-ban-children-australia\">Australia barred children under 16\u003c/a> from using social media in 2025, more than two dozen countries have enacted bans or begun considering similar restrictions. While the Trump administration appears unlikely to follow suit, several states are moving forward on their own.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers are weighing \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1709\">AB 1709\u003c/a>, which would bar social media companies from serving addictive features to users under 16, and create an online safety commission inside the Department of Justice to advise the attorney general on enforcing it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, social media companies are fighting thousands of lawsuits brought by individuals, school districts and states, with much of that litigation consolidated into large court cases in California. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913414/addictive-social-media-is-harmful-to-youth-jury-says\">first to reach a jury\u003c/a> was brought by a young woman identified as K.G.M.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/meta-school-lawsuit-settlement-tiktok-snap-b20cdfe88dbcb55fb14808fe7f9c7372\">\u003c/a>Meta settled a suit brought by a \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/meta-school-lawsuit-settlement-tiktok-snap-b20cdfe88dbcb55fb14808fe7f9c7372\">Kentucky school district\u003c/a>. This month, a teenage plaintiff \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/teen-plaintiff-suing-meta-over-mental-health-harms-drops-his-claims-against-2026-07-22/\">dropped his suit\u003c/a> against Meta after settling with co-defendants YouTube, Snap and TikTok. Meta said it would continue to fight “baseless” lawsuits, noting the evidence showed the plaintiff in that case averaged just minutes a day on Facebook and Instagram, and he created most accounts only after hiring a lawyer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta has expressed willingness to work with the states to make its products safer while calling the damage request of more than $1 trillion a “staggering” figure. “A sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement,” the company said in a \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/doc1/035027386042?caseid=419868\">filing\u003c/a> in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11789507\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-1200x801.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey argue Meta built features it knew would hook young users, and kept children under 13 on its platforms because they were valuable future customers, while claiming otherwise to parents and regulators. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers has shown an appetite for taking on complex Silicon Valley court cases. In April, she presided over Musk v. Altman et al, showing no hesitation in keeping witnesses and lawyers in check, and carefully pruning the focus of the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Legal analysts saw many of her moves as strategic, designed to avoid a sprawling trial that could have lasted for months. Close readings of her pre-trial rulings also hinted that she viewed Elon Musk’s claims with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082428/inside-sam-altman-and-elon-musks-battle-over-openai\">more than a dollop of skepticism\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Goldman said he sees evidence the judge is already leaning against Meta. “What has stood out to me is that the defendants just cannot get a break with this judge. Everything they’re arguing is just bouncing right off of her.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta gave the judge seven arguments for throwing out the deception claims, including that social media addiction doesn’t exist and can’t be proven. Gonzalez Rogers \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-court-decision-largely-denying-meta%E2%80%99s-attempt\">rejected all of them\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta also said that federal children’s privacy law doesn’t apply, because Facebook and Instagram are built for general audiences and the company doesn’t know which users are under 13. Gonzalez Rogers sent that question to the jury, finding that children “at least partially” could be targets of the platforms.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094089\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Four states, including California, say Meta built Facebook and Instagram to hook kids and hid what it knew. (Fiordaliso/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers has demonstrated pre-trial skepticism of both sides. She characterized the states’ proposed penalties as \u003ca href=\"https://www.law360.com/articles/2502815/judge-decries-extreme-penalty-bids-in-social-media-mdl\">extreme\u003c/a>, while also noting that Meta’s counterproposal of $4 million was underwhelming for a business of its size.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta has said much of the litigation is attempting to fix a multi-faceted societal issue but wouldn’t effectively stop young people from using other types of social media, let alone its own.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But King at Stanford said Meta and other social media companies are being challenged in court because they have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11905230/do-federal-lawmakers-have-the-stomach-to-rein-in-big-tech\">effectively shut down\u003c/a> most efforts at state and federal regulation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The types of heavy-handed policy instruments we are seeing floated right now, the outright bans, the age gating, age verification measures, are really the result of the companies not giving any ground,” King said. “They haven’t been willing to do it, because they know that it will drastically affect their bottom line.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since the dawn of social media, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/meta\">Meta\u003c/a> and other platforms have faced lawsuits charging that the sites caused harm to their users. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The companies have largely shielded themselves from those legal attacks, arguing they are not responsible for content published on their sites. But in the last two years, plaintiffs’ lawyers and state attorneys general have found success with a new strategy: arguing social media companies knowingly designed their products and policies in ways that could harm children. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The companies have largely shielded themselves from those legal attacks, arguing they are not responsible for content published on their sites. But in the last two years, plaintiffs’ lawyers and state attorneys general have found success with a new strategy: arguing social media companies knowingly designed their products and policies in ways that could harm children. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913414/addictive-social-media-is-harmful-to-youth-jury-says\">Earlier this year,\u003c/a> Meta attorneys faced two juries and lost in both cases. A Los Angeles jury held Meta and Google’s YouTube liable for negligent design. A New Mexico jury found the company willfully violated state consumer-protection laws. The judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/tech/meta-ordered-to-pay-942-million-to-address-harm-to-kids-from-social-media-8ba5aab7?mod=e2li\">ordered Meta to pay $942 million\u003c/a> and change how its products work for young users in that state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913414/addictive-social-media-is-harmful-to-youth-jury-says\">Earlier this year,\u003c/a> Meta attorneys faced two juries and lost in both cases. A Los Angeles jury held Meta and Google’s YouTube liable for negligent design. A New Mexico jury found the company willfully violated state consumer-protection laws. The judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/tech/meta-ordered-to-pay-942-million-to-address-harm-to-kids-from-social-media-8ba5aab7?mod=e2li\">ordered Meta to pay $942 million\u003c/a> and change how its products work for young users in that state. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Starting this week in Oakland, the company faces its biggest challenge yet, when a federal trial brought by \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-files-lawsuit-against-meta-over-harms-youth-mental-health\">four state attorneys general\u003c/a> goes before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey argue Meta built features it knew would hook young users, and kept children under 13 on its platforms because they were valuable future customers, while claiming otherwise to parents and regulators. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Starting this week in Oakland, the company faces its biggest challenge yet, when a federal trial brought by \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-files-lawsuit-against-meta-over-harms-youth-mental-health\">four state attorneys general\u003c/a> goes before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey argue Meta built features it knew would hook young users, and kept children under 13 on its platforms because they were valuable future customers, while claiming otherwise to parents and regulators. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement released Tuesday, a Meta spokesperson wrote, “We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people. We’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re always working to do better.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a statement released Tuesday, a Meta spokesperson wrote, “We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people. We’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re always working to do better.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In pre-trial documents, the states have calculated Meta \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67908468/465/5/people-of-the-state-of-california-v-meta-platforms-inc/\">could owe $1.4 trillion\u003c/a>, roughly as much as the company is worth on Wall Street. Legal observers say that demand is not expected to survive the trial or the appeal likely to follow, but money is not the only demand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In pre-trial documents, the states have calculated Meta \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67908468/465/5/people-of-the-state-of-california-v-meta-platforms-inc/\">could owe $1.4 trillion\u003c/a>, roughly as much as the company is worth on Wall Street. Legal observers say that demand is not expected to survive the trial or the appeal likely to follow, but money is not the only demand. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The states also want the court to order Meta to redesign its platforms to alter some of the very features that have made its products \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11965392/us-states-sue-meta-for-addictive-apps-fueling-youth-mental-health-crisis\">sticky enough\u003c/a> to attract \u003ca href=\"https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx\">3.6 billion people\u003c/a> around the globe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The states also want the court to order Meta to redesign its platforms to alter some of the very features that have made its products \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11965392/us-states-sue-meta-for-addictive-apps-fueling-youth-mental-health-crisis\">sticky enough\u003c/a> to attract \u003ca href=\"https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx\">3.6 billion people\u003c/a> around the globe.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You’re talking about platforms that were never designed for kids to begin with,” said Dr. Jen King, privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. “So every feature there is really around engaging adults, designed to engage adults, without much thought to what would be developmentally appropriate design.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You’re talking about platforms that were never designed for kids to begin with,” said Dr. Jen King, privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. “So every feature there is really around engaging adults, designed to engage adults, without much thought to what would be developmentally appropriate design.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Internal documents released by \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/07/1211339737/meta-failed-to-address-harm-to-teens-whistleblower-testifies-as-senators-vow-act\">whistleblowers\u003c/a> have revealed that Meta’s own research showed how their site’s features could be harmful to teens, and that the company didn’t change course. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Internal documents released by \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/07/1211339737/meta-failed-to-address-harm-to-teens-whistleblower-testifies-as-senators-vow-act\">whistleblowers\u003c/a> have revealed that Meta’s own research showed how their site’s features could be harmful to teens, and that the company didn’t change course. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meta has always officially required Facebook and Instagram users to be at least 13 years old, in conformity with federal law. It was not until September of 2024 that the company launched \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084499/momfluencers-for-hire-metas-campaign-to-reshape-its-child-safety-image-faces-scrutiny\">age-appropriate versions\u003c/a> of Instagram for users ages 13 to 17, with content filters, screen time limits and parental supervision tools. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meta has always officially required Facebook and Instagram users to be at least 13 years old, in conformity with federal law. It was not until September of 2024 that the company launched \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084499/momfluencers-for-hire-metas-campaign-to-reshape-its-child-safety-image-faces-scrutiny\">age-appropriate versions\u003c/a> of Instagram for users ages 13 to 17, with content filters, screen time limits and parental supervision tools. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meta has long been able to tell when users are underage, King said. “Even if they’ve lied about their age, it’s usually easy to tell by who they’re friends with, or what their activities are, what they like.” She said that internal documents demonstrate Meta platforms actually encouraged underage users, “because that’s their future user base.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meta has long been able to tell when users are underage, King said. “Even if they’ve lied about their age, it’s usually easy to tell by who they’re friends with, or what their activities are, what they like.” She said that internal documents demonstrate Meta platforms actually encouraged underage users, “because that’s their future user base.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The outcome of the Oakland case has the potential to drive a stake through the heart of not just Meta, but social media at large, according to Eric Goldman, associate dean for research and professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The outcome of the Oakland case has the potential to drive a stake through the heart of not just Meta, but social media at large, according to Eric Goldman, associate dean for research and professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These lawsuits are really existential in nature. The stakes here are about whether or not players can even exist in the industry,” he told KQED. $1.4 trillion, even if the plaintiffs downsize their demand during the trial, is “a very powerful statement, and from my perspective, a chilling statement,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These lawsuits are really existential in nature. The stakes here are about whether or not players can even exist in the industry,” he told KQED. $1.4 trillion, even if the plaintiffs downsize their demand during the trial, is “a very powerful statement, and from my perspective, a chilling statement,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Meta’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx\">earnings report\u003c/a>, CFO Susan Li said, “We continue to see scrutiny on youth-related issues in several markets and have a number of youth-related trials scheduled for this year in the U.S., which may ultimately result in a material loss.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Meta’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx\">earnings report\u003c/a>, CFO Susan Li said, “We continue to see scrutiny on youth-related issues in several markets and have a number of youth-related trials scheduled for this year in the U.S., which may ultimately result in a material loss.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084574\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 14-year-old boy holds an iPhone with various social media and messaging apps on Feb. 23, 2026. \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/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084574\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 14-year-old boy holds an iPhone with various social media and messaging apps on Feb. 23, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/12/10/nx-s1-5639694/social-media-ban-children-australia\">Australia barred children under 16\u003c/a> from using social media in 2025, more than two dozen countries have enacted bans or begun considering similar restrictions. While the Trump administration appears unlikely to follow suit, several states are moving forward on their own.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/12/10/nx-s1-5639694/social-media-ban-children-australia\">Australia barred children under 16\u003c/a> from using social media in 2025, more than two dozen countries have enacted bans or begun considering similar restrictions. While the Trump administration appears unlikely to follow suit, several states are moving forward on their own.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California lawmakers are weighing \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1709\">AB 1709\u003c/a>, which would bar social media companies from serving addictive features to users under 16, and create an online safety commission inside the Department of Justice to advise the attorney general on enforcing it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California lawmakers are weighing \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1709\">AB 1709\u003c/a>, which would bar social media companies from serving addictive features to users under 16, and create an online safety commission inside the Department of Justice to advise the attorney general on enforcing it. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, social media companies are fighting thousands of lawsuits brought by individuals, school districts and states, with much of that litigation consolidated into large court cases in California. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913414/addictive-social-media-is-harmful-to-youth-jury-says\">first to reach a jury\u003c/a> was brought by a young woman identified as K.G.M.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, social media companies are fighting thousands of lawsuits brought by individuals, school districts and states, with much of that litigation consolidated into large court cases in California. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913414/addictive-social-media-is-harmful-to-youth-jury-says\">first to reach a jury\u003c/a> was brought by a young woman identified as K.G.M.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In May, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/meta-school-lawsuit-settlement-tiktok-snap-b20cdfe88dbcb55fb14808fe7f9c7372\">\u003c/a>Meta settled a suit brought by a \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/meta-school-lawsuit-settlement-tiktok-snap-b20cdfe88dbcb55fb14808fe7f9c7372\">Kentucky school district\u003c/a>. This month, a teenage plaintiff \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/teen-plaintiff-suing-meta-over-mental-health-harms-drops-his-claims-against-2026-07-22/\">dropped his suit\u003c/a> against Meta after settling with co-defendants YouTube, Snap and TikTok. Meta said it would continue to fight “baseless” lawsuits, noting the evidence showed the plaintiff in that case averaged just minutes a day on Facebook and Instagram, and he created most accounts only after hiring a lawyer.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In May, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/meta-school-lawsuit-settlement-tiktok-snap-b20cdfe88dbcb55fb14808fe7f9c7372\">\u003c/a>Meta settled a suit brought by a \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/meta-school-lawsuit-settlement-tiktok-snap-b20cdfe88dbcb55fb14808fe7f9c7372\">Kentucky school district\u003c/a>. This month, a teenage plaintiff \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/teen-plaintiff-suing-meta-over-mental-health-harms-drops-his-claims-against-2026-07-22/\">dropped his suit\u003c/a> against Meta after settling with co-defendants YouTube, Snap and TikTok. Meta said it would continue to fight “baseless” lawsuits, noting the evidence showed the plaintiff in that case averaged just minutes a day on Facebook and Instagram, and he created most accounts only after hiring a lawyer.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meta has expressed willingness to work with the states to make its products safer while calling the damage request of more than $1 trillion a “staggering” figure. “A sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement,” the company said in a \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/doc1/035027386042?caseid=419868\">filing\u003c/a> in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meta has expressed willingness to work with the states to make its products safer while calling the damage request of more than $1 trillion a “staggering” figure. “A sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement,” the company said in a \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/doc1/035027386042?caseid=419868\">filing\u003c/a> in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-1200x801.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/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11789507\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-1200x801.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey argue Meta built features it knew would hook young users, and kept children under 13 on its platforms because they were valuable future customers, while claiming otherwise to parents and regulators. \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/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11789507\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey argue Meta built features it knew would hook young users, and kept children under 13 on its platforms because they were valuable future customers, while claiming otherwise to parents and regulators. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers has shown an appetite for taking on complex Silicon Valley court cases. In April, she presided over Musk v. Altman et al, showing no hesitation in keeping witnesses and lawyers in check, and carefully pruning the focus of the trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers has shown an appetite for taking on complex Silicon Valley court cases. In April, she presided over Musk v. Altman et al, showing no hesitation in keeping witnesses and lawyers in check, and carefully pruning the focus of the trial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Legal analysts saw many of her moves as strategic, designed to avoid a sprawling trial that could have lasted for months. Close readings of her pre-trial rulings also hinted that she viewed Elon Musk’s claims with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082428/inside-sam-altman-and-elon-musks-battle-over-openai\">more than a dollop of skepticism\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Legal analysts saw many of her moves as strategic, designed to avoid a sprawling trial that could have lasted for months. Close readings of her pre-trial rulings also hinted that she viewed Elon Musk’s claims with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082428/inside-sam-altman-and-elon-musks-battle-over-openai\">more than a dollop of skepticism\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Goldman said he sees evidence the judge is already leaning against Meta. “What has stood out to me is that the defendants just cannot get a break with this judge. Everything they’re arguing is just bouncing right off of her.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Goldman said he sees evidence the judge is already leaning against Meta. “What has stood out to me is that the defendants just cannot get a break with this judge. Everything they’re arguing is just bouncing right off of her.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meta gave the judge seven arguments for throwing out the deception claims, including that social media addiction doesn’t exist and can’t be proven. Gonzalez Rogers \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-court-decision-largely-denying-meta%E2%80%99s-attempt\">rejected all of them\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meta gave the judge seven arguments for throwing out the deception claims, including that social media addiction doesn’t exist and can’t be proven. Gonzalez Rogers \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-court-decision-largely-denying-meta%E2%80%99s-attempt\">rejected all of them\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meta also said that federal children’s privacy law doesn’t apply, because Facebook and Instagram are built for general audiences and the company doesn’t know which users are under 13. Gonzalez Rogers sent that question to the jury, finding that children “at least partially” could be targets of the platforms.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meta also said that federal children’s privacy law doesn’t apply, because Facebook and Instagram are built for general audiences and the company doesn’t know which users are under 13. Gonzalez Rogers sent that question to the jury, finding that children “at least partially” could be targets of the platforms.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094089\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Four states, including California, say Meta built Facebook and Instagram to hook kids and hid what it knew. \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/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094089\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Four states, including California, say Meta built Facebook and Instagram to hook kids and hid what it knew. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers has demonstrated pre-trial skepticism of both sides. She characterized the states’ proposed penalties as \u003ca href=\"https://www.law360.com/articles/2502815/judge-decries-extreme-penalty-bids-in-social-media-mdl\">extreme\u003c/a>, while also noting that Meta’s counterproposal of $4 million was underwhelming for a business of its size.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers has demonstrated pre-trial skepticism of both sides. She characterized the states’ proposed penalties as \u003ca href=\"https://www.law360.com/articles/2502815/judge-decries-extreme-penalty-bids-in-social-media-mdl\">extreme\u003c/a>, while also noting that Meta’s counterproposal of $4 million was underwhelming for a business of its size.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meta has said much of the litigation is attempting to fix a multi-faceted societal issue but wouldn’t effectively stop young people from using other types of social media, let alone its own.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meta has said much of the litigation is attempting to fix a multi-faceted societal issue but wouldn’t effectively stop young people from using other types of social media, let alone its own.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The types of heavy-handed policy instruments we are seeing floated right now, the outright bans, the age gating, age verification measures, are really the result of the companies not giving any ground,” King said. “They haven’t been willing to do it, because they know that it will drastically affect their bottom line.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Four states, including California, say Meta built Facebook and Instagram to hook kids and hid what it knew. The federal trial opens this month in Oakland.",
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"title": "Meta Faces Up to $1.4 Trillion Reckoning as Youth-Addiction Trial Opens in Oakland | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Since the dawn of social media, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/meta\">Meta\u003c/a> and other platforms have faced lawsuits charging that the sites caused harm to their users. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The companies have largely shielded themselves from those legal attacks, arguing they are not responsible for content published on their sites. But in the last two years, plaintiffs’ lawyers and state attorneys general have found success with a new strategy: arguing social media companies knowingly designed their products and policies in ways that could harm children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913414/addictive-social-media-is-harmful-to-youth-jury-says\">Earlier this year,\u003c/a> Meta attorneys faced two juries and lost in both cases. A Los Angeles jury held Meta and Google’s YouTube liable for negligent design. A New Mexico jury found the company willfully violated state consumer-protection laws. The judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/tech/meta-ordered-to-pay-942-million-to-address-harm-to-kids-from-social-media-8ba5aab7?mod=e2li\">ordered Meta to pay $942 million\u003c/a> and change how its products work for young users in that state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Starting this week in Oakland, the company faces its biggest challenge yet, when a federal trial brought by \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-files-lawsuit-against-meta-over-harms-youth-mental-health\">four state attorneys general\u003c/a> goes before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey argue Meta built features it knew would hook young users, and kept children under 13 on its platforms because they were valuable future customers, while claiming otherwise to parents and regulators. \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/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037105\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Federal Courthouse in Oakland on Aug. 16, 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement released Tuesday, a Meta spokesperson wrote, “We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people. We’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re always working to do better.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In pre-trial documents, the states have calculated Meta \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67908468/465/5/people-of-the-state-of-california-v-meta-platforms-inc/\">could owe $1.4 trillion\u003c/a>, roughly as much as the company is worth on Wall Street. Legal observers say that demand is not expected to survive the trial or the appeal likely to follow, but money is not the only demand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The states also want the court to order Meta to redesign its platforms to alter some of the very features that have made its products \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11965392/us-states-sue-meta-for-addictive-apps-fueling-youth-mental-health-crisis\">sticky enough\u003c/a> to attract \u003ca href=\"https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx\">3.6 billion people\u003c/a> around the globe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re talking about platforms that were never designed for kids to begin with,” said Dr. Jen King, privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. “So every feature there is really around engaging adults, designed to engage adults, without much thought to what would be developmentally appropriate design.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Internal documents released by \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/07/1211339737/meta-failed-to-address-harm-to-teens-whistleblower-testifies-as-senators-vow-act\">whistleblowers\u003c/a> have revealed that Meta’s own research showed how their site’s features could be harmful to teens, and that the company didn’t change course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta has always officially required Facebook and Instagram users to be at least 13 years old, in conformity with federal law. It was not until September of 2024 that the company launched \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084499/momfluencers-for-hire-metas-campaign-to-reshape-its-child-safety-image-faces-scrutiny\">age-appropriate versions\u003c/a> of Instagram for users ages 13 to 17, with content filters, screen time limits and parental supervision tools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta has long been able to tell when users are underage, King said. “Even if they’ve lied about their age, it’s usually easy to tell by who they’re friends with, or what their activities are, what they like.” She said that internal documents demonstrate Meta platforms actually encouraged underage users, “because that’s their future user base.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outcome of the Oakland case has the potential to drive a stake through the heart of not just Meta, but social media at large, according to Eric Goldman, associate dean for research and professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These lawsuits are really existential in nature. The stakes here are about whether or not players can even exist in the industry,” he told KQED. $1.4 trillion, even if the plaintiffs downsize their demand during the trial, is “a very powerful statement, and from my perspective, a chilling statement,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Meta’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx\">earnings report\u003c/a>, CFO Susan Li said, “We continue to see scrutiny on youth-related issues in several markets and have a number of youth-related trials scheduled for this year in the U.S., which may ultimately result in a material loss.”\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/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084574\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TeenagersMetaSocialMediaGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 14-year-old boy holds an iPhone with various social media and messaging apps on Feb. 23, 2026. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/12/10/nx-s1-5639694/social-media-ban-children-australia\">Australia barred children under 16\u003c/a> from using social media in 2025, more than two dozen countries have enacted bans or begun considering similar restrictions. While the Trump administration appears unlikely to follow suit, several states are moving forward on their own.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California lawmakers are weighing \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1709\">AB 1709\u003c/a>, which would bar social media companies from serving addictive features to users under 16, and create an online safety commission inside the Department of Justice to advise the attorney general on enforcing it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, social media companies are fighting thousands of lawsuits brought by individuals, school districts and states, with much of that litigation consolidated into large court cases in California. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913414/addictive-social-media-is-harmful-to-youth-jury-says\">first to reach a jury\u003c/a> was brought by a young woman identified as K.G.M.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/meta-school-lawsuit-settlement-tiktok-snap-b20cdfe88dbcb55fb14808fe7f9c7372\">\u003c/a>Meta settled a suit brought by a \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/meta-school-lawsuit-settlement-tiktok-snap-b20cdfe88dbcb55fb14808fe7f9c7372\">Kentucky school district\u003c/a>. This month, a teenage plaintiff \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/teen-plaintiff-suing-meta-over-mental-health-harms-drops-his-claims-against-2026-07-22/\">dropped his suit\u003c/a> against Meta after settling with co-defendants YouTube, Snap and TikTok. Meta said it would continue to fight “baseless” lawsuits, noting the evidence showed the plaintiff in that case averaged just minutes a day on Facebook and Instagram, and he created most accounts only after hiring a lawyer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta has expressed willingness to work with the states to make its products safer while calling the damage request of more than $1 trillion a “staggering” figure. “A sanction of that size has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement,” the company said in a \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/doc1/035027386042?caseid=419868\">filing\u003c/a> in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11789507\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/cellphone-1920-1200x801.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey argue Meta built features it knew would hook young users, and kept children under 13 on its platforms because they were valuable future customers, while claiming otherwise to parents and regulators. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers has shown an appetite for taking on complex Silicon Valley court cases. In April, she presided over Musk v. Altman et al, showing no hesitation in keeping witnesses and lawyers in check, and carefully pruning the focus of the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Legal analysts saw many of her moves as strategic, designed to avoid a sprawling trial that could have lasted for months. Close readings of her pre-trial rulings also hinted that she viewed Elon Musk’s claims with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082428/inside-sam-altman-and-elon-musks-battle-over-openai\">more than a dollop of skepticism\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Goldman said he sees evidence the judge is already leaning against Meta. “What has stood out to me is that the defendants just cannot get a break with this judge. Everything they’re arguing is just bouncing right off of her.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta gave the judge seven arguments for throwing out the deception claims, including that social media addiction doesn’t exist and can’t be proven. Gonzalez Rogers \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-court-decision-largely-denying-meta%E2%80%99s-attempt\">rejected all of them\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta also said that federal children’s privacy law doesn’t apply, because Facebook and Instagram are built for general audiences and the company doesn’t know which users are under 13. Gonzalez Rogers sent that question to the jury, finding that children “at least partially” could be targets of the platforms.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094089\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/TeenAIGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Four states, including California, say Meta built Facebook and Instagram to hook kids and hid what it knew. (Fiordaliso/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gonzalez Rogers has demonstrated pre-trial skepticism of both sides. She characterized the states’ proposed penalties as \u003ca href=\"https://www.law360.com/articles/2502815/judge-decries-extreme-penalty-bids-in-social-media-mdl\">extreme\u003c/a>, while also noting that Meta’s counterproposal of $4 million was underwhelming for a business of its size.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meta has said much of the litigation is attempting to fix a multi-faceted societal issue but wouldn’t effectively stop young people from using other types of social media, let alone its own.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But King at Stanford said Meta and other social media companies are being challenged in court because they have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11905230/do-federal-lawmakers-have-the-stomach-to-rein-in-big-tech\">effectively shut down\u003c/a> most efforts at state and federal regulation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The types of heavy-handed policy instruments we are seeing floated right now, the outright bans, the age gating, age verification measures, are really the result of the companies not giving any ground,” King said. “They haven’t been willing to do it, because they know that it will drastically affect their bottom line.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Class is back in session at OUSD schools this week, with one notable change: A strict phone-free policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED’s Katie DeBenedetti explains how a statewide mandate has pushed districts across the Bay to pass their own policies banning or restricting phones, and how it’s playing out in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-megaphone wp-block-embed-megaphone\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC8565102522\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\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/news/12094226/ousd-cellphone-ban-for-students-takes-effect-on-the-first-day-of-the-school-year\">OUSD Cellphone Ban for Students Takes Effect on the First Day of the School Year\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Episode transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\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>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz-Gavarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. I remember about a year ago, I walked into a high school classroom and I was so shocked to find students with AirPods in, phones out on the desks, like so explicitly out. High school me could have never imagined that becoming the norm. But now, phone-free policies at schools have made a comeback. Oakland Unified has banned phones in schools across all grade levels. And districts across the state are banning or limiting phones as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:44] \u003c/em>Although it’s not a silver bullet, I think it is like a necessary condition for a focused classroom that phones are not stealing young people’s attention. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:54] \u003c/em>Today, California’s push towards phone-free schools and what that looks like in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:08] \u003c/em>So Katie, it’s the first week of school for Oakland Unified School District students and they came to school with a brand new cell phone policy. Oh, what is it exactly? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:20] \u003c/em>When kids walked into school on Monday, one of the first things that will now be part of every morning is putting their phones away for the whole day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>Katie DeBenedetti is a reporter for KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:34] \u003c/em>That varies by school site, but in most elementary schools, they’ll have a lock box at the front of their classroom, and they’ll to put their phones in it for the day. And then in middle schools and high schools, they are going to be issued these pouches called Yondr pouches. They’re like canvas bags with a magnet at the top that locks during the day, their first period teacher, at least last year during the pilot phase was the person that kind of went around and made sure everyone. Had their pouch closed with their phone in it at the beginning of the day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:08] \u003c/em>This is something that is happening at other Bay Area schools in a bunch of different ways as well. Why is this happening? Why are we seeing this sort of wave of no phone policy that schools happening across California? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:21] \u003c/em>In 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Phone Free School Act, which basically requires all school districts to restrict or prohibit cell phone use, and that went into effect this July. The reasoning behind that was there was research showing that less phones was better for learning, better for attention, and also for kids’ mental health. So… OUSD’s ban is on the stricter side. They’re gonna be a bell-to-bell ban for all students, but you’re right, a lot of Bay Area districts are adopting similar policies. The San Mateo Foster City School District has been using yonder pouches for a couple years, actually, and a couple of high schools on the peninsula have as well. Up in Marin and Tamm Unified School District, they’re introducing a very similar lockable box that are individual for students. And then there are a lot of other districts that don’t have these full bans. So San Francisco actually voted to kind of keep their existing cell phone policy, which is just that mobile communication devices have to be turned off, have to put away during instructional time and passing periods. A lot of Bay Area districts have also put in place these like similar less restrictive rules, though they vary. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:40] \u003c/em>And you mentioned OUSD has one of the more stricter phone policies. What was their rationale behind this specific cell phone band that they went for with these Yondr pouches? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:52] \u003c/em>Yeah, so when administrators were explaining why, you know, full ban versus partial van, they said it’s first of all just for consistency. You know, it’s a little bit easier for kids to understand.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denise Saddler: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:03] \u003c/em>We want our students to be focused on learning in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:08] \u003c/em>Here’s what Superintendent Denise Saddler had to say about the phone policy. That was a clip from ABC 7. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denise Saddler: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:15] \u003c/em>We also see this policy as a way to deal with some of the social media issues that come up, particularly in middle and high school, quite frankly, you know, bullying and some of the issues that have caused challenges for our students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:30] \u003c/em>Also, it kind of keeps people interacting during passing periods, during lunch, connecting face-to-face throughout the school day, and it eliminates distractions. Even if you see a text while you’re heading to class or at the lunch table, you might be still thinking about it when you’re in class wondering, am I gonna be able to respond again? But if you just wait until after school to see it to begin with, it’s supposed to be less distracting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:56] \u003c/em>What has the reaction been from students and parents at OUSD so far? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:01] \u003c/em>I think it’s been somewhat mixed. I think, you know, parents on the first day of school kind of told us that they’re happy that their kids will hopefully be less distracted. What are your thoughts on this new no cell phone policy? One parent, Chris Connolly, spoke with our colleague Farida Jabvala-Romero on the first day at school. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chris Connolly: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:21] \u003c/em>Personally, I am quite happy about it. I think it will be great for the kids, especially the high schoolers, who can easily be distracted by phones all day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:33] \u003c/em>Some of them did have some safety concerns and that was really echoed by a student I talked to, Blake Rodgers. She’s an Oakland Tech senior. I do understand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Blake Rodgers: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:43] \u003c/em>I understand that phones create distractions in classrooms, but I do think that the safety issues that have been like pretty prevalent recently outweigh that goal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:58] \u003c/em>She went to Skyline High School last year where there was a shooting on campus in the fall and she says it’s scary to think about not having access to her phone if something like that happens again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Blake Rodgers: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:10] \u003c/em>Its really hard to get in contact with people, even with your phone, because we’re not always sure what’s going on without a phone. I think people will be completely left in the dark and that is a scary thing to be in. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:25] \u003c/em>That is kind of interesting and also a little chilling that sort of the main concern that you’re hearing against these bands is this idea of safety. And I have to imagine like school shootings are probably also top of mind for folks as well. How does OUSD respond to that criticism?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:44] \u003c/em>Yeah, so as part of the rule, OUSD says that students will be able to access their phones if there’s a genuine health or safety emergency or if a teacher or administrator or doctor authorizes it. So there are exceptions in emergencies. And also, administrators have said that the ban could actually help reduce misinformation spread during emergencies or even prevent conflict escalation that could be happening on social media or group messaging. So I think it could go, you know, a couple different ways. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:26] \u003c/em>We’ll have more with KQED’s Katie DiBenedetti right after this break. By the way, if you appreciate the local deep dives that we bring you on the bay, consider becoming a KQED sustaining member. Sustaining members really are the backbone of what we do here at KQED. Just go to donate.kqed.org slash podcasts. And thank you so much. We’ll be right back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:01] \u003c/em>I mean, the reaction seems a little mixed, but I just have to imagine it’s overall, maybe a good thing that kids don’t have access to their phones at schools, maybe. I mean do we know whether bands like these actually work? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:17] \u003c/em>The research is pretty new because a lot of these bans are just in the last couple of years. But one of the biggest studies that’s come out so far showed that schools that had these strict bans noticed a decrease in student phone use. But they haven’t seen all of the behavioral or academic results that they had kind of hoped for. So in some cases, suspensions actually went up in the immediate period after the ban. Test scores haven’t, you know, had a mark. Improvement. But again, these are still pretty new and teachers at least in Oakland seem pretty excited about it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:55] \u003c/em>Phones are engineered to take people’s attention and specifically young people’s intention. And so they really have no place in a focused classroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:04] \u003c/em>I talked to Gabriel Kahn, who teaches at Life Academy, and he said he and his colleagues have been really impressed. They’re noticing students are more attentive, they’re less distracted. One thing that he said that was funny to me is they’re using the bathroom a lot less.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:21] \u003c/em>I would say bathroom use decreased in my classroom by 80%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:26] \u003c/em>Because I guess that’s one of those places where teachers can’t be watching, so kids would often take their phone to the bathroom for a break. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:35] \u003c/em>We do a pretty good job of making sure kids aren’t on their phones in the room, but when they go to the bathroom, it’s an unmonitored space, and if their phone isn’t put away in a yonder pouch, you can best believe that they’re on their phone when they take their bathroom break. I believe there’s a direct correlation between our instigating the yonderpouch policy and the massive decrease in bathroom use that we saw because there was no phone motivation to go to bathroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:04] \u003c/em>I feel like adults banning something doesn’t always mean that that thing fully goes away. There’s often ways that young people will find work around. Have we seen anything like that when it comes to this no phone policy at schools? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:19] \u003c/em>Yeah, that’s definitely something I was curious about, and it did not take me long to find how students are getting around these bands. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tik Tok: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:27] \u003c/em>Alright guys so I just got back from school and guess what they’re making us put our phones in these little pouches right here. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:36] \u003c/em>You know, I just did a quick TikTok search and found that kids are already sharing ways to open their pouches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tik Tok: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:43] \u003c/em>So today, we’re gonna be making a tutorial so everybody can have their phone at school. Everybody and their mom’s gonna have their phones, all right? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:51] \u003c/em>One of them involves sticking two pencils on the sides of the magnet and like banging the pouch against something hard. And that has like a million views. So kids are learning pretty quickly how to get around these rules. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:06] \u003c/em>The irony of that also, of them recording themselves doing this. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:13] \u003c/em>How does this compare to your experience with your phone in high school? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:17] \u003c/em>There were really no restrictions on it. Our school blocked like certain apps, but even then we knew how to get around that, VPN apps, whatever. So I think it’s a familiar sight to see. Yeah, totally. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:31] \u003c/em>Well, Katie, the school year is I guess just starting and we’ll have to kind of see how this goes, but what big questions are you thinking about around these bands going forward? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:42] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, I’m definitely interested to see, you know, how many kids are able to kind of get around the bands. But I’m also excited to see after a couple years, if there is any effect on test scores on how much students are learning and mental health. I think that would be really interesting to see if it really is better for kids not to be staring down at their screens during lunch. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:07] \u003c/em>Yeah and I don’t know, maybe one day our classrooms will go back to like pen and paper? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:13] \u003c/em>We have the option, we have all the tools to do that, so we’ll see. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:20] \u003c/em>Well, Katie, thank you so much for chatting with me about this. Appreciate it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:24] \u003c/em>Thanks so much.\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>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED’s Katie DeBenedetti explains how a statewide mandate has pushed districts across the Bay to pass their own policies banning or restricting phones, and how it’s playing out in Oakland. \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-Gavarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. I remember about a year ago, I walked into a high school classroom and I was so shocked to find students with AirPods in, phones out on the desks, like so explicitly out. High school me could have never imagined that becoming the norm. But now, phone-free policies at schools have made a comeback. Oakland Unified has banned phones in schools across all grade levels. And districts across the state are banning or limiting phones as well. \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-Gavarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. I remember about a year ago, I walked into a high school classroom and I was so shocked to find students with AirPods in, phones out on the desks, like so explicitly out. High school me could have never imagined that becoming the norm. But now, phone-free policies at schools have made a comeback. Oakland Unified has banned phones in schools across all grade levels. And districts across the state are banning or limiting phones as well. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:44] \u003c/em>Although it’s not a silver bullet, I think it is like a necessary condition for a focused classroom that phones are not stealing young people’s attention. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:44] \u003c/em>Although it’s not a silver bullet, I think it is like a necessary condition for a focused classroom that phones are not stealing young people’s attention. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:54] \u003c/em>Today, California’s push towards phone-free schools and what that looks like in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:54] \u003c/em>Today, California’s push towards phone-free schools and what that looks like in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:08] \u003c/em>So Katie, it’s the first week of school for Oakland Unified School District students and they came to school with a brand new cell phone policy. Oh, what is it exactly? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:08] \u003c/em>So Katie, it’s the first week of school for Oakland Unified School District students and they came to school with a brand new cell phone policy. Oh, what is it exactly? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:20] \u003c/em>When kids walked into school on Monday, one of the first things that will now be part of every morning is putting their phones away for the whole day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:20] \u003c/em>When kids walked into school on Monday, one of the first things that will now be part of every morning is putting their phones away for the whole day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>Katie DeBenedetti is a reporter for KQED. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:34] \u003c/em>That varies by school site, but in most elementary schools, they’ll have a lock box at the front of their classroom, and they’ll to put their phones in it for the day. And then in middle schools and high schools, they are going to be issued these pouches called Yondr pouches. They’re like canvas bags with a magnet at the top that locks during the day, their first period teacher, at least last year during the pilot phase was the person that kind of went around and made sure everyone. Had their pouch closed with their phone in it at the beginning of the day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:34] \u003c/em>That varies by school site, but in most elementary schools, they’ll have a lock box at the front of their classroom, and they’ll to put their phones in it for the day. And then in middle schools and high schools, they are going to be issued these pouches called Yondr pouches. They’re like canvas bags with a magnet at the top that locks during the day, their first period teacher, at least last year during the pilot phase was the person that kind of went around and made sure everyone. Had their pouch closed with their phone in it at the beginning of the day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:08] \u003c/em>This is something that is happening at other Bay Area schools in a bunch of different ways as well. Why is this happening? Why are we seeing this sort of wave of no phone policy that schools happening across California? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:08] \u003c/em>This is something that is happening at other Bay Area schools in a bunch of different ways as well. Why is this happening? Why are we seeing this sort of wave of no phone policy that schools happening across California? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:21] \u003c/em>In 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Phone Free School Act, which basically requires all school districts to restrict or prohibit cell phone use, and that went into effect this July. The reasoning behind that was there was research showing that less phones was better for learning, better for attention, and also for kids’ mental health. So… OUSD’s ban is on the stricter side. They’re gonna be a bell-to-bell ban for all students, but you’re right, a lot of Bay Area districts are adopting similar policies. The San Mateo Foster City School District has been using yonder pouches for a couple years, actually, and a couple of high schools on the peninsula have as well. Up in Marin and Tamm Unified School District, they’re introducing a very similar lockable box that are individual for students. And then there are a lot of other districts that don’t have these full bans. So San Francisco actually voted to kind of keep their existing cell phone policy, which is just that mobile communication devices have to be turned off, have to put away during instructional time and passing periods. A lot of Bay Area districts have also put in place these like similar less restrictive rules, though they vary. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:21] \u003c/em>In 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Phone Free School Act, which basically requires all school districts to restrict or prohibit cell phone use, and that went into effect this July. The reasoning behind that was there was research showing that less phones was better for learning, better for attention, and also for kids’ mental health. So… OUSD’s ban is on the stricter side. They’re gonna be a bell-to-bell ban for all students, but you’re right, a lot of Bay Area districts are adopting similar policies. The San Mateo Foster City School District has been using yonder pouches for a couple years, actually, and a couple of high schools on the peninsula have as well. Up in Marin and Tamm Unified School District, they’re introducing a very similar lockable box that are individual for students. And then there are a lot of other districts that don’t have these full bans. So San Francisco actually voted to kind of keep their existing cell phone policy, which is just that mobile communication devices have to be turned off, have to put away during instructional time and passing periods. A lot of Bay Area districts have also put in place these like similar less restrictive rules, though they vary. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:40] \u003c/em>And you mentioned OUSD has one of the more stricter phone policies. What was their rationale behind this specific cell phone band that they went for with these Yondr pouches? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:40] \u003c/em>And you mentioned OUSD has one of the more stricter phone policies. What was their rationale behind this specific cell phone band that they went for with these Yondr pouches? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:52] \u003c/em>Yeah, so when administrators were explaining why, you know, full ban versus partial van, they said it’s first of all just for consistency. You know, it’s a little bit easier for kids to understand.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:52] \u003c/em>Yeah, so when administrators were explaining why, you know, full ban versus partial van, they said it’s first of all just for consistency. You know, it’s a little bit easier for kids to understand.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denise Saddler: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:03] \u003c/em>We want our students to be focused on learning in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denise Saddler: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:03] \u003c/em>We want our students to be focused on learning in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:08] \u003c/em>Here’s what Superintendent Denise Saddler had to say about the phone policy. That was a clip from ABC 7. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:08] \u003c/em>Here’s what Superintendent Denise Saddler had to say about the phone policy. That was a clip from ABC 7. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denise Saddler: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:15] \u003c/em>We also see this policy as a way to deal with some of the social media issues that come up, particularly in middle and high school, quite frankly, you know, bullying and some of the issues that have caused challenges for our students. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denise Saddler: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:15] \u003c/em>We also see this policy as a way to deal with some of the social media issues that come up, particularly in middle and high school, quite frankly, you know, bullying and some of the issues that have caused challenges for our students. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:30] \u003c/em>Also, it kind of keeps people interacting during passing periods, during lunch, connecting face-to-face throughout the school day, and it eliminates distractions. Even if you see a text while you’re heading to class or at the lunch table, you might be still thinking about it when you’re in class wondering, am I gonna be able to respond again? But if you just wait until after school to see it to begin with, it’s supposed to be less distracting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:30] \u003c/em>Also, it kind of keeps people interacting during passing periods, during lunch, connecting face-to-face throughout the school day, and it eliminates distractions. Even if you see a text while you’re heading to class or at the lunch table, you might be still thinking about it when you’re in class wondering, am I gonna be able to respond again? But if you just wait until after school to see it to begin with, it’s supposed to be less distracting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:56] \u003c/em>What has the reaction been from students and parents at OUSD so far? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:56] \u003c/em>What has the reaction been from students and parents at OUSD so far? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:01] \u003c/em>I think it’s been somewhat mixed. I think, you know, parents on the first day of school kind of told us that they’re happy that their kids will hopefully be less distracted. What are your thoughts on this new no cell phone policy? One parent, Chris Connolly, spoke with our colleague Farida Jabvala-Romero on the first day at school. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:01] \u003c/em>I think it’s been somewhat mixed. I think, you know, parents on the first day of school kind of told us that they’re happy that their kids will hopefully be less distracted. What are your thoughts on this new no cell phone policy? One parent, Chris Connolly, spoke with our colleague Farida Jabvala-Romero on the first day at school. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chris Connolly: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:21] \u003c/em>Personally, I am quite happy about it. I think it will be great for the kids, especially the high schoolers, who can easily be distracted by phones all day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chris Connolly: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:21] \u003c/em>Personally, I am quite happy about it. I think it will be great for the kids, especially the high schoolers, who can easily be distracted by phones all day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:33] \u003c/em>Some of them did have some safety concerns and that was really echoed by a student I talked to, Blake Rodgers. She’s an Oakland Tech senior. I do understand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:33] \u003c/em>Some of them did have some safety concerns and that was really echoed by a student I talked to, Blake Rodgers. She’s an Oakland Tech senior. I do understand. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Blake Rodgers: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:43] \u003c/em>I understand that phones create distractions in classrooms, but I do think that the safety issues that have been like pretty prevalent recently outweigh that goal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Blake Rodgers: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:43] \u003c/em>I understand that phones create distractions in classrooms, but I do think that the safety issues that have been like pretty prevalent recently outweigh that goal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:58] \u003c/em>She went to Skyline High School last year where there was a shooting on campus in the fall and she says it’s scary to think about not having access to her phone if something like that happens again.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:58] \u003c/em>She went to Skyline High School last year where there was a shooting on campus in the fall and she says it’s scary to think about not having access to her phone if something like that happens again.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Blake Rodgers: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:10] \u003c/em>Its really hard to get in contact with people, even with your phone, because we’re not always sure what’s going on without a phone. I think people will be completely left in the dark and that is a scary thing to be in. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Blake Rodgers: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:10] \u003c/em>Its really hard to get in contact with people, even with your phone, because we’re not always sure what’s going on without a phone. I think people will be completely left in the dark and that is a scary thing to be in. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:25] \u003c/em>That is kind of interesting and also a little chilling that sort of the main concern that you’re hearing against these bands is this idea of safety. And I have to imagine like school shootings are probably also top of mind for folks as well. How does OUSD respond to that criticism?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:25] \u003c/em>That is kind of interesting and also a little chilling that sort of the main concern that you’re hearing against these bands is this idea of safety. And I have to imagine like school shootings are probably also top of mind for folks as well. How does OUSD respond to that criticism?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:44] \u003c/em>Yeah, so as part of the rule, OUSD says that students will be able to access their phones if there’s a genuine health or safety emergency or if a teacher or administrator or doctor authorizes it. So there are exceptions in emergencies. And also, administrators have said that the ban could actually help reduce misinformation spread during emergencies or even prevent conflict escalation that could be happening on social media or group messaging. So I think it could go, you know, a couple different ways. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:44] \u003c/em>Yeah, so as part of the rule, OUSD says that students will be able to access their phones if there’s a genuine health or safety emergency or if a teacher or administrator or doctor authorizes it. So there are exceptions in emergencies. And also, administrators have said that the ban could actually help reduce misinformation spread during emergencies or even prevent conflict escalation that could be happening on social media or group messaging. So I think it could go, you know, a couple different ways. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:26] \u003c/em>We’ll have more with KQED’s Katie DiBenedetti right after this break. By the way, if you appreciate the local deep dives that we bring you on the bay, consider becoming a KQED sustaining member. Sustaining members really are the backbone of what we do here at KQED. Just go to donate.kqed.org slash podcasts. And thank you so much. We’ll be right back.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:26] \u003c/em>We’ll have more with KQED’s Katie DiBenedetti right after this break. By the way, if you appreciate the local deep dives that we bring you on the bay, consider becoming a KQED sustaining member. Sustaining members really are the backbone of what we do here at KQED. Just go to donate.kqed.org slash podcasts. And thank you so much. We’ll be right back.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:01] \u003c/em>I mean, the reaction seems a little mixed, but I just have to imagine it’s overall, maybe a good thing that kids don’t have access to their phones at schools, maybe. I mean do we know whether bands like these actually work? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:01] \u003c/em>I mean, the reaction seems a little mixed, but I just have to imagine it’s overall, maybe a good thing that kids don’t have access to their phones at schools, maybe. I mean do we know whether bands like these actually work? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:17] \u003c/em>The research is pretty new because a lot of these bans are just in the last couple of years. But one of the biggest studies that’s come out so far showed that schools that had these strict bans noticed a decrease in student phone use. But they haven’t seen all of the behavioral or academic results that they had kind of hoped for. So in some cases, suspensions actually went up in the immediate period after the ban. Test scores haven’t, you know, had a mark. Improvement. But again, these are still pretty new and teachers at least in Oakland seem pretty excited about it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:17] \u003c/em>The research is pretty new because a lot of these bans are just in the last couple of years. But one of the biggest studies that’s come out so far showed that schools that had these strict bans noticed a decrease in student phone use. But they haven’t seen all of the behavioral or academic results that they had kind of hoped for. So in some cases, suspensions actually went up in the immediate period after the ban. Test scores haven’t, you know, had a mark. Improvement. But again, these are still pretty new and teachers at least in Oakland seem pretty excited about it. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:55] \u003c/em>Phones are engineered to take people’s attention and specifically young people’s intention. And so they really have no place in a focused classroom. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:55] \u003c/em>Phones are engineered to take people’s attention and specifically young people’s intention. And so they really have no place in a focused classroom. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:04] \u003c/em>I talked to Gabriel Kahn, who teaches at Life Academy, and he said he and his colleagues have been really impressed. They’re noticing students are more attentive, they’re less distracted. One thing that he said that was funny to me is they’re using the bathroom a lot less.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:04] \u003c/em>I talked to Gabriel Kahn, who teaches at Life Academy, and he said he and his colleagues have been really impressed. They’re noticing students are more attentive, they’re less distracted. One thing that he said that was funny to me is they’re using the bathroom a lot less.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:21] \u003c/em>I would say bathroom use decreased in my classroom by 80%. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:21] \u003c/em>I would say bathroom use decreased in my classroom by 80%. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:26] \u003c/em>Because I guess that’s one of those places where teachers can’t be watching, so kids would often take their phone to the bathroom for a break. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:26] \u003c/em>Because I guess that’s one of those places where teachers can’t be watching, so kids would often take their phone to the bathroom for a break. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:35] \u003c/em>We do a pretty good job of making sure kids aren’t on their phones in the room, but when they go to the bathroom, it’s an unmonitored space, and if their phone isn’t put away in a yonder pouch, you can best believe that they’re on their phone when they take their bathroom break. I believe there’s a direct correlation between our instigating the yonderpouch policy and the massive decrease in bathroom use that we saw because there was no phone motivation to go to bathroom. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:35] \u003c/em>We do a pretty good job of making sure kids aren’t on their phones in the room, but when they go to the bathroom, it’s an unmonitored space, and if their phone isn’t put away in a yonder pouch, you can best believe that they’re on their phone when they take their bathroom break. I believe there’s a direct correlation between our instigating the yonderpouch policy and the massive decrease in bathroom use that we saw because there was no phone motivation to go to bathroom. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:04] \u003c/em>I feel like adults banning something doesn’t always mean that that thing fully goes away. There’s often ways that young people will find work around. Have we seen anything like that when it comes to this no phone policy at schools? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:04] \u003c/em>I feel like adults banning something doesn’t always mean that that thing fully goes away. There’s often ways that young people will find work around. Have we seen anything like that when it comes to this no phone policy at schools? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:19] \u003c/em>Yeah, that’s definitely something I was curious about, and it did not take me long to find how students are getting around these bands. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:19] \u003c/em>Yeah, that’s definitely something I was curious about, and it did not take me long to find how students are getting around these bands. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tik Tok: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:27] \u003c/em>Alright guys so I just got back from school and guess what they’re making us put our phones in these little pouches right here. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tik Tok: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:27] \u003c/em>Alright guys so I just got back from school and guess what they’re making us put our phones in these little pouches right here. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:36] \u003c/em>You know, I just did a quick TikTok search and found that kids are already sharing ways to open their pouches. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:36] \u003c/em>You know, I just did a quick TikTok search and found that kids are already sharing ways to open their pouches. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tik Tok: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:43] \u003c/em>So today, we’re gonna be making a tutorial so everybody can have their phone at school. Everybody and their mom’s gonna have their phones, all right? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tik Tok: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:43] \u003c/em>So today, we’re gonna be making a tutorial so everybody can have their phone at school. Everybody and their mom’s gonna have their phones, all right? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:51] \u003c/em>One of them involves sticking two pencils on the sides of the magnet and like banging the pouch against something hard. And that has like a million views. So kids are learning pretty quickly how to get around these rules. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:51] \u003c/em>One of them involves sticking two pencils on the sides of the magnet and like banging the pouch against something hard. And that has like a million views. So kids are learning pretty quickly how to get around these rules. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:06] \u003c/em>The irony of that also, of them recording themselves doing this. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:17] \u003c/em>There were really no restrictions on it. Our school blocked like certain apps, but even then we knew how to get around that, VPN apps, whatever. So I think it’s a familiar sight to see. Yeah, totally. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:31] \u003c/em>Well, Katie, the school year is I guess just starting and we’ll have to kind of see how this goes, but what big questions are you thinking about around these bands going forward? \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Class is back in session at OUSD schools this week, with one notable change: A strict phone-free policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED’s Katie DeBenedetti explains how a statewide mandate has pushed districts across the Bay to pass their own policies banning or restricting phones, and how it’s playing out in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-megaphone wp-block-embed-megaphone\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC8565102522\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\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/news/12094226/ousd-cellphone-ban-for-students-takes-effect-on-the-first-day-of-the-school-year\">OUSD Cellphone Ban for Students Takes Effect on the First Day of the School Year\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Episode transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\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>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:00] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz-Gavarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. I remember about a year ago, I walked into a high school classroom and I was so shocked to find students with AirPods in, phones out on the desks, like so explicitly out. High school me could have never imagined that becoming the norm. But now, phone-free policies at schools have made a comeback. Oakland Unified has banned phones in schools across all grade levels. And districts across the state are banning or limiting phones as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:44] \u003c/em>Although it’s not a silver bullet, I think it is like a necessary condition for a focused classroom that phones are not stealing young people’s attention. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:00:54] \u003c/em>Today, California’s push towards phone-free schools and what that looks like in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:08] \u003c/em>So Katie, it’s the first week of school for Oakland Unified School District students and they came to school with a brand new cell phone policy. Oh, what is it exactly? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:20] \u003c/em>When kids walked into school on Monday, one of the first things that will now be part of every morning is putting their phones away for the whole day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:30] \u003c/em>Katie DeBenedetti is a reporter for KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:34] \u003c/em>That varies by school site, but in most elementary schools, they’ll have a lock box at the front of their classroom, and they’ll to put their phones in it for the day. And then in middle schools and high schools, they are going to be issued these pouches called Yondr pouches. They’re like canvas bags with a magnet at the top that locks during the day, their first period teacher, at least last year during the pilot phase was the person that kind of went around and made sure everyone. Had their pouch closed with their phone in it at the beginning of the day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:08] \u003c/em>This is something that is happening at other Bay Area schools in a bunch of different ways as well. Why is this happening? Why are we seeing this sort of wave of no phone policy that schools happening across California? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:21] \u003c/em>In 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Phone Free School Act, which basically requires all school districts to restrict or prohibit cell phone use, and that went into effect this July. The reasoning behind that was there was research showing that less phones was better for learning, better for attention, and also for kids’ mental health. So… OUSD’s ban is on the stricter side. They’re gonna be a bell-to-bell ban for all students, but you’re right, a lot of Bay Area districts are adopting similar policies. The San Mateo Foster City School District has been using yonder pouches for a couple years, actually, and a couple of high schools on the peninsula have as well. Up in Marin and Tamm Unified School District, they’re introducing a very similar lockable box that are individual for students. And then there are a lot of other districts that don’t have these full bans. So San Francisco actually voted to kind of keep their existing cell phone policy, which is just that mobile communication devices have to be turned off, have to put away during instructional time and passing periods. A lot of Bay Area districts have also put in place these like similar less restrictive rules, though they vary. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:40] \u003c/em>And you mentioned OUSD has one of the more stricter phone policies. What was their rationale behind this specific cell phone band that they went for with these Yondr pouches? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:52] \u003c/em>Yeah, so when administrators were explaining why, you know, full ban versus partial van, they said it’s first of all just for consistency. You know, it’s a little bit easier for kids to understand.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denise Saddler: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:03] \u003c/em>We want our students to be focused on learning in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:08] \u003c/em>Here’s what Superintendent Denise Saddler had to say about the phone policy. That was a clip from ABC 7. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denise Saddler: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:15] \u003c/em>We also see this policy as a way to deal with some of the social media issues that come up, particularly in middle and high school, quite frankly, you know, bullying and some of the issues that have caused challenges for our students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:30] \u003c/em>Also, it kind of keeps people interacting during passing periods, during lunch, connecting face-to-face throughout the school day, and it eliminates distractions. Even if you see a text while you’re heading to class or at the lunch table, you might be still thinking about it when you’re in class wondering, am I gonna be able to respond again? But if you just wait until after school to see it to begin with, it’s supposed to be less distracting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:56] \u003c/em>What has the reaction been from students and parents at OUSD so far? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:01] \u003c/em>I think it’s been somewhat mixed. I think, you know, parents on the first day of school kind of told us that they’re happy that their kids will hopefully be less distracted. What are your thoughts on this new no cell phone policy? One parent, Chris Connolly, spoke with our colleague Farida Jabvala-Romero on the first day at school. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chris Connolly: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:21] \u003c/em>Personally, I am quite happy about it. I think it will be great for the kids, especially the high schoolers, who can easily be distracted by phones all day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:33] \u003c/em>Some of them did have some safety concerns and that was really echoed by a student I talked to, Blake Rodgers. She’s an Oakland Tech senior. I do understand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Blake Rodgers: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:43] \u003c/em>I understand that phones create distractions in classrooms, but I do think that the safety issues that have been like pretty prevalent recently outweigh that goal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:58] \u003c/em>She went to Skyline High School last year where there was a shooting on campus in the fall and she says it’s scary to think about not having access to her phone if something like that happens again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Blake Rodgers: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:10] \u003c/em>Its really hard to get in contact with people, even with your phone, because we’re not always sure what’s going on without a phone. I think people will be completely left in the dark and that is a scary thing to be in. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:25] \u003c/em>That is kind of interesting and also a little chilling that sort of the main concern that you’re hearing against these bands is this idea of safety. And I have to imagine like school shootings are probably also top of mind for folks as well. How does OUSD respond to that criticism?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:44] \u003c/em>Yeah, so as part of the rule, OUSD says that students will be able to access their phones if there’s a genuine health or safety emergency or if a teacher or administrator or doctor authorizes it. So there are exceptions in emergencies. And also, administrators have said that the ban could actually help reduce misinformation spread during emergencies or even prevent conflict escalation that could be happening on social media or group messaging. So I think it could go, you know, a couple different ways. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:26] \u003c/em>We’ll have more with KQED’s Katie DiBenedetti right after this break. By the way, if you appreciate the local deep dives that we bring you on the bay, consider becoming a KQED sustaining member. Sustaining members really are the backbone of what we do here at KQED. Just go to donate.kqed.org slash podcasts. And thank you so much. We’ll be right back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:01] \u003c/em>I mean, the reaction seems a little mixed, but I just have to imagine it’s overall, maybe a good thing that kids don’t have access to their phones at schools, maybe. I mean do we know whether bands like these actually work? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:17] \u003c/em>The research is pretty new because a lot of these bans are just in the last couple of years. But one of the biggest studies that’s come out so far showed that schools that had these strict bans noticed a decrease in student phone use. But they haven’t seen all of the behavioral or academic results that they had kind of hoped for. So in some cases, suspensions actually went up in the immediate period after the ban. Test scores haven’t, you know, had a mark. Improvement. But again, these are still pretty new and teachers at least in Oakland seem pretty excited about it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:55] \u003c/em>Phones are engineered to take people’s attention and specifically young people’s intention. And so they really have no place in a focused classroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:04] \u003c/em>I talked to Gabriel Kahn, who teaches at Life Academy, and he said he and his colleagues have been really impressed. They’re noticing students are more attentive, they’re less distracted. One thing that he said that was funny to me is they’re using the bathroom a lot less.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:21] \u003c/em>I would say bathroom use decreased in my classroom by 80%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:26] \u003c/em>Because I guess that’s one of those places where teachers can’t be watching, so kids would often take their phone to the bathroom for a break. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gabriel Khan: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:35] \u003c/em>We do a pretty good job of making sure kids aren’t on their phones in the room, but when they go to the bathroom, it’s an unmonitored space, and if their phone isn’t put away in a yonder pouch, you can best believe that they’re on their phone when they take their bathroom break. I believe there’s a direct correlation between our instigating the yonderpouch policy and the massive decrease in bathroom use that we saw because there was no phone motivation to go to bathroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:04] \u003c/em>I feel like adults banning something doesn’t always mean that that thing fully goes away. There’s often ways that young people will find work around. Have we seen anything like that when it comes to this no phone policy at schools? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:19] \u003c/em>Yeah, that’s definitely something I was curious about, and it did not take me long to find how students are getting around these bands. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tik Tok: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:27] \u003c/em>Alright guys so I just got back from school and guess what they’re making us put our phones in these little pouches right here. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:36] \u003c/em>You know, I just did a quick TikTok search and found that kids are already sharing ways to open their pouches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tik Tok: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:43] \u003c/em>So today, we’re gonna be making a tutorial so everybody can have their phone at school. Everybody and their mom’s gonna have their phones, all right? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:51] \u003c/em>One of them involves sticking two pencils on the sides of the magnet and like banging the pouch against something hard. And that has like a million views. So kids are learning pretty quickly how to get around these rules. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:06] \u003c/em>The irony of that also, of them recording themselves doing this. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:13] \u003c/em>How does this compare to your experience with your phone in high school? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:17] \u003c/em>There were really no restrictions on it. Our school blocked like certain apps, but even then we knew how to get around that, VPN apps, whatever. So I think it’s a familiar sight to see. Yeah, totally. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:31] \u003c/em>Well, Katie, the school year is I guess just starting and we’ll have to kind of see how this goes, but what big questions are you thinking about around these bands going forward? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:42] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, I’m definitely interested to see, you know, how many kids are able to kind of get around the bands. But I’m also excited to see after a couple years, if there is any effect on test scores on how much students are learning and mental health. I think that would be really interesting to see if it really is better for kids not to be staring down at their screens during lunch. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:07] \u003c/em>Yeah and I don’t know, maybe one day our classrooms will go back to like pen and paper? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:13] \u003c/em>We have the option, we have all the tools to do that, so we’ll see. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:20] \u003c/em>Well, Katie, thank you so much for chatting with me about this. Appreciate it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Katie DeBenedetti: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:24] \u003c/em>Thanks so much.\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>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "why-is-piedmont-a-separate-city-from-oakland-2",
"title": "Why Is Piedmont a Separate City From Oakland? Bay Curious Explains",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"#Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">View the full episode transcript\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This story was first published on April 4, 2019, and was updated on Feb. 1, 2024, to reflect updated census data.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city of Piedmont in the East Bay is a bit of a geographical oddity. It’s not even 2 square miles in size and is surrounded on all sides by Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you look closely, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Piedmont,+CA/@37.8249429,-122.2441171,5564m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x80857d7f7f19c5f5:0xb8deddc8c24bd3f!8m2!3d37.8243715!4d-122.231635\">town’s borders\u003c/a> seem to make no sense. Instead of following streets or physical landmarks — like the borders of most towns do — in Piedmont, the borders snake around, sometimes through the middle of homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> listener David Levine has long wondered what’s up with this doughnut hole in the middle of Oakland. He asked, “Why is Piedmont a separate city from Oakland?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s worth understanding the history, and then we can ask questions as a community, ‘Is that still relevant today?'” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, this is a story about Piedmont, of course, but as soon as we started digging around, we quickly found that the story of Piedmont starts in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Little City That Could\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the late 1800s, Oakland incorporated, going from ranch land and small settlement clusters to becoming an official city. Almost immediately, it started to grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oakland leaders were under a very ambitious program to enlarge the city’s boundaries and increase the population,” said Oakland librarian Steve Lavoie, who curated an exhibit on Piedmont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This program to expand Oakland’s boundaries was called the Greater Oakland Movement. City leaders wanted to add more land and more residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11737640\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11737640 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/oyy29ensdzi7cg2d-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An illustration in the Oakland Tribune on Nov. 17, 1909. \u003ccite>(Oakland Tribune/Oakland History Room)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This movement was not so much motivated by economic interests, but it was motivated by the anti-monopoly group, who felt that small cities were rife for corruption,” Lavoie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These leaders thought that the smaller the city, the greater the chance that greedy folks would do something — like raid the treasury or discourage business competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The original plan would have created the largest city on the Pacific Coast at the time,” Lavoie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This large city could come together only if they could convince all of the neighboring towns or communities without their own governments to join Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Expanding the Boundaries\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Oakland started at about 170 city blocks in size. It grew from there by absorbing surrounding towns, whose names you might recognize as neighborhoods today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1872, it annexed the town of Brooklyn. Twenty-five years later came Temescal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It tried to get Berkeley, but Berkeley turned Oakland down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each annexation required a vote by the people in the town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland librarian Dorothy Lazard said, “It wasn’t like an aggressive kinda corporate takeover. It was more negotiation with various town councils.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11737625\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11737625 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland librarian Dorothy Lazard points out Oakland’s various annexations. \u003ccite>(Chris Hambrick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Wrinkle in the Plan\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Oakland city leaders kept eyeing new territory, and soon, Piedmont was squarely in its crosshairs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The City Council took a measure to vote an annexation of all the land in what is now Piedmont and a whole bunch of other East Oakland hamlets,” Steve Lavoie said. Oakland’s City Council set the vote on annexing Piedmont for January 1907.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But then something went wrong. In their paperwork, they failed to name one of the districts they wanted to annex, and the vote was postponed until March. This left a really big opening for mayhem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the meantime, a group in Piedmont who opposed annexation jumped on the opportunity to try and incorporate Piedmont as a way of preventing annexation into Oakland,” Lavoie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081625\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081625\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland City Hall in Oakland on April 28, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During the delay in Oakland’s vote, some Piedmont residents, a mix of bohemian artists and business people, filed a petition to hold their \u003cem>own \u003c/em>election to become a city. They hoped Piedmont would remain rural and undeveloped if they could beat Oakland to the punch. They saw how densely populated Oakland was, and they didn’t want any part of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Piedmont historian Ann Swift said convincing other Piedmonters to incorporate was no easy feat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hugh Craig and James Ballentine were the two leaders of the incorporation effort, and they are having meetings every other night, practically trying to rally the troops and get everybody excited about creating this new city,” she said. “But there was also opposition. It was not a slam dunk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A Tragic Loss\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Something that happened back in 1892 weighed heavily on the minds of voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The \u003ca href=\"http://piedmonthistorical.org/banner1.html\">Piedmont Springs Hotel\u003c/a>, which was a great, huge, three-story white clapboard edifice that sat in the center of the city, caught fire early one morning in November,” Swift said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That grand hotel was Piedmont’s biggest tourist attraction — a place where wealthy San Franciscans came to relax. Piedmont didn’t have city services, so Oakland’s Fire Department was summoned to come put out the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11737636\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11737636 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/newspaperclipping-800x2150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"2150\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/newspaperclipping-800x2150.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/newspaperclipping-160x430.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/newspaperclipping-446x1200.jpg 446w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/newspaperclipping.jpg 762w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The top story in the Oakland Tribune on Nov. 17, 1892, told the news of the devastating fire. \u003ccite>(\u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/location/oakland/\">Oakland Tribune/\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.newspapers.com/\">Newspapers.com\u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“In those days, there were no fire hydrants. You had to bring the water with you,” Swift said. “Well, imagine a team of horses dragging a big tanker full of water up Oakland Avenue, for instance. Very, very difficult and slow going. So by the time the fire wagon’s got to the hotel, they were just sitting with everybody else watching the embers burn.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It took Oakland’s Fire Department two hours to get to the hotel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was completely gone. And that was what happened if your house in the Piedmont hills caught fire,” Swift said. “So Piedmonters were adamant about wanting their own fire service, wanting someone right there in the center of this 1.8 square miles.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>To Join or Not To Join\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>All the Piedmont residents agreed that they needed a better solution for fire response, but they differed on whether better meant being a part of Oakland or figuring it out as their own city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Piedmont had no experience with levying taxes and evaluating property and providing all these city services like street sprinkling. Back in the day, the streets were mostly unpaved, and especially in the summer, you had water trucks that went through the city and watered down the streets so that it wasn’t so dusty,” Swift said. “Well, Piedmont had no water street-dusting things, and so all of that was going to have to be created. And there was a sizable part of the city who thought there was no need to go through that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The big vote on whether Piedmont should incorporate happened in January 1907.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Eighteen more men voted to become a city than voted to not become a city,” Swift said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Piedmont was officially a city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But here’s where it gets tricky. Oakland’s vote to annex Piedmont still went forward. And in March, a majority of Piedmont residents voted to join Oakland. The vote was 63–43. But this was impossible now that Piedmont was its own city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The only thing that the opponents in the Piedmont hills can do is to hold an election to disincorporate [Piedmont]. So they hold another election in September, and more people voted to become part of the city of Oakland, to disincorporate Piedmont than voted to stay a city,” Swift said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So then, why is Piedmont separate today?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s one of those little nuggets of law that people don’t know much about or care much about until they have to. It requires two-thirds vote of the people to disincorporate a city, and they failed to get two-thirds,” Swift said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094662\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094662\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1487195128.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1273\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1487195128.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1487195128-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1487195128-1536x988.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piedmont Springs Park Club House, Oakland, California, Postcard from 1898 – 1931 \u003ccite>(Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Piedmont stayed a separate city, but its edges weave in and out of Oakland. This is because, in their haste to file paperwork to incorporate Piedmont, proponents grabbed the only map they had on hand to define the boundaries — a map of the sewer lines that snaked underneath the houses in Piedmont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What does that mean for the borders of Piedmont today?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It means that there are 136 parcels … a portion of which are in Piedmont and a portion of which are in Oakland, and/or, where one side of the street is in Piedmont and the other side of the street is in Oakland, like Rose Avenue,” Swift said. “Sewer boundaries wouldn’t ever be what you would want to use in defining city boundaries. You’d want to use streets or major roads. But they didn’t have that choice, so we’re stuck with it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Piedmont/Oakland Relations Today\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The question-asker wondered about the class and racial divide many see separating Piedmont from Oakland. Host Olivia Allen-Price and reporter Chris Hambrick spoke about it at the end of the episode. Here is the transcript.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Now, I know our question-asker had a few concerns about how Oakland and Piedmont interact. Did any of those issues sort of come to light for you as you were reporting the story? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I learned that both Oakland and Piedmont have an agreement to back each other up when it comes to fire and police services and that Piedmont pays the city of Oakland to use their library since they don’t have any of their own. But when it comes to resident-to-resident interaction, that relationship was a little bit more strained than people would admit on tape. In general, Piedmont residents enjoy having this small-town feel within their city. They know their public officials by name. They know their neighbors. But it seems like some Piedmont residents feel judged for being able to live that way. And on the Oakland side, there’s this feeling that Piedmont residents have been more deliberate and separating themselves and they did that along race and class lines. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And why do you think there’s this perception? Where does that come from? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I think it kind of stems from back in the 1920s. Piedmont had a police chief by the name of Burton Becker, and Burton was an active member of the Klu Klux Klan. He held Klan meetings inside of his house, and at a time when Oakland had banned the Klan because the jurisdiction was different, he was shielded a little bit from persecution, being in Piedmont. He could not be banned because Piedmont is its own city. And then, after World War II, when many African Americans were migrating to the Bay Area from the American South, Oakland’s housing stock was more affordable than Piedmont, so people ended up settling in Oakland. And Piedmont residents are 68% white and 21% Asian, according to the 2020 Census. Compare that with Oakland, which has much larger Black and Latino populations. Some people view this as evidence that Piedmont created a community that excludes based on race and class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And I understand there hasn’t been any like super serious effort to, you know, merge Piedmont and Oakland. But there was a social media campaign a few years back. Can you tell me about the Liberate Piedmont movement? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So a high schooler named Noah Goldstein wanted to explore the possibility of merging Piedmont and Oakland because he felt like Piedmont residents enjoy the benefits of Oakland without having to pay for them. And Piedmont residents pay hefty taxes to support their schools and their city services but they pay that money to the city of Piedmont. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But it sounds like Piedmont residents weren’t super keen on this idea of becoming a part of Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b> Yeah, that’s what I gather. They have a degree of comfort with the way that their life is now. And even though the city founders weren’t able to keep that development from happening, you know, the area’s just 1.7 square miles. And so they did succeed in creating that small-town feel inside their city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> All right. Well, Chris, thanks so much for looking into this one for us.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You’re welcome. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Liam O’Donoghue, host of the \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayyesterday.com/\">East Bay Yesterday podcast\u003c/a>, contributed to the research on this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">\u003c/a>Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The city of Piedmont in the East Bay is a bit of geographical oddity. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>David Levine:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I looked at a map and I saw that Piedmont was almost like a doughnut hole in the center of Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This is David Levine, our question-asker today. On the map, he saw this tiny city, not even two square miles in size, surrounded on all sides by the city of Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And if you take a close look, the borders of Piedmont seem to make no sense. Instead of following streets or physical landmarks — like the borders of most towns do — in Piedmont, the borders snake around — sometimes through the middle of homes. All this got David wondering ….\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>David Levine:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Why is Piedmont a separate city from Oakland? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is Bay Curious, the podcast that explores the Bay Area one \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">question at a time. I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This week we’re bringing you the wild, unexpected origin story of the city of Piedmont. This story first aired in 2019, but it’s a topic we still get questions about on the regular. So, Piedmont fans, Piedmont detractors, and all you generally curious people — stick around for some answers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">SPONSOR MESSAGE\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, this is a story about Piedmont, of course. But as soon as we started digging, we found out…. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> … The story of Piedmont starts in Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> … Reporter Chris Hambrick brings us the tale. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In the late 1800s, Oakland incorporated, going from ranch land and small settlement clusters to becoming an official city. Almost immediately, it started to grow. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(music begins)\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Steve Lavoie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Oakland leaders were under a very ambitious program to enlarge the city’s boundaries and increase the population. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s Steve Lavoie. He’s an Oakland librarian who curated an exhibit on Piedmont history. This program to expand Oakland’s boundaries was called the Greater Oakland Movement. City leaders wanted to add more land and more residents. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Steve Lavoie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This movement was not so much motivated by economic interests, but it was motivated by the anti-monopoly group who felt that small cities were ripe for corruption. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> They thought the smaller the city, the greater the chance that greedy folks would do something like raid the treasury or discourage competition among businesses. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(music fades)\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Steve Lavoie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The original plan would have created the largest city on the Pacific coast at the time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This large city could only come together if they could convince all of the neighboring towns and communities without their own government to join Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(music begin)\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Oakland started at about 170 city blocks in size. It grew from there by absorbing surrounding towns whose names you might recognize as neighborhoods today. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Voices:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Temescal. Brooklyn. Fruitvale. Elmhurst. Melrose. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Chris Hambrick: \u003c/b>They tried to get Berkeley, but Berkeley said, “No, thanks.”\u003c/span> Each annexation required a vote by people in the town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Lazard:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You know, it wasn’t like an aggressive kind of corporate takeover or anything. It was more negotiation with various town councils. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s Oakland librarian Dorothy Lazard. Oakland city leaders kept eyeing new territory, and soon Piedmont was squarely in its crosshairs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Steve Lavoie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The city council took a measure to vote, an annexation of all the land in what is now Piedmont, and a whole bunch of other East Oakland hamlets. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Oakland City Council set the vote on annexing Piedmont for January 1907. But then something went wrong. In their paperwork, they failed to name one of the districts that they wanted to annex, and the vote was postponed until March. This left a really big opening for mayhem. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(dramatic music starts)\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Steve Lavoie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In the meantime, a group in Piedmont who opposes annexation jumped on the opportunity to try and incorporate Piedmont as a way of preventing annexation into Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> During the delay in Oakland’s vote, some Piedmont residents, a mix of bohemian artists and businesspeople, filed a petition to hold their own election to become a city. If they could beat Oakland to the punch, they hoped Piedmont would remain rural and undeveloped. Piedmont historian Ann Swift says convincing other Piedmont to incorporate was no easy feat. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> They’re having meetings every other night, practically trying to rally the troops and get everybody excited about creating this new city. But there was also opposition. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Something that happened back in 1892 weighed heavily on the minds of voters. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Piedmont Springs Hotel, which was a great huge three-story white clapboard edifice that sat in the center of the city, caught fire early one morning in November. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That Grand Hotel was Piedmont’s biggest tourist attraction, a place where wealthy San Franciscans came to relax. Piedmont didn’t have city services, so Oakland’s fire department was summoned to come out the fire.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Because in those days, there were no fire hydrants. You had to bring the water with you. Well, imagine a team of horses dragging a big tanker full of water up Oakland Avenue, for instance. Very, very difficult and slow going. So by the time the fire wagons got to the hotel, they were just sitting with everybody else, watching the embers burn. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It took Oakland’s fire department a whopping two hours to get to the hotel. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It was completely gone. And that was what happened if your house in the Piedmont hills caught fire. So Pidemonters were adamant about wanting their own fire service. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> All the Piedmont residents agreed that they needed a better solution for fire response, but they differed on whether better meant being a part of Oakland or figuring it out as their own city. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Piedmont had no experience with levying taxes and evaluating property and providing all the city services, and so all of that was going to have to be created. And there was a sizable part of the city who thought there was no need to go through that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The big vote on whether Piedmont should incorporate happened in January 1907. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Eighteen more men voted to become a city, than voted to not become a city. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But here’s where it gets tricky. Oakland’s vote to annex Piedmont still went forward, and in March, a majority of Piedmont residents voted to join Oakland. But this was impossible, now that Piedmont was its own city. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So the only thing that the opponents in the Piedmont hills can do is to hold an election to disincorporate a city. So they hold another election in September, and more people vote to become part of the city of Oakland, to disincorporate Piedmont than vote to stay a city. So I always ask the school kids, well, so how come I’m not talking to you in Oakland City Hall? It’s one of those little nuggets of lore that people don’t know much about or care much about until they have to. It requires two-thirds vote of the people to disincorporate a city, and they failed to get two-thirds. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Piedmont stayed a separate city, with its edges within and out of Oakland. This is because, in their haste to file paperwork to incorporate Piedmont, proponents grabbed the only map they had on hand to define the boundaries. It was a map of the sewer lines that snaked underneath the houses in Piedmont. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick (in tape):\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So what does that mean for the borders of Piedmont today? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Lazard:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It means that there are 136 parcels, a portion of which are in Piedmont and a portion of which are in Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So, Chris, it sounds like Piedmont will continue to be sort of this city within a city, you know, the Vatican of the East Bay, if you will. Now, I know our question-asker had a few concerns about how Oakland and Piedmont interact. Did any of those issues sort of come to light for you as you were reporting the story? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I learned that both Oakland and Piedmont have an agreement to back each other up when it comes to fire and police services and that Piedmont pays the city of Oakland to use their library since they don’t have any of their own. But when it comes to resident-to-resident interaction, that relationship was a little bit more strained than people would admit on tape. In general, Piedmont residents enjoy having this small-town feel within their city. They know their public officials by name. They know their neighbors. But it seems like some Piedmont residents feel judged for being able to live that way. And on the Oakland side, there’s this feeling that Piedmont residents have been more deliberate and separating themselves and they did that along race and class lines. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And why do you think there’s this perception? Where does that come from? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I think it kind of stems from back in the 1920s. Piedmont had a police chief by the name of Burton Becker, and Burton was an active member of the Klu Klux Klan. He held Klan meetings inside of his house, and at a time when Oakland had banned the Klan because the jurisdiction was different, he was shielded a little bit from persecution, being in Piedmont. He could not be banned because Piedmont is its own city. And then, after World War II, when many African Americans were migrating to the Bay Area from the American South, Oakland’s housing stock was more affordable than Piedmont, so people ended up settling in Oakland. And Piedmont residents are 68% white and 21% Asian, according to the 2020 Census. Compare that with Oakland, which has much larger Black and Latino populations. Some people view this as evidence that Piedmont created a community that excludes based on race and class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And I understand there hasn’t been any like super serious effort to, you know, merge Piedmont and Oakland. But there was a social media campaign a few years back. Can you tell me about the Liberate Piedmont movement? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So a high schooler named Noah Goldstein wanted to explore the possibility of merging Piedmont and Oakland because he felt like Piedmont residents enjoy the benefits of Oakland without having to pay for them. And Piedmont residents pay hefty taxes to support their schools and their city services but they pay that money to the city of Piedmont. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But it sounds like Piedmont residents weren’t super keen on this idea of becoming a part of Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah, that’s what I gather. They have a degree of comfort with the way that their life is now. And even though the city founders weren’t able to keep that development from happening, you know, the area’s just 1.7 square miles. And so they did succeed in creating that small-town feel inside their city. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> All right. Well, Chris, thanks so much for looking into this one for us. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You’re welcome. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> A big thanks to Bay Curious listener David Levine for asking this week’s question. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b> Liam O’Donohue, the host and creator of the East Bay Yesterday podcast, was a big help with the research on this story. If you haven’t checked out Liam’s podcast yet, I highly suggest you give it a try. Just search East Bay yesterday. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b> Bay Curious is produced in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. The show is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, and me, Olivia-Allen Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED Family.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b> I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Thanks so much for listening.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"#Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">View the full episode transcript\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This story was first published on April 4, 2019, and was updated on Feb. 1, 2024, to reflect updated census data.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city of Piedmont in the East Bay is a bit of a geographical oddity. It’s not even 2 square miles in size and is surrounded on all sides by Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you look closely, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Piedmont,+CA/@37.8249429,-122.2441171,5564m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x80857d7f7f19c5f5:0xb8deddc8c24bd3f!8m2!3d37.8243715!4d-122.231635\">town’s borders\u003c/a> seem to make no sense. Instead of following streets or physical landmarks — like the borders of most towns do — in Piedmont, the borders snake around, sometimes through the middle of homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> listener David Levine has long wondered what’s up with this doughnut hole in the middle of Oakland. He asked, “Why is Piedmont a separate city from Oakland?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s worth understanding the history, and then we can ask questions as a community, ‘Is that still relevant today?'” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, this is a story about Piedmont, of course, but as soon as we started digging around, we quickly found that the story of Piedmont starts in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Little City That Could\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the late 1800s, Oakland incorporated, going from ranch land and small settlement clusters to becoming an official city. Almost immediately, it started to grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oakland leaders were under a very ambitious program to enlarge the city’s boundaries and increase the population,” said Oakland librarian Steve Lavoie, who curated an exhibit on Piedmont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This program to expand Oakland’s boundaries was called the Greater Oakland Movement. City leaders wanted to add more land and more residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11737640\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11737640 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/oyy29ensdzi7cg2d-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An illustration in the Oakland Tribune on Nov. 17, 1909. \u003ccite>(Oakland Tribune/Oakland History Room)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This movement was not so much motivated by economic interests, but it was motivated by the anti-monopoly group, who felt that small cities were rife for corruption,” Lavoie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These leaders thought that the smaller the city, the greater the chance that greedy folks would do something — like raid the treasury or discourage business competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The original plan would have created the largest city on the Pacific Coast at the time,” Lavoie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This large city could come together only if they could convince all of the neighboring towns or communities without their own governments to join Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Expanding the Boundaries\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Oakland started at about 170 city blocks in size. It grew from there by absorbing surrounding towns, whose names you might recognize as neighborhoods today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1872, it annexed the town of Brooklyn. Twenty-five years later came Temescal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It tried to get Berkeley, but Berkeley turned Oakland down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each annexation required a vote by the people in the town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland librarian Dorothy Lazard said, “It wasn’t like an aggressive kinda corporate takeover. It was more negotiation with various town councils.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11737625\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11737625 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/1110181710a_HDR.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland librarian Dorothy Lazard points out Oakland’s various annexations. \u003ccite>(Chris Hambrick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Wrinkle in the Plan\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Oakland city leaders kept eyeing new territory, and soon, Piedmont was squarely in its crosshairs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The City Council took a measure to vote an annexation of all the land in what is now Piedmont and a whole bunch of other East Oakland hamlets,” Steve Lavoie said. Oakland’s City Council set the vote on annexing Piedmont for January 1907.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But then something went wrong. In their paperwork, they failed to name one of the districts they wanted to annex, and the vote was postponed until March. This left a really big opening for mayhem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the meantime, a group in Piedmont who opposed annexation jumped on the opportunity to try and incorporate Piedmont as a way of preventing annexation into Oakland,” Lavoie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081625\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081625\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland City Hall in Oakland on April 28, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During the delay in Oakland’s vote, some Piedmont residents, a mix of bohemian artists and business people, filed a petition to hold their \u003cem>own \u003c/em>election to become a city. They hoped Piedmont would remain rural and undeveloped if they could beat Oakland to the punch. They saw how densely populated Oakland was, and they didn’t want any part of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Piedmont historian Ann Swift said convincing other Piedmonters to incorporate was no easy feat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hugh Craig and James Ballentine were the two leaders of the incorporation effort, and they are having meetings every other night, practically trying to rally the troops and get everybody excited about creating this new city,” she said. “But there was also opposition. It was not a slam dunk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A Tragic Loss\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Something that happened back in 1892 weighed heavily on the minds of voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The \u003ca href=\"http://piedmonthistorical.org/banner1.html\">Piedmont Springs Hotel\u003c/a>, which was a great, huge, three-story white clapboard edifice that sat in the center of the city, caught fire early one morning in November,” Swift said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That grand hotel was Piedmont’s biggest tourist attraction — a place where wealthy San Franciscans came to relax. Piedmont didn’t have city services, so Oakland’s Fire Department was summoned to come put out the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11737636\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11737636 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/newspaperclipping-800x2150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"2150\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/newspaperclipping-800x2150.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/newspaperclipping-160x430.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/newspaperclipping-446x1200.jpg 446w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/newspaperclipping.jpg 762w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The top story in the Oakland Tribune on Nov. 17, 1892, told the news of the devastating fire. \u003ccite>(\u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/location/oakland/\">Oakland Tribune/\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.newspapers.com/\">Newspapers.com\u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“In those days, there were no fire hydrants. You had to bring the water with you,” Swift said. “Well, imagine a team of horses dragging a big tanker full of water up Oakland Avenue, for instance. Very, very difficult and slow going. So by the time the fire wagon’s got to the hotel, they were just sitting with everybody else watching the embers burn.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It took Oakland’s Fire Department two hours to get to the hotel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was completely gone. And that was what happened if your house in the Piedmont hills caught fire,” Swift said. “So Piedmonters were adamant about wanting their own fire service, wanting someone right there in the center of this 1.8 square miles.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>To Join or Not To Join\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>All the Piedmont residents agreed that they needed a better solution for fire response, but they differed on whether better meant being a part of Oakland or figuring it out as their own city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Piedmont had no experience with levying taxes and evaluating property and providing all these city services like street sprinkling. Back in the day, the streets were mostly unpaved, and especially in the summer, you had water trucks that went through the city and watered down the streets so that it wasn’t so dusty,” Swift said. “Well, Piedmont had no water street-dusting things, and so all of that was going to have to be created. And there was a sizable part of the city who thought there was no need to go through that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The big vote on whether Piedmont should incorporate happened in January 1907.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Eighteen more men voted to become a city than voted to not become a city,” Swift said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Piedmont was officially a city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But here’s where it gets tricky. Oakland’s vote to annex Piedmont still went forward. And in March, a majority of Piedmont residents voted to join Oakland. The vote was 63–43. But this was impossible now that Piedmont was its own city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The only thing that the opponents in the Piedmont hills can do is to hold an election to disincorporate [Piedmont]. So they hold another election in September, and more people voted to become part of the city of Oakland, to disincorporate Piedmont than voted to stay a city,” Swift said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So then, why is Piedmont separate today?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s one of those little nuggets of law that people don’t know much about or care much about until they have to. It requires two-thirds vote of the people to disincorporate a city, and they failed to get two-thirds,” Swift said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094662\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094662\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1487195128.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1273\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1487195128.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1487195128-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/02/GettyImages-1487195128-1536x988.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piedmont Springs Park Club House, Oakland, California, Postcard from 1898 – 1931 \u003ccite>(Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Piedmont stayed a separate city, but its edges weave in and out of Oakland. This is because, in their haste to file paperwork to incorporate Piedmont, proponents grabbed the only map they had on hand to define the boundaries — a map of the sewer lines that snaked underneath the houses in Piedmont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What does that mean for the borders of Piedmont today?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It means that there are 136 parcels … a portion of which are in Piedmont and a portion of which are in Oakland, and/or, where one side of the street is in Piedmont and the other side of the street is in Oakland, like Rose Avenue,” Swift said. “Sewer boundaries wouldn’t ever be what you would want to use in defining city boundaries. You’d want to use streets or major roads. But they didn’t have that choice, so we’re stuck with it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Piedmont/Oakland Relations Today\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The question-asker wondered about the class and racial divide many see separating Piedmont from Oakland. Host Olivia Allen-Price and reporter Chris Hambrick spoke about it at the end of the episode. Here is the transcript.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Now, I know our question-asker had a few concerns about how Oakland and Piedmont interact. Did any of those issues sort of come to light for you as you were reporting the story? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I learned that both Oakland and Piedmont have an agreement to back each other up when it comes to fire and police services and that Piedmont pays the city of Oakland to use their library since they don’t have any of their own. But when it comes to resident-to-resident interaction, that relationship was a little bit more strained than people would admit on tape. In general, Piedmont residents enjoy having this small-town feel within their city. They know their public officials by name. They know their neighbors. But it seems like some Piedmont residents feel judged for being able to live that way. And on the Oakland side, there’s this feeling that Piedmont residents have been more deliberate and separating themselves and they did that along race and class lines. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And why do you think there’s this perception? Where does that come from? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I think it kind of stems from back in the 1920s. Piedmont had a police chief by the name of Burton Becker, and Burton was an active member of the Klu Klux Klan. He held Klan meetings inside of his house, and at a time when Oakland had banned the Klan because the jurisdiction was different, he was shielded a little bit from persecution, being in Piedmont. He could not be banned because Piedmont is its own city. And then, after World War II, when many African Americans were migrating to the Bay Area from the American South, Oakland’s housing stock was more affordable than Piedmont, so people ended up settling in Oakland. And Piedmont residents are 68% white and 21% Asian, according to the 2020 Census. Compare that with Oakland, which has much larger Black and Latino populations. Some people view this as evidence that Piedmont created a community that excludes based on race and class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And I understand there hasn’t been any like super serious effort to, you know, merge Piedmont and Oakland. But there was a social media campaign a few years back. Can you tell me about the Liberate Piedmont movement? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So a high schooler named Noah Goldstein wanted to explore the possibility of merging Piedmont and Oakland because he felt like Piedmont residents enjoy the benefits of Oakland without having to pay for them. And Piedmont residents pay hefty taxes to support their schools and their city services but they pay that money to the city of Piedmont. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But it sounds like Piedmont residents weren’t super keen on this idea of becoming a part of Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b> Yeah, that’s what I gather. They have a degree of comfort with the way that their life is now. And even though the city founders weren’t able to keep that development from happening, you know, the area’s just 1.7 square miles. And so they did succeed in creating that small-town feel inside their city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> All right. Well, Chris, thanks so much for looking into this one for us.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You’re welcome. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Liam O’Donoghue, host of the \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayyesterday.com/\">East Bay Yesterday podcast\u003c/a>, contributed to the research on this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">\u003c/a>Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The city of Piedmont in the East Bay is a bit of geographical oddity. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>David Levine:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I looked at a map and I saw that Piedmont was almost like a doughnut hole in the center of Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This is David Levine, our question-asker today. On the map, he saw this tiny city, not even two square miles in size, surrounded on all sides by the city of Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And if you take a close look, the borders of Piedmont seem to make no sense. Instead of following streets or physical landmarks — like the borders of most towns do — in Piedmont, the borders snake around — sometimes through the middle of homes. All this got David wondering ….\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>David Levine:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Why is Piedmont a separate city from Oakland? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is Bay Curious, the podcast that explores the Bay Area one \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">question at a time. I’m Olivia Allen-Price. This week we’re bringing you the wild, unexpected origin story of the city of Piedmont. This story first aired in 2019, but it’s a topic we still get questions about on the regular. So, Piedmont fans, Piedmont detractors, and all you generally curious people — stick around for some answers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">SPONSOR MESSAGE\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, this is a story about Piedmont, of course. But as soon as we started digging, we found out…. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> … The story of Piedmont starts in Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> … Reporter Chris Hambrick brings us the tale. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In the late 1800s, Oakland incorporated, going from ranch land and small settlement clusters to becoming an official city. Almost immediately, it started to grow. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(music begins)\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Steve Lavoie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Oakland leaders were under a very ambitious program to enlarge the city’s boundaries and increase the population. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s Steve Lavoie. He’s an Oakland librarian who curated an exhibit on Piedmont history. This program to expand Oakland’s boundaries was called the Greater Oakland Movement. City leaders wanted to add more land and more residents. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Steve Lavoie: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This movement was not so much motivated by economic interests, but it was motivated by the anti-monopoly group who felt that small cities were ripe for corruption. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> They thought the smaller the city, the greater the chance that greedy folks would do something like raid the treasury or discourage competition among businesses. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(music fades)\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Steve Lavoie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The original plan would have created the largest city on the Pacific coast at the time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This large city could only come together if they could convince all of the neighboring towns and communities without their own government to join Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(music begin)\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Oakland started at about 170 city blocks in size. It grew from there by absorbing surrounding towns whose names you might recognize as neighborhoods today. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Voices:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Temescal. Brooklyn. Fruitvale. Elmhurst. Melrose. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Chris Hambrick: \u003c/b>They tried to get Berkeley, but Berkeley said, “No, thanks.”\u003c/span> Each annexation required a vote by people in the town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Lazard:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You know, it wasn’t like an aggressive kind of corporate takeover or anything. It was more negotiation with various town councils. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s Oakland librarian Dorothy Lazard. Oakland city leaders kept eyeing new territory, and soon Piedmont was squarely in its crosshairs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Steve Lavoie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The city council took a measure to vote, an annexation of all the land in what is now Piedmont, and a whole bunch of other East Oakland hamlets. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Oakland City Council set the vote on annexing Piedmont for January 1907. But then something went wrong. In their paperwork, they failed to name one of the districts that they wanted to annex, and the vote was postponed until March. This left a really big opening for mayhem. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(dramatic music starts)\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Steve Lavoie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In the meantime, a group in Piedmont who opposes annexation jumped on the opportunity to try and incorporate Piedmont as a way of preventing annexation into Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> During the delay in Oakland’s vote, some Piedmont residents, a mix of bohemian artists and businesspeople, filed a petition to hold their own election to become a city. If they could beat Oakland to the punch, they hoped Piedmont would remain rural and undeveloped. Piedmont historian Ann Swift says convincing other Piedmont to incorporate was no easy feat. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> They’re having meetings every other night, practically trying to rally the troops and get everybody excited about creating this new city. But there was also opposition. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Something that happened back in 1892 weighed heavily on the minds of voters. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Piedmont Springs Hotel, which was a great huge three-story white clapboard edifice that sat in the center of the city, caught fire early one morning in November. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That Grand Hotel was Piedmont’s biggest tourist attraction, a place where wealthy San Franciscans came to relax. Piedmont didn’t have city services, so Oakland’s fire department was summoned to come out the fire.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Because in those days, there were no fire hydrants. You had to bring the water with you. Well, imagine a team of horses dragging a big tanker full of water up Oakland Avenue, for instance. Very, very difficult and slow going. So by the time the fire wagons got to the hotel, they were just sitting with everybody else, watching the embers burn. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It took Oakland’s fire department a whopping two hours to get to the hotel. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It was completely gone. And that was what happened if your house in the Piedmont hills caught fire. So Pidemonters were adamant about wanting their own fire service. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> All the Piedmont residents agreed that they needed a better solution for fire response, but they differed on whether better meant being a part of Oakland or figuring it out as their own city. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Piedmont had no experience with levying taxes and evaluating property and providing all the city services, and so all of that was going to have to be created. And there was a sizable part of the city who thought there was no need to go through that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The big vote on whether Piedmont should incorporate happened in January 1907. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Eighteen more men voted to become a city, than voted to not become a city. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But here’s where it gets tricky. Oakland’s vote to annex Piedmont still went forward, and in March, a majority of Piedmont residents voted to join Oakland. But this was impossible, now that Piedmont was its own city. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ann Swift:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So the only thing that the opponents in the Piedmont hills can do is to hold an election to disincorporate a city. So they hold another election in September, and more people vote to become part of the city of Oakland, to disincorporate Piedmont than vote to stay a city. So I always ask the school kids, well, so how come I’m not talking to you in Oakland City Hall? It’s one of those little nuggets of lore that people don’t know much about or care much about until they have to. It requires two-thirds vote of the people to disincorporate a city, and they failed to get two-thirds. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Piedmont stayed a separate city, with its edges within and out of Oakland. This is because, in their haste to file paperwork to incorporate Piedmont, proponents grabbed the only map they had on hand to define the boundaries. It was a map of the sewer lines that snaked underneath the houses in Piedmont. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick (in tape):\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So what does that mean for the borders of Piedmont today? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dorothy Lazard:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It means that there are 136 parcels, a portion of which are in Piedmont and a portion of which are in Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So, Chris, it sounds like Piedmont will continue to be sort of this city within a city, you know, the Vatican of the East Bay, if you will. Now, I know our question-asker had a few concerns about how Oakland and Piedmont interact. Did any of those issues sort of come to light for you as you were reporting the story? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I learned that both Oakland and Piedmont have an agreement to back each other up when it comes to fire and police services and that Piedmont pays the city of Oakland to use their library since they don’t have any of their own. But when it comes to resident-to-resident interaction, that relationship was a little bit more strained than people would admit on tape. In general, Piedmont residents enjoy having this small-town feel within their city. They know their public officials by name. They know their neighbors. But it seems like some Piedmont residents feel judged for being able to live that way. And on the Oakland side, there’s this feeling that Piedmont residents have been more deliberate and separating themselves and they did that along race and class lines. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And why do you think there’s this perception? Where does that come from? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I think it kind of stems from back in the 1920s. Piedmont had a police chief by the name of Burton Becker, and Burton was an active member of the Klu Klux Klan. He held Klan meetings inside of his house, and at a time when Oakland had banned the Klan because the jurisdiction was different, he was shielded a little bit from persecution, being in Piedmont. He could not be banned because Piedmont is its own city. And then, after World War II, when many African Americans were migrating to the Bay Area from the American South, Oakland’s housing stock was more affordable than Piedmont, so people ended up settling in Oakland. And Piedmont residents are 68% white and 21% Asian, according to the 2020 Census. Compare that with Oakland, which has much larger Black and Latino populations. Some people view this as evidence that Piedmont created a community that excludes based on race and class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And I understand there hasn’t been any like super serious effort to, you know, merge Piedmont and Oakland. But there was a social media campaign a few years back. Can you tell me about the Liberate Piedmont movement? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So a high schooler named Noah Goldstein wanted to explore the possibility of merging Piedmont and Oakland because he felt like Piedmont residents enjoy the benefits of Oakland without having to pay for them. And Piedmont residents pay hefty taxes to support their schools and their city services but they pay that money to the city of Piedmont. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But it sounds like Piedmont residents weren’t super keen on this idea of becoming a part of Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah, that’s what I gather. They have a degree of comfort with the way that their life is now. And even though the city founders weren’t able to keep that development from happening, you know, the area’s just 1.7 square miles. And so they did succeed in creating that small-town feel inside their city. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> All right. Well, Chris, thanks so much for looking into this one for us. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Chris Hambrick:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You’re welcome. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> A big thanks to Bay Curious listener David Levine for asking this week’s question. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b> Liam O’Donohue, the host and creator of the East Bay Yesterday podcast, was a big help with the research on this story. If you haven’t checked out Liam’s podcast yet, I highly suggest you give it a try. Just search East Bay yesterday. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b> Bay Curious is produced in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. The show is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, and me, Olivia-Allen Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED Family.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b> I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Thanks so much for listening.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A Catholic high school in the East Bay removed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/lgbtq\">pride flags\u003c/a> ahead of students’ return to campus this week, replacing them with a new symbol that it said affirms the LGBTQ+ community. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.bishopodowd.org/inclusive-o\">letter\u003c/a> to families last week, Bishop O’Dowd High School President Kim Walsh said the school would introduce the “Inclusive O,” a blocky letter washed in rainbow pride colors, after the classic flags became a “lightning rod” on campus last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Walsh wrote that the new “O” will be displayed across the Oakland Hills campus and is meant to “affirm that our LGBTQ+ students, families, faculty, and staff are seen, known, loved, and belong here.”\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/10/2026/08/260810-INCLUSIVE-O-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260810-INCLUSIVE-O-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260810-INCLUSIVE-O-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260810-INCLUSIVE-O-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland on Aug. 10, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Diocese of Oakland asked the school to remove the pride flags after someone in the community saw a “progress” flag — which includes the traditional six pride colors, plus a chevron-shaped overlay to the left side in the transgender pride colors, and black and brown — on campus and reported it to Oakland Archbishop Michael Barber.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school did not immediately comply with the order, but removed flags just before summer break, featuring them in a ceremony in the school’s chapel and replacing them with posters and shirts featuring the “Inclusive O.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walsh wrote that developing the alternative symbol was a “yearlong process,” during which school leaders “engaged faculty and staff, counselors, parents, the Board of Regents, LGBTQ+ community members, and student leaders” to ask “How do we continue to visibly communicate that every student belongs?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said that in recent years, the Catholic Church across the U.S. has begun discussing the flags.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023, Barber and Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone issued a joint letter on gender ideology, saying that it “denies certain fundamental aspects of human existence,” including the differences between men and women, and is, as a concept, “opposed to reason, to science, and to a Christian view of the human person.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Walsh wrote that the “Inclusive O,” introduced to students at orientation on Thursday, expresses unwavering commitment to LGBTQ+ members of O’Dowd’s community, which has included openly gay educators for decades, according to previous reporting by \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/07/20/oakland-catholic-diocese-st-josephs-lgbtq-students-concerned-gender-identity-guidance/\">\u003cem>The\u003c/em> \u003cem>Oaklandside\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the school said it has had a unity club for queer students for more than a decade and hosts an annual family day for LGBTQ+ families. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, alumni who created a social media profile opposed to the decision said replacing the traditional flags “directly affects the LGBTQ+ population of the school by removing pieces of representation.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Diocese of Oakland asked the school to remove the pride flags after someone in the community saw a “progress” flag — which includes the traditional six pride colors, plus a chevron-shaped overlay to the left side in the transgender pride colors, and black and brown — on campus and reported it to Oakland Archbishop Michael Barber.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Walsh wrote that developing the alternative symbol was a “yearlong process,” during which school leaders “engaged faculty and staff, counselors, parents, the Board of Regents, LGBTQ+ community members, and student leaders” to ask “How do we continue to visibly communicate that every student belongs?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said that in recent years, the Catholic Church across the U.S. has begun discussing the flags.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2023, Barber and Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone issued a joint letter on gender ideology, saying that it “denies certain fundamental aspects of human existence,” including the differences between men and women, and is, as a concept, “opposed to reason, to science, and to a Christian view of the human person.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Walsh wrote that the “Inclusive O,” introduced to students at orientation on Thursday, expresses unwavering commitment to LGBTQ+ members of O’Dowd’s community, which has included openly gay educators for decades, according to previous reporting by \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/07/20/oakland-catholic-diocese-st-josephs-lgbtq-students-concerned-gender-identity-guidance/\">\u003cem>The\u003c/em> \u003cem>Oaklandside\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Walsh wrote that the “Inclusive O,” introduced to students at orientation on Thursday, expresses unwavering commitment to LGBTQ+ members of O’Dowd’s community, which has included openly gay educators for decades, according to previous reporting by \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/07/20/oakland-catholic-diocese-st-josephs-lgbtq-students-concerned-gender-identity-guidance/\">\u003cem>The\u003c/em> \u003cem>Oaklandside\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Bishop O’Dowd High School introduced a rainbow-colored letter “O” after the Oakland Archdiocese asked the school to take the rainbow flags down. ",
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"title": "East Bay Catholic High School Removes and Replaces Pride Flag With New Symbol | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A Catholic high school in the East Bay removed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/lgbtq\">pride flags\u003c/a> ahead of students’ return to campus this week, replacing them with a new symbol that it said affirms the LGBTQ+ community. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.bishopodowd.org/inclusive-o\">letter\u003c/a> to families last week, Bishop O’Dowd High School President Kim Walsh said the school would introduce the “Inclusive O,” a blocky letter washed in rainbow pride colors, after the classic flags became a “lightning rod” on campus last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Walsh wrote that the new “O” will be displayed across the Oakland Hills campus and is meant to “affirm that our LGBTQ+ students, families, faculty, and staff are seen, known, loved, and belong here.”\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/10/2026/08/260810-INCLUSIVE-O-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260810-INCLUSIVE-O-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260810-INCLUSIVE-O-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260810-INCLUSIVE-O-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland on Aug. 10, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Diocese of Oakland asked the school to remove the pride flags after someone in the community saw a “progress” flag — which includes the traditional six pride colors, plus a chevron-shaped overlay to the left side in the transgender pride colors, and black and brown — on campus and reported it to Oakland Archbishop Michael Barber.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school did not immediately comply with the order, but removed flags just before summer break, featuring them in a ceremony in the school’s chapel and replacing them with posters and shirts featuring the “Inclusive O.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walsh wrote that developing the alternative symbol was a “yearlong process,” during which school leaders “engaged faculty and staff, counselors, parents, the Board of Regents, LGBTQ+ community members, and student leaders” to ask “How do we continue to visibly communicate that every student belongs?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said that in recent years, the Catholic Church across the U.S. has begun discussing the flags.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023, Barber and Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone issued a joint letter on gender ideology, saying that it “denies certain fundamental aspects of human existence,” including the differences between men and women, and is, as a concept, “opposed to reason, to science, and to a Christian view of the human person.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Walsh wrote that the “Inclusive O,” introduced to students at orientation on Thursday, expresses unwavering commitment to LGBTQ+ members of O’Dowd’s community, which has included openly gay educators for decades, according to previous reporting by \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/07/20/oakland-catholic-diocese-st-josephs-lgbtq-students-concerned-gender-identity-guidance/\">\u003cem>The\u003c/em> \u003cem>Oaklandside\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the school said it has had a unity club for queer students for more than a decade and hosts an annual family day for LGBTQ+ families. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, alumni who created a social media profile opposed to the decision said replacing the traditional flags “directly affects the LGBTQ+ population of the school by removing pieces of representation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-unified-school-district\">Oakland students\u003c/a> arrive back on campus on Monday, they’ll start their school year with a new daily routine — locking their cellphones away in boxes and pouches, instead of having access to them on campus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Oakland Unified School District in June approved a cellphone ban on its 80 campuses, in line with a state mandate that took effect over the summer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OUSD’s policy, according to Superintendent Denise Saddler, is simple: “Every school day is now a Cell Phone Free Day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12043210\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Oakland Unified School District Offices in Oakland on April 28, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“During class, between classes, and during lunch, students will not be allowed to use their cell phones except in limited circumstances,” she wrote in a letter to families in July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>How schools restrict cellphones on campus has become a controversial issue for districts across the state, as they balance concerns about distraction and cyberbullying with some parents’ desire to maintain communication with their children throughout the day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area school districts in San Mateo, San José and Marin have tightened cellphone restrictions in recent years, and in 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/09/23/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-to-limit-the-use-of-smartphones-during-school-hours/\">legislation\u003c/a> requiring districts to develop rules restricting student cellphone use during school by July 1. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland’s enforcement methods will be two-fold: at most elementary campuses, students will be required to put their phones in classroom lockboxes, while at the secondary level, students will put their devices in individual pouches, called Yondr Pouches, that lock during school hours. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Phone bans have already been in effect at some campuses, including Life Academy in East Oakland, which piloted the Yondr Pouch system during the 2025-26 school year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the sixth through eighth grade campus in East Oakland, students are required to put their phone in the lockable, fabric bag at the start of the school day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their first period teacher — which for middle schoolers is an advisory and varies for high schoolers depending on their schedule — is required to do a pouch check each morning, according to eighth grade humanities teacher Gabriel Kahn. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Students keep their devices, which are locked in their pouch, throughout the day. It is unlocked at dismissal, according to OUSD.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092171\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 14-year-old boy looks at an iPhone screen displaying various social media and messaging apps on March 29, 2026, in Bath, England. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The results were phenomenal,” Kahn said. “We saw a decrease in school drama, we saw an increase in focus, we saw an increase in attention from our students.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the biggest differences, he said, is how often students left class to use the restroom. He said in his classroom, student bathroom use decreased by about 80% compared to previous years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We do a pretty good job of making sure kids aren’t on their phones in the room, but when they go to the bathroom, it’s an unmonitored space,” Kahn said. “If their phone isn’t put away in a Yondr Pouch, you can best believe that they’re on their phone.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Blake Rodgers, a rising senior at Oakland Tech, said she understands the district’s desire to eliminate distractions, but worries about safety without her phone, especially after a shooting and other recent violence on OUSD campuses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really hard to get in contact with people, even with your phone,” she said. “Without a phone, I think people will be completely left in the dark, and that is a scary thing to be in.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While OUSD’s policy rolls out next week, other districts have been using Yondr Pouches for years, including the San Mateo-Foster City School District, which rolled out the technology in the fall of 2022. San Mateo’s high school district also utilizes the pouches on multiple campuses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046126\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The San Francisco Unified School District Administrative Offices in San Francisco on April 18, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Marin, the Tam Unified School District has required students to put their phones in numbered pouches during class periods since 2024, but strengthened its policy ahead of this fall, introducing locked plastic storage boxes that will block all use during the school day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s school district avoided implementing a full ban, opting instead to maintain its existing cellphone policy, which states that “mobile communication devices shall be turned off and put away during instructional time, including during passing period.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Saddler’s letter, Oakland students will be allowed to access their phones under multiple circumstances per the state law, including if they have a health or safety emergency, or when a teacher, administrator or doctor authorizes it.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Their first period teacher — which for middle schoolers is an advisory and varies for high schoolers depending on their schedule — is required to do a pouch check each morning, according to eighth grade humanities teacher Gabriel Kahn. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Their first period teacher — which for middle schoolers is an advisory and varies for high schoolers depending on their schedule — is required to do a pouch check each morning, according to eighth grade humanities teacher Gabriel Kahn. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The results were phenomenal,” Kahn said. “We saw a decrease in school drama, we saw an increase in focus, we saw an increase in attention from our students.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We do a pretty good job of making sure kids aren’t on their phones in the room, but when they go to the bathroom, it’s an unmonitored space,” Kahn said. “If their phone isn’t put away in a Yondr Pouch, you can best believe that they’re on their phone.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Blake Rodgers, a rising senior at Oakland Tech, said she understands the district’s desire to eliminate distractions, but worries about safety without her phone, especially after a shooting and other recent violence on OUSD campuses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s really hard to get in contact with people, even with your phone,” she said. “Without a phone, I think people will be completely left in the dark, and that is a scary thing to be in.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While OUSD’s policy rolls out next week, other districts have been using Yondr Pouches for years, including the San Mateo-Foster City School District, which rolled out the technology in the fall of 2022. San Mateo’s high school district also utilizes the pouches on multiple campuses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Marin, the Tam Unified School District has required students to put their phones in numbered pouches during class periods since 2024, but strengthened its policy ahead of this fall, introducing locked plastic storage boxes that will block all use during the school day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s school district avoided implementing a full ban, opting instead to maintain its existing cellphone policy, which states that “mobile communication devices shall be turned off and put away during instructional time, including during passing period.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Saddler’s letter, Oakland students will be allowed to access their phones under multiple circumstances per the state law, including if they have a health or safety emergency, or when a teacher, administrator or doctor authorizes it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-unified-school-district\">Oakland students\u003c/a> arrive back on campus on Monday, they’ll start their school year with a new daily routine — locking their cellphones away in boxes and pouches, instead of having access to them on campus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Oakland Unified School District in June approved a cellphone ban on its 80 campuses, in line with a state mandate that took effect over the summer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OUSD’s policy, according to Superintendent Denise Saddler, is simple: “Every school day is now a Cell Phone Free Day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12043210\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Oakland Unified School District Offices in Oakland on April 28, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“During class, between classes, and during lunch, students will not be allowed to use their cell phones except in limited circumstances,” she wrote in a letter to families in July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>How schools restrict cellphones on campus has become a controversial issue for districts across the state, as they balance concerns about distraction and cyberbullying with some parents’ desire to maintain communication with their children throughout the day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area school districts in San Mateo, San José and Marin have tightened cellphone restrictions in recent years, and in 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/09/23/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-to-limit-the-use-of-smartphones-during-school-hours/\">legislation\u003c/a> requiring districts to develop rules restricting student cellphone use during school by July 1. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland’s enforcement methods will be two-fold: at most elementary campuses, students will be required to put their phones in classroom lockboxes, while at the secondary level, students will put their devices in individual pouches, called Yondr Pouches, that lock during school hours. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Phone bans have already been in effect at some campuses, including Life Academy in East Oakland, which piloted the Yondr Pouch system during the 2025-26 school year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the sixth through eighth grade campus in East Oakland, students are required to put their phone in the lockable, fabric bag at the start of the school day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their first period teacher — which for middle schoolers is an advisory and varies for high schoolers depending on their schedule — is required to do a pouch check each morning, according to eighth grade humanities teacher Gabriel Kahn. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Students keep their devices, which are locked in their pouch, throughout the day. It is unlocked at dismissal, according to OUSD.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092171\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/AIGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 14-year-old boy looks at an iPhone screen displaying various social media and messaging apps on March 29, 2026, in Bath, England. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The results were phenomenal,” Kahn said. “We saw a decrease in school drama, we saw an increase in focus, we saw an increase in attention from our students.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the biggest differences, he said, is how often students left class to use the restroom. He said in his classroom, student bathroom use decreased by about 80% compared to previous years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We do a pretty good job of making sure kids aren’t on their phones in the room, but when they go to the bathroom, it’s an unmonitored space,” Kahn said. “If their phone isn’t put away in a Yondr Pouch, you can best believe that they’re on their phone.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Blake Rodgers, a rising senior at Oakland Tech, said she understands the district’s desire to eliminate distractions, but worries about safety without her phone, especially after a shooting and other recent violence on OUSD campuses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really hard to get in contact with people, even with your phone,” she said. “Without a phone, I think people will be completely left in the dark, and that is a scary thing to be in.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While OUSD’s policy rolls out next week, other districts have been using Yondr Pouches for years, including the San Mateo-Foster City School District, which rolled out the technology in the fall of 2022. San Mateo’s high school district also utilizes the pouches on multiple campuses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046126\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The San Francisco Unified School District Administrative Offices in San Francisco on April 18, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Marin, the Tam Unified School District has required students to put their phones in numbered pouches during class periods since 2024, but strengthened its policy ahead of this fall, introducing locked plastic storage boxes that will block all use during the school day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s school district avoided implementing a full ban, opting instead to maintain its existing cellphone policy, which states that “mobile communication devices shall be turned off and put away during instructional time, including during passing period.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Saddler’s letter, Oakland students will be allowed to access their phones under multiple circumstances per the state law, including if they have a health or safety emergency, or when a teacher, administrator or doctor authorizes it.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "east-oakland-school-shooting-leaves-1-student-dead-another-injured",
"title": "East Oakland School Shooting Leaves 1 Student Dead, Another Injured",
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"headTitle": "East Oakland School Shooting Leaves 1 Student Dead, Another Injured | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>One person is dead and another injured after a shooting on an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/east-oakland\">East Oakland\u003c/a> school campus on Friday morning. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland Police said that just before 9 a.m., they responded to shots fired at the Parker Community Resource Center on Ney Avenue, where Oakland Unified School District operates an adult education program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the scene, officers located two victims in their 20s with gunshot wounds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Police Chief James Beere, officers attempted to administer lifesaving support before one of the victims was pronounced dead. The other victim was transferred to a local hospital and is in stable condition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is a very tragic incident; it’s heartbreaking,” Beere said at a news conference on Friday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said police are investigating the incident and have multiple leads on suspects. According to Beere, the shooting was not a random act. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This was a very intentional crime,” he said, adding that because it is an active investigation, he could not discuss the motive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OUSD spokesperson John Sasaki said that immediately after the shooting, the district locked down the campus, securing people in classrooms and the site’s office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said he believes about 20 people, including students, were at the resource center during the incident. OUSD operates its Adult and Career Education program on the campus, which offers high school graduation and equivalency courses, career technical education and other programs for adults.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The shooting comes after multiple violent events on Oakland school campuses in recent years, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063886/at-least-1-person-shot-at-oaklands-skyline-high-school\">shooting at Skyline High School \u003c/a>last fall, which led to a large \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064511/after-back-to-back-school-shootings-in-oakland-skyline-high-students-walk-out-of-class\">student walkout\u003c/a> over safety concerns. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every day we are focused on improving the safety of our campuses – whether it’s an elementary school, middle school, high school, adult school,” Sasaki said Friday. “We’re gonna look at everything we can here to make sure that we’re doing what we can to keep guns, weapons of any kind, off our campuses.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oakland Police said that just before 9 a.m., they responded to shots fired at the Parker Community Resource Center on Ney Avenue, where Oakland Unified School District operates an adult education program. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Police Chief James Beere, officers attempted to administer lifesaving support before one of the victims was pronounced dead. The other victim was transferred to a local hospital and is in stable condition. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is a very tragic incident; it’s heartbreaking,” Beere said at a news conference on Friday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said police are investigating the incident and have multiple leads on suspects. According to Beere, the shooting was not a random act. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This was a very intentional crime,” he said, adding that because it is an active investigation, he could not discuss the motive. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>OUSD spokesperson John Sasaki said that immediately after the shooting, the district locked down the campus, securing people in classrooms and the site’s office.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said he believes about 20 people, including students, were at the resource center during the incident. OUSD operates its Adult and Career Education program on the campus, which offers high school graduation and equivalency courses, career technical education and other programs for adults.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The shooting comes after multiple violent events on Oakland school campuses in recent years, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063886/at-least-1-person-shot-at-oaklands-skyline-high-school\">shooting at Skyline High School \u003c/a>last fall, which led to a large \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064511/after-back-to-back-school-shootings-in-oakland-skyline-high-students-walk-out-of-class\">student walkout\u003c/a> over safety concerns. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Every day we are focused on improving the safety of our campuses – whether it’s an elementary school, middle school, high school, adult school,” Sasaki said Friday. “We’re gonna look at everything we can here to make sure that we’re doing what we can to keep guns, weapons of any kind, off our campuses.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The campus is operated by Oakland Unified School District as an adult school. Twenty people were at the resource center during the incident.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>One person is dead and another injured after a shooting on an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/east-oakland\">East Oakland\u003c/a> school campus on Friday morning. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland Police said that just before 9 a.m., they responded to shots fired at the Parker Community Resource Center on Ney Avenue, where Oakland Unified School District operates an adult education program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the scene, officers located two victims in their 20s with gunshot wounds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Police Chief James Beere, officers attempted to administer lifesaving support before one of the victims was pronounced dead. The other victim was transferred to a local hospital and is in stable condition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is a very tragic incident; it’s heartbreaking,” Beere said at a news conference on Friday afternoon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said police are investigating the incident and have multiple leads on suspects. According to Beere, the shooting was not a random act. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This was a very intentional crime,” he said, adding that because it is an active investigation, he could not discuss the motive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OUSD spokesperson John Sasaki said that immediately after the shooting, the district locked down the campus, securing people in classrooms and the site’s office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said he believes about 20 people, including students, were at the resource center during the incident. OUSD operates its Adult and Career Education program on the campus, which offers high school graduation and equivalency courses, career technical education and other programs for adults.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The shooting comes after multiple violent events on Oakland school campuses in recent years, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063886/at-least-1-person-shot-at-oaklands-skyline-high-school\">shooting at Skyline High School \u003c/a>last fall, which led to a large \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064511/after-back-to-back-school-shootings-in-oakland-skyline-high-students-walk-out-of-class\">student walkout\u003c/a> over safety concerns. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every day we are focused on improving the safety of our campuses – whether it’s an elementary school, middle school, high school, adult school,” Sasaki said Friday. “We’re gonna look at everything we can here to make sure that we’re doing what we can to keep guns, weapons of any kind, off our campuses.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "pierre-rushing-was-convicted-of-murder-in-2011-the-key-witness-just-recanted-his-testimony",
"title": "Pierre Rushing Was Convicted of Murder in 2011. The Key Witness Just Recanted His Testimony",
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"content": "\u003cp>Robert Green’s eyewitness account was central to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Pierre Rushing’s\u003c/a> conviction for first-degree murder 15 years ago. But on Tuesday, Green testified in an Oakland courtroom that Rushing, now serving 50 years to life, was not the shooter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The moment came at the start of a four-day evidentiary hearing in Alameda County Superior Court reexamining the Oakland resident’s 2011 conviction for the murder of Dawyone Taylor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rushing, now 37, has maintained his innocence since he was convicted at 22. His attorneys are asking the court to vacate the conviction, citing Green’s recantation and hundreds of pages of police reports they say prosecutors failed to turn over for more than a decade.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rushing entered the courtroom in a yellow jumpsuit with his fist raised, smiling at a gallery nearly full of supporters — roughly two dozen people, some of whom said they had themselves been wrongfully convicted and others who had never met him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At trial, prosecutors argued Rushing killed Taylor, 25, in Oakland in 2011 over the belief that Taylor had stolen his iPod. The case rested heavily on Green, who testified he saw Rushing get out of a car and fire a shot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092907\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The René C. Davidson Courthouse, part of the Alameda County Superior Court system, in Oakland on July 28, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Green’s account this week was different. Under questioning, he said Rushing was not the person he saw, and he had told police it was Rushing because officers indicated they already believed Rushing was involved. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During cross-examination, Green — who acknowledged he was using drugs around the time of the killing — admitted he had committed perjury at the original trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rushing’s attorneys pointed instead to a man they identified in court as Charles Dunn, known in the case by the nickname “C,” and alleged that he shot Taylor. The defense also called an investigator, identified in court as Mr. Fine, who was hired to locate Green and interview him in jail, and who helped persuade him to testify. Green is currently serving time in an unrelated case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jordan Grotzinger, Rushing’s lead attorney, has said the district attorney’s office produced 464 pages of police reports in 2024 that were never given to Rushing’s original defense.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gtlaw.com/en/insights/2026/6/good-in-practice-episode-27\">podcast\u003c/a> from Grotzinger’s law firm, the attorney said the reports described Andre Morris, a man present the night of the killing, committing robberies shortly before and after Taylor’s death alongside “C,” and that details in them — the shooter holding a gun in his left hand, driving a gray or white pickup — matched what Green first told police in 2011.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rushing’s team argues the late disclosure violated the Brady rule, which requires prosecutors to share evidence favorable to the defense. The Alameda County District Attorney’s office said it would not comment on the ongoing case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Outside the courthouse, the hearing drew supporters who framed Rushing’s case as another example of convictions built on a single, shaky eyewitness testimony. Among them was Jamal Trulove, an organizer who was convicted of a 2007 San Francisco murder before an appeals court overturned the conviction and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630235\">he was acquitted\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A federal jury later found \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11660586/jury-finds-san-francisco-police-officers-framed-a-man-for-murder\">police had fabricated evidence\u003c/a> and coerced the eyewitness against Trulove. The city later paid him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11734209/san-francisco-to-pay-13-1-million-to-man-framed-by-police-for-murder\">a $13.1 million settlement\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was convicted off of what one person said,” Trulove said. “Having one eyewitness to prove a fact in a murder case is a low burden to convict somebody for the rest of their life.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Watching Green recant, he said, brought back his own experience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“To really be in that courtroom and remember the feeling that I had of knowing that I was convicted for something I didn’t do,” he said. “Finally hearing the person that said that he did commit this crime, admit that he didn’t commit the crime. It was very emotional.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Demora Henderson, who said he also had been wrongfully convicted in 2006 of murder in San Francisco, traveled to support Rushing after seeing his case on \u003cem>CNN\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m coming here to show solidarity and show the system that a lot of people [are] wrongfully incarcerated,” he said. He described the experience as “disheartening” and “lonely.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092906\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A supporter of Pierre Rushing stands outside the René C. Davidson Courthouse, part of the Alameda County Superior Court system, in Oakland on July 28, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“All we do is have faith and hope in the process of us trying to regain our freedom and liberties back,” Henderson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lori Rothschild Ansaldi, a criminal justice reform advocate, said she has followed Rushing’s case since 2018 and teared up listening to Green. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to hear it when the truth finally comes out,” she said. “It’s profoundly sad when they get it wrong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The hearing is the first of four days, scheduled to run through the end of the week, and it is not clear when the judge will rule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even if the court finds in Rushing’s favor, a ruling to vacate a conviction does not automatically mean release; it can lead to a new trial or to the charges being dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Finally, it feels like the tides are turning,” Trulove said. “The hope is that after these four days, the judge will … deem the 464 pages of evidence that the D.A.’s office didn’t turn over as a Brady violation and his case will be ultimately thrown out and vacated. And Pierre Rushing will be released.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/mbernal\">\u003cem>Maria Fernanda Bernal\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092907\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The René C. Davidson Courthouse, part of the Alameda County Superior Court system, in Oakland on July 28, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Green’s account this week was different. Under questioning, he said Rushing was not the person he saw, and he had told police it was Rushing because officers indicated they already believed Rushing was involved. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During cross-examination, Green — who acknowledged he was using drugs around the time of the killing — admitted he had committed perjury at the original trial.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rushing’s attorneys pointed instead to a man they identified in court as Charles Dunn, known in the case by the nickname “C,” and alleged that he shot Taylor. The defense also called an investigator, identified in court as Mr. Fine, who was hired to locate Green and interview him in jail, and who helped persuade him to testify. Green is currently serving time in an unrelated case.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rushing’s attorneys pointed instead to a man they identified in court as Charles Dunn, known in the case by the nickname “C,” and alleged that he shot Taylor. The defense also called an investigator, identified in court as Mr. Fine, who was hired to locate Green and interview him in jail, and who helped persuade him to testify. Green is currently serving time in an unrelated case.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jordan Grotzinger, Rushing’s lead attorney, has said the district attorney’s office produced 464 pages of police reports in 2024 that were never given to Rushing’s original defense.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gtlaw.com/en/insights/2026/6/good-in-practice-episode-27\">podcast\u003c/a> from Grotzinger’s law firm, the attorney said the reports described Andre Morris, a man present the night of the killing, committing robberies shortly before and after Taylor’s death alongside “C,” and that details in them — the shooter holding a gun in his left hand, driving a gray or white pickup — matched what Green first told police in 2011.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gtlaw.com/en/insights/2026/6/good-in-practice-episode-27\">podcast\u003c/a> from Grotzinger’s law firm, the attorney said the reports described Andre Morris, a man present the night of the killing, committing robberies shortly before and after Taylor’s death alongside “C,” and that details in them — the shooter holding a gun in his left hand, driving a gray or white pickup — matched what Green first told police in 2011.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rushing’s team argues the late disclosure violated the Brady rule, which requires prosecutors to share evidence favorable to the defense. The Alameda County District Attorney’s office said it would not comment on the ongoing case.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Outside the courthouse, the hearing drew supporters who framed Rushing’s case as another example of convictions built on a single, shaky eyewitness testimony. Among them was Jamal Trulove, an organizer who was convicted of a 2007 San Francisco murder before an appeals court overturned the conviction and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630235\">he was acquitted\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A federal jury later found \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11660586/jury-finds-san-francisco-police-officers-framed-a-man-for-murder\">police had fabricated evidence\u003c/a> and coerced the eyewitness against Trulove. The city later paid him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11734209/san-francisco-to-pay-13-1-million-to-man-framed-by-police-for-murder\">a $13.1 million settlement\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A federal jury later found \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11660586/jury-finds-san-francisco-police-officers-framed-a-man-for-murder\">police had fabricated evidence\u003c/a> and coerced the eyewitness against Trulove. The city later paid him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11734209/san-francisco-to-pay-13-1-million-to-man-framed-by-police-for-murder\">a $13.1 million settlement\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was convicted off of what one person said,” Trulove said. “Having one eyewitness to prove a fact in a murder case is a low burden to convict somebody for the rest of their life.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I was convicted off of what one person said,” Trulove said. “Having one eyewitness to prove a fact in a murder case is a low burden to convict somebody for the rest of their life.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Watching Green recant, he said, brought back his own experience. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“To really be in that courtroom and remember the feeling that I had of knowing that I was convicted for something I didn’t do,” he said. “Finally hearing the person that said that he did commit this crime, admit that he didn’t commit the crime. It was very emotional.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“To really be in that courtroom and remember the feeling that I had of knowing that I was convicted for something I didn’t do,” he said. “Finally hearing the person that said that he did commit this crime, admit that he didn’t commit the crime. It was very emotional.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Demora Henderson, who said he also had been wrongfully convicted in 2006 of murder in San Francisco, traveled to support Rushing after seeing his case on \u003cem>CNN\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Demora Henderson, who said he also had been wrongfully convicted in 2006 of murder in San Francisco, traveled to support Rushing after seeing his case on \u003cem>CNN\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m coming here to show solidarity and show the system that a lot of people [are] wrongfully incarcerated,” he said. He described the experience as “disheartening” and “lonely.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m coming here to show solidarity and show the system that a lot of people [are] wrongfully incarcerated,” he said. He described the experience as “disheartening” and “lonely.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092906\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A supporter of Pierre Rushing stands outside the René C. Davidson Courthouse, part of the Alameda County Superior Court system, in Oakland on July 28, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“All we do is have faith and hope in the process of us trying to regain our freedom and liberties back,” Henderson said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lori Rothschild Ansaldi, a criminal justice reform advocate, said she has followed Rushing’s case since 2018 and teared up listening to Green. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to hear it when the truth finally comes out,” she said. “It’s profoundly sad when they get it wrong.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The hearing is the first of four days, scheduled to run through the end of the week, and it is not clear when the judge will rule.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even if the court finds in Rushing’s favor, a ruling to vacate a conviction does not automatically mean release; it can lead to a new trial or to the charges being dropped.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Finally, it feels like the tides are turning,” Trulove said. “The hope is that after these four days, the judge will … deem the 464 pages of evidence that the D.A.’s office didn’t turn over as a Brady violation and his case will be ultimately thrown out and vacated. And Pierre Rushing will be released.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Finally, it feels like the tides are turning,” Trulove said. “The hope is that after these four days, the judge will … deem the 464 pages of evidence that the D.A.’s office didn’t turn over as a Brady violation and his case will be ultimately thrown out and vacated. And Pierre Rushing will be released.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/mbernal\">\u003cem>Maria Fernanda Bernal\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Bay Area advocates said Rushing’s case exemplifies a broader pattern of murder convictions built on false or unreliable testimony.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Robert Green’s eyewitness account was central to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Pierre Rushing’s\u003c/a> conviction for first-degree murder 15 years ago. But on Tuesday, Green testified in an Oakland courtroom that Rushing, now serving 50 years to life, was not the shooter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The moment came at the start of a four-day evidentiary hearing in Alameda County Superior Court reexamining the Oakland resident’s 2011 conviction for the murder of Dawyone Taylor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rushing, now 37, has maintained his innocence since he was convicted at 22. His attorneys are asking the court to vacate the conviction, citing Green’s recantation and hundreds of pages of police reports they say prosecutors failed to turn over for more than a decade.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rushing entered the courtroom in a yellow jumpsuit with his fist raised, smiling at a gallery nearly full of supporters — roughly two dozen people, some of whom said they had themselves been wrongfully convicted and others who had never met him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At trial, prosecutors argued Rushing killed Taylor, 25, in Oakland in 2011 over the belief that Taylor had stolen his iPod. The case rested heavily on Green, who testified he saw Rushing get out of a car and fire a shot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092907\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The René C. Davidson Courthouse, part of the Alameda County Superior Court system, in Oakland on July 28, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Green’s account this week was different. Under questioning, he said Rushing was not the person he saw, and he had told police it was Rushing because officers indicated they already believed Rushing was involved. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During cross-examination, Green — who acknowledged he was using drugs around the time of the killing — admitted he had committed perjury at the original trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rushing’s attorneys pointed instead to a man they identified in court as Charles Dunn, known in the case by the nickname “C,” and alleged that he shot Taylor. The defense also called an investigator, identified in court as Mr. Fine, who was hired to locate Green and interview him in jail, and who helped persuade him to testify. Green is currently serving time in an unrelated case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jordan Grotzinger, Rushing’s lead attorney, has said the district attorney’s office produced 464 pages of police reports in 2024 that were never given to Rushing’s original defense.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gtlaw.com/en/insights/2026/6/good-in-practice-episode-27\">podcast\u003c/a> from Grotzinger’s law firm, the attorney said the reports described Andre Morris, a man present the night of the killing, committing robberies shortly before and after Taylor’s death alongside “C,” and that details in them — the shooter holding a gun in his left hand, driving a gray or white pickup — matched what Green first told police in 2011.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rushing’s team argues the late disclosure violated the Brady rule, which requires prosecutors to share evidence favorable to the defense. The Alameda County District Attorney’s office said it would not comment on the ongoing case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Outside the courthouse, the hearing drew supporters who framed Rushing’s case as another example of convictions built on a single, shaky eyewitness testimony. Among them was Jamal Trulove, an organizer who was convicted of a 2007 San Francisco murder before an appeals court overturned the conviction and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630235\">he was acquitted\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A federal jury later found \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11660586/jury-finds-san-francisco-police-officers-framed-a-man-for-murder\">police had fabricated evidence\u003c/a> and coerced the eyewitness against Trulove. The city later paid him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11734209/san-francisco-to-pay-13-1-million-to-man-framed-by-police-for-murder\">a $13.1 million settlement\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was convicted off of what one person said,” Trulove said. “Having one eyewitness to prove a fact in a murder case is a low burden to convict somebody for the rest of their life.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Watching Green recant, he said, brought back his own experience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“To really be in that courtroom and remember the feeling that I had of knowing that I was convicted for something I didn’t do,” he said. “Finally hearing the person that said that he did commit this crime, admit that he didn’t commit the crime. It was very emotional.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Demora Henderson, who said he also had been wrongfully convicted in 2006 of murder in San Francisco, traveled to support Rushing after seeing his case on \u003cem>CNN\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m coming here to show solidarity and show the system that a lot of people [are] wrongfully incarcerated,” he said. He described the experience as “disheartening” and “lonely.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092906\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-PierreRushing-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A supporter of Pierre Rushing stands outside the René C. Davidson Courthouse, part of the Alameda County Superior Court system, in Oakland on July 28, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“All we do is have faith and hope in the process of us trying to regain our freedom and liberties back,” Henderson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lori Rothschild Ansaldi, a criminal justice reform advocate, said she has followed Rushing’s case since 2018 and teared up listening to Green. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to hear it when the truth finally comes out,” she said. “It’s profoundly sad when they get it wrong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The hearing is the first of four days, scheduled to run through the end of the week, and it is not clear when the judge will rule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even if the court finds in Rushing’s favor, a ruling to vacate a conviction does not automatically mean release; it can lead to a new trial or to the charges being dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Finally, it feels like the tides are turning,” Trulove said. “The hope is that after these four days, the judge will … deem the 464 pages of evidence that the D.A.’s office didn’t turn over as a Brady violation and his case will be ultimately thrown out and vacated. And Pierre Rushing will be released.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/mbernal\">\u003cem>Maria Fernanda Bernal\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-tackles-illegal-dumping-with-a-party",
"title": "Oakland Tackles Illegal Dumping With a Bulk Trash ‘Party’",
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"headTitle": "Oakland Tackles Illegal Dumping With a Bulk Trash ‘Party’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s possibly the hottest party of the weekend in \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>. But the cleanest? Don’t count on it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dozens of residents lined up their vehicles this morning for the revival of the “Bulky Block Party,” where Oaklanders can discard their large household items for free as the city battles \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081003/illegal-dumping-is-a-big-problem-in-oakland-a-new-report-has-ideas-to-clean-up-the-mess\">a costly illegal dumping problem\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It was a party in the loosest sense possible — music blaring from a speaker as drivers pulled in — that the city says gives residents a chance to get rid of items that might otherwise end up on neighborhood streets. The event was last held in 2024 as a monthly disposal, but this is the first of a series of “parties” that will happen quarterly through April 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092656\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vehicles loaded with trash wait in line to enter the Bulky Block Party, run by Oakland Public Works, where residents can dispose of their bulk items for free at 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 25, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Barbara Lee was there. She told KQED the event was part of a number of strategies the city is enacting to manage its illegal dumping problem.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I keep saying I want Oakland to be the cleanest, safest and greenest city in the country, and that’s about eradicating this,” Lee said. “This is outrageous what we see here in Oakland.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An Alameda County Grand Jury \u003ca href=\"https://grandjury.acgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2025-2026-Alameda-County-Grand-Jury-Final-Report.pdf\">report \u003c/a>released this June criticized the city for the longstanding problem, finding that Oakland failed to inform residents about free bulky item disposal and that enforcement of illegal dumping had been “wholly inadequate.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mayor Barbara Lee poses for a portrait at a Bulky Block Party, run by Oakland Public Works, at 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 25, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cleaning up the trash \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081003/illegal-dumping-is-a-big-problem-in-oakland-a-new-report-has-ideas-to-clean-up-the-mess\">cost the city\u003c/a> about $14 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to a separate report from the city’s auditor in April. It found that a lot of the trash was from residents themselves, though outsiders do dump in the city as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, the city \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/oakland-doubling-fines-5000-deploying-drones-cracks-down-illegal-dumping-official-now-calling-crisis/18896091/\">doubled \u003c/a>its fines and approved the first step of a pilot program to use drones powered by artificial intelligence to track illegal dumping. Fines for third-time violators jumped to $5,000 and $1,500 for first-time violations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those fines operate on an equity system that Lee said people can opt for community service instead of paying. \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/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081167\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags of trash on the ground on 48th Avenue and East 12th Street near an illegal dumping ground in Oakland on April 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The grand jury made several recommendations, including that the city require businesses to subscribe to a waste collection service, enact improved education campaigns to promote bulky item services and designate a single person to manage all illegal dumping efforts\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some residents say that economics are part of the reason for illegal dumping. Residential trash removal costs in Oakland are some of the highest in the Bay Area for household garbage bins, the Grand Jury noted. Monthly rates for a 32-gallon container for a single-family curbside collection cost $62.83, $110.31 for a 62-gallon container and $165.42 for 96-gallons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Julia Velasco, an Oakland resident who rented a U-Haul to carry her garbage to the site, said the event was a good start. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of people that are taking advantage of this,” Velasco said. “I think there’s other factors that kind of make it difficult. Sometimes, maybe it’s not people from Oakland, maybe it’s just other people passing by and dumping stuff.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092657\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Julia Velasco poses for a portrait in a U-Haul while she waits in line to enter the Bulky Block Party, run by Oakland Public Works, where residents can dispose of their bulk items for free at 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 25, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Courtney Payne, who was sandwiched between her parents Paul and Susan Payne as they waited in line in a U-Haul, said the city should increase the visibility of the events to ensure higher turnout. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I actually just found out about this like two days ago,” Courtney Payne said. “It’s like, how do people even know about this?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City staff were there handing out flyers to get the word out about other disposal options. John Hillmon, public works operations manager Keep Oakland Clean and Beautiful, said the event allowed them to help educate residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re excited about having the community come out and find a way to not do illegal dumping and get rid of these items in a legal way,” Hillmon said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next Bulky Block Party is taking place on Oct. 24, 2026 at 7101 Edgewater Drive and is open to Oakland residents. \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092656\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_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\">Vehicles loaded with trash wait in line to enter the Bulky Block Party, run by Oakland Public Works, where residents can dispose of their bulk items for free at 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 25, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I keep saying I want Oakland to be the cleanest, safest and greenest city in the country, and that’s about eradicating this,” Lee said. “This is outrageous what we see here in Oakland.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An Alameda County Grand Jury \u003ca href=\"https://grandjury.acgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2025-2026-Alameda-County-Grand-Jury-Final-Report.pdf\">report \u003c/a>released this June criticized the city for the longstanding problem, finding that Oakland failed to inform residents about free bulky item disposal and that enforcement of illegal dumping had been “wholly inadequate.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_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\">Mayor Barbara Lee poses for a portrait at a Bulky Block Party, run by Oakland Public Works, at 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 25, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That same month, the city \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/oakland-doubling-fines-5000-deploying-drones-cracks-down-illegal-dumping-official-now-calling-crisis/18896091/\">doubled \u003c/a>its fines and approved the first step of a pilot program to use drones powered by artificial intelligence to track illegal dumping. Fines for third-time violators jumped to $5,000 and $1,500 for first-time violations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those fines operate on an equity system that Lee said people can opt for community service instead of paying. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081167\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags of trash on the ground on 48th Avenue and East 12th Street near an illegal dumping ground in Oakland on April 23, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The grand jury made several recommendations, including that the city require businesses to subscribe to a waste collection service, enact improved education campaigns to promote bulky item services and designate a single person to manage all illegal dumping efforts\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some residents say that economics are part of the reason for illegal dumping. Residential trash removal costs in Oakland are some of the highest in the Bay Area for household garbage bins, the Grand Jury noted. Monthly rates for a 32-gallon container for a single-family curbside collection cost $62.83, $110.31 for a 62-gallon container and $165.42 for 96-gallons. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some residents say that economics are part of the reason for illegal dumping. Residential trash removal costs in Oakland are some of the highest in the Bay Area for household garbage bins, the Grand Jury noted. Monthly rates for a 32-gallon container for a single-family curbside collection cost $62.83, $110.31 for a 62-gallon container and $165.42 for 96-gallons. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Julia Velasco, an Oakland resident who rented a U-Haul to carry her garbage to the site, said the event was a good start. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of people that are taking advantage of this,” Velasco said. “I think there’s other factors that kind of make it difficult. Sometimes, maybe it’s not people from Oakland, maybe it’s just other people passing by and dumping stuff.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of people that are taking advantage of this,” Velasco said. “I think there’s other factors that kind of make it difficult. Sometimes, maybe it’s not people from Oakland, maybe it’s just other people passing by and dumping stuff.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092657\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_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\">Julia Velasco poses for a portrait in a U-Haul while she waits in line to enter the Bulky Block Party, run by Oakland Public Works, where residents can dispose of their bulk items for free at 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 25, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092657\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Julia Velasco poses for a portrait in a U-Haul while she waits in line to enter the Bulky Block Party, run by Oakland Public Works, where residents can dispose of their bulk items for free at 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 25, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Courtney Payne, who was sandwiched between her parents Paul and Susan Payne as they waited in line in a U-Haul, said the city should increase the visibility of the events to ensure higher turnout. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I actually just found out about this like two days ago,” Courtney Payne said. “It’s like, how do people even know about this?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City staff were there handing out flyers to get the word out about other disposal options. John Hillmon, public works operations manager Keep Oakland Clean and Beautiful, said the event allowed them to help educate residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re excited about having the community come out and find a way to not do illegal dumping and get rid of these items in a legal way,” Hillmon said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The next Bulky Block Party is taking place on Oct. 24, 2026 at 7101 Edgewater Drive and is open to Oakland residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s possibly the hottest party of the weekend in \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>. But the cleanest? Don’t count on it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dozens of residents lined up their vehicles this morning for the revival of the “Bulky Block Party,” where Oaklanders can discard their large household items for free as the city battles \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081003/illegal-dumping-is-a-big-problem-in-oakland-a-new-report-has-ideas-to-clean-up-the-mess\">a costly illegal dumping problem\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It was a party in the loosest sense possible — music blaring from a speaker as drivers pulled in — that the city says gives residents a chance to get rid of items that might otherwise end up on neighborhood streets. The event was last held in 2024 as a monthly disposal, but this is the first of a series of “parties” that will happen quarterly through April 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092656\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00056_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vehicles loaded with trash wait in line to enter the Bulky Block Party, run by Oakland Public Works, where residents can dispose of their bulk items for free at 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 25, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Barbara Lee was there. She told KQED the event was part of a number of strategies the city is enacting to manage its illegal dumping problem.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I keep saying I want Oakland to be the cleanest, safest and greenest city in the country, and that’s about eradicating this,” Lee said. “This is outrageous what we see here in Oakland.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An Alameda County Grand Jury \u003ca href=\"https://grandjury.acgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2025-2026-Alameda-County-Grand-Jury-Final-Report.pdf\">report \u003c/a>released this June criticized the city for the longstanding problem, finding that Oakland failed to inform residents about free bulky item disposal and that enforcement of illegal dumping had been “wholly inadequate.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00210_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mayor Barbara Lee poses for a portrait at a Bulky Block Party, run by Oakland Public Works, at 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 25, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cleaning up the trash \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081003/illegal-dumping-is-a-big-problem-in-oakland-a-new-report-has-ideas-to-clean-up-the-mess\">cost the city\u003c/a> about $14 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to a separate report from the city’s auditor in April. It found that a lot of the trash was from residents themselves, though outsiders do dump in the city as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, the city \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/oakland-doubling-fines-5000-deploying-drones-cracks-down-illegal-dumping-official-now-calling-crisis/18896091/\">doubled \u003c/a>its fines and approved the first step of a pilot program to use drones powered by artificial intelligence to track illegal dumping. Fines for third-time violators jumped to $5,000 and $1,500 for first-time violations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those fines operate on an equity system that Lee said people can opt for community service instead of paying. \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/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081167\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260423-OAKLANDILLEGALDUMP00086_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags of trash on the ground on 48th Avenue and East 12th Street near an illegal dumping ground in Oakland on April 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The grand jury made several recommendations, including that the city require businesses to subscribe to a waste collection service, enact improved education campaigns to promote bulky item services and designate a single person to manage all illegal dumping efforts\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some residents say that economics are part of the reason for illegal dumping. Residential trash removal costs in Oakland are some of the highest in the Bay Area for household garbage bins, the Grand Jury noted. Monthly rates for a 32-gallon container for a single-family curbside collection cost $62.83, $110.31 for a 62-gallon container and $165.42 for 96-gallons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Julia Velasco, an Oakland resident who rented a U-Haul to carry her garbage to the site, said the event was a good start. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of people that are taking advantage of this,” Velasco said. “I think there’s other factors that kind of make it difficult. Sometimes, maybe it’s not people from Oakland, maybe it’s just other people passing by and dumping stuff.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092657\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260725-trashblockparty-00426_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Julia Velasco poses for a portrait in a U-Haul while she waits in line to enter the Bulky Block Party, run by Oakland Public Works, where residents can dispose of their bulk items for free at 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland on July 25, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Courtney Payne, who was sandwiched between her parents Paul and Susan Payne as they waited in line in a U-Haul, said the city should increase the visibility of the events to ensure higher turnout. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I actually just found out about this like two days ago,” Courtney Payne said. “It’s like, how do people even know about this?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City staff were there handing out flyers to get the word out about other disposal options. John Hillmon, public works operations manager Keep Oakland Clean and Beautiful, said the event allowed them to help educate residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re excited about having the community come out and find a way to not do illegal dumping and get rid of these items in a legal way,” Hillmon said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next Bulky Block Party is taking place on Oct. 24, 2026 at 7101 Edgewater Drive and is open to Oakland residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> is heading into its hottest stretch of the summer so far, with inland temperatures climbing toward 100 degrees by the weekend. But the heat may not be the most dangerous thing about this week’s weather.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As residents head for the coast to escape the heat, forecasters warn they will be walking into the most hazardous surf conditions of the season, driven by two distant hurricanes churning off Mexico. A weekend of dangerous waves has already prompted reports of roughly \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=mtr&issuedby=MTR&product=AFD\">25 water rescues\u003c/a> along the California coast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are recommending everyone to stay away from the beach and stay out of the water, “ said Nicole Sarment, a meteorologist with the Weather Service’s Bay Area office. “I know it’s going to be hot. I know people like the beach in the summer. But it’s just so dangerous out there.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/Heat-Wave-SF-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/Heat-Wave-SF-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/Heat-Wave-SF-Getty-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/Heat-Wave-SF-Getty-1536x1043.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People enjoying the sun at the Palace of Fine Arts as a heat wave rolls through San Francisco on July 11, 2024. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Making the ocean even more threatening is that it will appear calm, Sarment said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A long-period swell generated by hurricanes Fausto and Genevieve, the latter evolving into a Category 5 hurricane on Monday morning, is creating sneaker waves that can run far up the beach after 20 minutes or more of flat water, sweeping people and pets off dry sand and into cold, turbulent surf. Rip currents running stronger than normal can then pull even strong swimmers out to sea.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even if the water seems flat for 20 minutes, you can still have an unsuspecting wave run much farther, up actually on dry sand, getting people who are sleeping, walking their dogs,” Sarment said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her advice: stay off jetties, piers and rocks, stay out of the water, and never turn your back on the ocean. Breaking waves could reach \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/mtr/\">10 feet\u003c/a> at south- and southwest-facing beaches such as Ocean Beach, Pacifica and Santa Cruz. The Weather Service’s beach hazards warning runs through Wednesday afternoon and could extend into the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heat is expected to peak Saturday, with the interior East Bay and North Bay potentially reaching 100 degrees, Sarment said. Temperatures across the region will run about 10 degrees above normal, though Sarment said that is not unusual for late July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This split between a mild coast and a baking interior is the Bay Area’s signature summer pattern, thanks to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092139/marine-layer-cools-bay-area-after-record-high-temps-with-hotter-weekend-forecast\">the marine layer\u003c/a>, the blanket of cool ocean air that acts as the region’s natural air conditioning. Under high pressure this week, that layer compresses to under 1,000 feet, Sarment said, shrinking the fog’s reach so that cooler air clings to the immediate coastline while inland valleys like Livermore roast unimpeded.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The coastal danger is not about tides or towering waves that look threatening. Sarment said it is an ocean that appears calm. The heat dries fuels quickly in the hills, and forecasters say the elevated fire threat, concentrated above the marine layer at about 2,000 feet and higher, will worsen toward the weekend as afternoon humidity in the driest spots drops toward 15%. The interior Central Coast and the region’s higher ranges, including the Diablo Range and the East Bay hills, are the areas of greatest concern.\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/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11992382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children play in sprinklers at Meadow Homes Park in Concord on Sept. 8, 2022, as the temperature soared to 108 degrees. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sarment said fires \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092116/little-fire-in-east-bay-crews-halt-spread-no-structures-damaged-pleasanton-mayor-says\">like the ones so far this summer\u003c/a> frequently trace to cars, either starting as vehicle fires that spread to vegetation, or blazes sparked by people driving or parking on dry grass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Forecasters are urging people to avoid anything that could throw a spark, warning that fires that start now are likely to spread fast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For those who spend the days outside, whether working, camping or home with kids on summer break, the Weather Service’s guidance is to hydrate, take frequent breaks and shift strenuous activity to the cooler parts of the day. Older adults, people without air conditioning, unhoused residents, pregnant women and young children are most at risk in the heat. She reminded to never leave children or pets in an unattended vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The heat is expected to build midweek and peak into the weekend, though forecasters say there is still uncertainty in how hot it ultimately gets. The Weather Service is posting updates on its website and social media accounts.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> is heading into its hottest stretch of the summer so far, with inland temperatures climbing toward 100 degrees by the weekend. But the heat may not be the most dangerous thing about this week’s weather.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As residents head for the coast to escape the heat, forecasters warn they will be walking into the most hazardous surf conditions of the season, driven by two distant hurricanes churning off Mexico. A weekend of dangerous waves has already prompted reports of roughly \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=mtr&issuedby=MTR&product=AFD\">25 water rescues\u003c/a> along the California coast.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As residents head for the coast to escape the heat, forecasters warn they will be walking into the most hazardous surf conditions of the season, driven by two distant hurricanes churning off Mexico. A weekend of dangerous waves has already prompted reports of roughly \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=mtr&issuedby=MTR&product=AFD\">25 water rescues\u003c/a> along the California coast.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are recommending everyone to stay away from the beach and stay out of the water, “ said Nicole Sarment, a meteorologist with the Weather Service’s Bay Area office. “I know it’s going to be hot. I know people like the beach in the summer. But it’s just so dangerous out there.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are recommending everyone to stay away from the beach and stay out of the water, “ said Nicole Sarment, a meteorologist with the Weather Service’s Bay Area office. “I know it’s going to be hot. I know people like the beach in the summer. But it’s just so dangerous out there.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Making the ocean even more threatening is that it will appear calm, Sarment said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A long-period swell generated by hurricanes Fausto and Genevieve, the latter evolving into a Category 5 hurricane on Monday morning, is creating sneaker waves that can run far up the beach after 20 minutes or more of flat water, sweeping people and pets off dry sand and into cold, turbulent surf. Rip currents running stronger than normal can then pull even strong swimmers out to sea.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Even if the water seems flat for 20 minutes, you can still have an unsuspecting wave run much farther, up actually on dry sand, getting people who are sleeping, walking their dogs,” Sarment said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Even if the water seems flat for 20 minutes, you can still have an unsuspecting wave run much farther, up actually on dry sand, getting people who are sleeping, walking their dogs,” Sarment said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her advice: stay off jetties, piers and rocks, stay out of the water, and never turn your back on the ocean. Breaking waves could reach \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/mtr/\">10 feet\u003c/a> at south- and southwest-facing beaches such as Ocean Beach, Pacifica and Santa Cruz. The Weather Service’s beach hazards warning runs through Wednesday afternoon and could extend into the weekend.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Her advice: stay off jetties, piers and rocks, stay out of the water, and never turn your back on the ocean. Breaking waves could reach \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/mtr/\">10 feet\u003c/a> at south- and southwest-facing beaches such as Ocean Beach, Pacifica and Santa Cruz. The Weather Service’s beach hazards warning runs through Wednesday afternoon and could extend into the weekend.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Heat is expected to peak Saturday, with the interior East Bay and North Bay potentially reaching 100 degrees, Sarment said. Temperatures across the region will run about 10 degrees above normal, though Sarment said that is not unusual for late July. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Heat is expected to peak Saturday, with the interior East Bay and North Bay potentially reaching 100 degrees, Sarment said. Temperatures across the region will run about 10 degrees above normal, though Sarment said that is not unusual for late July. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This split between a mild coast and a baking interior is the Bay Area’s signature summer pattern, thanks to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092139/marine-layer-cools-bay-area-after-record-high-temps-with-hotter-weekend-forecast\">the marine layer\u003c/a>, the blanket of cool ocean air that acts as the region’s natural air conditioning. Under high pressure this week, that layer compresses to under 1,000 feet, Sarment said, shrinking the fog’s reach so that cooler air clings to the immediate coastline while inland valleys like Livermore roast unimpeded.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The coastal danger is not about tides or towering waves that look threatening. Sarment said it is an ocean that appears calm. The heat dries fuels quickly in the hills, and forecasters say the elevated fire threat, concentrated above the marine layer at about 2,000 feet and higher, will worsen toward the weekend as afternoon humidity in the driest spots drops toward 15%. The interior Central Coast and the region’s higher ranges, including the Diablo Range and the East Bay hills, are the areas of greatest concern.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The coastal danger is not about tides or towering waves that look threatening. Sarment said it is an ocean that appears calm. The heat dries fuels quickly in the hills, and forecasters say the elevated fire threat, concentrated above the marine layer at about 2,000 feet and higher, will worsen toward the weekend as afternoon humidity in the driest spots drops toward 15%. The interior Central Coast and the region’s higher ranges, including the Diablo Range and the East Bay hills, are the areas of greatest concern.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sarment said fires \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092116/little-fire-in-east-bay-crews-halt-spread-no-structures-damaged-pleasanton-mayor-says\">like the ones so far this summer\u003c/a> frequently trace to cars, either starting as vehicle fires that spread to vegetation, or blazes sparked by people driving or parking on dry grass.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sarment said fires \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092116/little-fire-in-east-bay-crews-halt-spread-no-structures-damaged-pleasanton-mayor-says\">like the ones so far this summer\u003c/a> frequently trace to cars, either starting as vehicle fires that spread to vegetation, or blazes sparked by people driving or parking on dry grass.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Forecasters are urging people to avoid anything that could throw a spark, warning that fires that start now are likely to spread fast.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For those who spend the days outside, whether working, camping or home with kids on summer break, the Weather Service’s guidance is to hydrate, take frequent breaks and shift strenuous activity to the cooler parts of the day. Older adults, people without air conditioning, unhoused residents, pregnant women and young children are most at risk in the heat. She reminded to never leave children or pets in an unattended vehicle.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For those who spend the days outside, whether working, camping or home with kids on summer break, the Weather Service’s guidance is to hydrate, take frequent breaks and shift strenuous activity to the cooler parts of the day. Older adults, people without air conditioning, unhoused residents, pregnant women and young children are most at risk in the heat. She reminded to never leave children or pets in an unattended vehicle.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The heat is expected to build midweek and peak into the weekend, though forecasters say there is still uncertainty in how hot it ultimately gets. The Weather Service is posting updates on its website and social media accounts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The heat is expected to build midweek and peak into the weekend, though forecasters say there is still uncertainty in how hot it ultimately gets. The Weather Service is posting updates on its website and social media accounts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Temperatures inland could hit over 100 degrees by Saturday, but the National Weather Service says the deadlier threat is the surf, where a distant hurricane swell has already driven a weekend of water rescues.",
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"title": "A Bay Area Heat Wave Is Coming, Along With Beach Hazards and Wildfire Risk | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> is heading into its hottest stretch of the summer so far, with inland temperatures climbing toward 100 degrees by the weekend. But the heat may not be the most dangerous thing about this week’s weather.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As residents head for the coast to escape the heat, forecasters warn they will be walking into the most hazardous surf conditions of the season, driven by two distant hurricanes churning off Mexico. A weekend of dangerous waves has already prompted reports of roughly \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=mtr&issuedby=MTR&product=AFD\">25 water rescues\u003c/a> along the California coast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are recommending everyone to stay away from the beach and stay out of the water, “ said Nicole Sarment, a meteorologist with the Weather Service’s Bay Area office. “I know it’s going to be hot. I know people like the beach in the summer. But it’s just so dangerous out there.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/Heat-Wave-SF-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/Heat-Wave-SF-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/Heat-Wave-SF-Getty-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/Heat-Wave-SF-Getty-1536x1043.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People enjoying the sun at the Palace of Fine Arts as a heat wave rolls through San Francisco on July 11, 2024. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Making the ocean even more threatening is that it will appear calm, Sarment said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A long-period swell generated by hurricanes Fausto and Genevieve, the latter evolving into a Category 5 hurricane on Monday morning, is creating sneaker waves that can run far up the beach after 20 minutes or more of flat water, sweeping people and pets off dry sand and into cold, turbulent surf. Rip currents running stronger than normal can then pull even strong swimmers out to sea.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even if the water seems flat for 20 minutes, you can still have an unsuspecting wave run much farther, up actually on dry sand, getting people who are sleeping, walking their dogs,” Sarment said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her advice: stay off jetties, piers and rocks, stay out of the water, and never turn your back on the ocean. Breaking waves could reach \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/mtr/\">10 feet\u003c/a> at south- and southwest-facing beaches such as Ocean Beach, Pacifica and Santa Cruz. The Weather Service’s beach hazards warning runs through Wednesday afternoon and could extend into the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heat is expected to peak Saturday, with the interior East Bay and North Bay potentially reaching 100 degrees, Sarment said. Temperatures across the region will run about 10 degrees above normal, though Sarment said that is not unusual for late July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This split between a mild coast and a baking interior is the Bay Area’s signature summer pattern, thanks to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092139/marine-layer-cools-bay-area-after-record-high-temps-with-hotter-weekend-forecast\">the marine layer\u003c/a>, the blanket of cool ocean air that acts as the region’s natural air conditioning. Under high pressure this week, that layer compresses to under 1,000 feet, Sarment said, shrinking the fog’s reach so that cooler air clings to the immediate coastline while inland valleys like Livermore roast unimpeded.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The coastal danger is not about tides or towering waves that look threatening. Sarment said it is an ocean that appears calm. The heat dries fuels quickly in the hills, and forecasters say the elevated fire threat, concentrated above the marine layer at about 2,000 feet and higher, will worsen toward the weekend as afternoon humidity in the driest spots drops toward 15%. The interior Central Coast and the region’s higher ranges, including the Diablo Range and the East Bay hills, are the areas of greatest concern.\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/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11992382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/026_KQED_HeatWaveConcord_09082022_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children play in sprinklers at Meadow Homes Park in Concord on Sept. 8, 2022, as the temperature soared to 108 degrees. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sarment said fires \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12092116/little-fire-in-east-bay-crews-halt-spread-no-structures-damaged-pleasanton-mayor-says\">like the ones so far this summer\u003c/a> frequently trace to cars, either starting as vehicle fires that spread to vegetation, or blazes sparked by people driving or parking on dry grass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Forecasters are urging people to avoid anything that could throw a spark, warning that fires that start now are likely to spread fast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For those who spend the days outside, whether working, camping or home with kids on summer break, the Weather Service’s guidance is to hydrate, take frequent breaks and shift strenuous activity to the cooler parts of the day. Older adults, people without air conditioning, unhoused residents, pregnant women and young children are most at risk in the heat. She reminded to never leave children or pets in an unattended vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The heat is expected to build midweek and peak into the weekend, though forecasters say there is still uncertainty in how hot it ultimately gets. The Weather Service is posting updates on its website and social media accounts.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Oakland Police Arrest Suspect in Assault of Councilmember Rowena Brown",
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"content": "\u003cp>A suspect has been arrested after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> City Councilmember Rowena Brown was robbed and assaulted in her home last week by an acquaintance she was helping through a hard time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland police arrested Ahshatae Millhouse, 38, of Hayward, in Livermore on Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree burglary, assault and false imprisonment. She was booked into Santa Rita Jail and arraigned in Oakland on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brown’s office said in a post \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJBymfPeHD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\">on social media\u003c/a> this week that the council member at large sought medical treatment after the incident and is recovering with support from loved ones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She remains focused on her recovery and on continuing to serve the Oakland community,” her office said. “We are grateful to the Oakland Police Department for its swift response, for taking the suspect into custody, and for its continued investigation of the incident.”\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/10/2026/05/OaklandPoliceCarKQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084253\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/OaklandPoliceCarKQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/OaklandPoliceCarKQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/OaklandPoliceCarKQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Oakland Police vehicle in Oakland, California, on Nov. 5, 2025. (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to court documents, Millhouse was at Brown’s apartment in the early hours of July 19. Brown asked her to leave “because of her escalating behavior,” and on her way to the door, Millhouse allegedly punched Brown twice, causing her to fall to the ground. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Millhouse then dragged Brown by her hair into the living room, where she pressed her knee into Brown’s neck, according to court documents. Millhouse placed both of her hands around Brown’s neck and strangled her, the report said, before Brown was able to escape the apartment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Millhouse allegedly fled the scene with Brown’s purse and two cellphones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sending you love, healing and support during this difficult time,” Councilmember Janani Ramachandran wrote to Brown \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJBymfPeHD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\">on social media\u003c/a>. “You are an incredibly strong person and Oakland is lucky to have your leadership!”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Brown’s staff, Millhouse was an acquaintance that Brown was helping through a difficult time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Millhouse’s brother, Terrill Millhouse, was shot and killed in East Oakland in November, the night before Thanksgiving. Last week, Oakland police released \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/1354358532863216\">surveillance footage\u003c/a> of the suspect in the incident. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Millhouse and Brown have been acquainted since at least August 2024, when social media posts show Millhouse, who directs a music therapy nonprofit, campaigned for Brown. In February, Brown appointed Millhouse to the city’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJHSLBFDTb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==\">on social media\u003c/a> on Thursday that she had been in touch with Brown, and that “she is well and recovering from her injuries.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I want to thank her friends, family and OPD for their support during this period and ask that her privacy be respected at this time,” she wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Millhouse is set to return to court on July 30. She has not yet entered a plea.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A suspect has been arrested after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> City Councilmember Rowena Brown was robbed and assaulted in her home last week by an acquaintance she was helping through a hard time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A suspect has been arrested after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> City Councilmember Rowena Brown was robbed and assaulted in her home last week by an acquaintance she was helping through a hard time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oakland police arrested Ahshatae Millhouse, 38, of Hayward, in Livermore on Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree burglary, assault and false imprisonment. She was booked into Santa Rita Jail and arraigned in Oakland on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Oakland police arrested Ahshatae Millhouse, 38, of Hayward, in Livermore on Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree burglary, assault and false imprisonment. She was booked into Santa Rita Jail and arraigned in Oakland on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brown’s office said in a post \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJBymfPeHD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\">on social media\u003c/a> this week that the council member at large sought medical treatment after the incident and is recovering with support from loved ones.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Brown’s office said in a post \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJBymfPeHD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\">on social media\u003c/a> this week that the council member at large sought medical treatment after the incident and is recovering with support from loved ones.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She remains focused on her recovery and on continuing to serve the Oakland community,” her office said. “We are grateful to the Oakland Police Department for its swift response, for taking the suspect into custody, and for its continued investigation of the incident.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“She remains focused on her recovery and on continuing to serve the Oakland community,” her office said. “We are grateful to the Oakland Police Department for its swift response, for taking the suspect into custody, and for its continued investigation of the incident.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to court documents, Millhouse was at Brown’s apartment in the early hours of July 19. Brown asked her to leave “because of her escalating behavior,” and on her way to the door, Millhouse allegedly punched Brown twice, causing her to fall to the ground. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to court documents, Millhouse was at Brown’s apartment in the early hours of July 19. Brown asked her to leave “because of her escalating behavior,” and on her way to the door, Millhouse allegedly punched Brown twice, causing her to fall to the ground. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Millhouse then dragged Brown by her hair into the living room, where she pressed her knee into Brown’s neck, according to court documents. Millhouse placed both of her hands around Brown’s neck and strangled her, the report said, before Brown was able to escape the apartment. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Millhouse then dragged Brown by her hair into the living room, where she pressed her knee into Brown’s neck, according to court documents. Millhouse placed both of her hands around Brown’s neck and strangled her, the report said, before Brown was able to escape the apartment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Millhouse allegedly fled the scene with Brown’s purse and two cellphones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sending you love, healing and support during this difficult time,” Councilmember Janani Ramachandran wrote to Brown \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJBymfPeHD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\">on social media\u003c/a>. “You are an incredibly strong person and Oakland is lucky to have your leadership!”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Sending you love, healing and support during this difficult time,” Councilmember Janani Ramachandran wrote to Brown \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJBymfPeHD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\">on social media\u003c/a>. “You are an incredibly strong person and Oakland is lucky to have your leadership!”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Brown’s staff, Millhouse was an acquaintance that Brown was helping through a difficult time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Millhouse’s brother, Terrill Millhouse, was shot and killed in East Oakland in November, the night before Thanksgiving. Last week, Oakland police released \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/1354358532863216\">surveillance footage\u003c/a> of the suspect in the incident. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Millhouse’s brother, Terrill Millhouse, was shot and killed in East Oakland in November, the night before Thanksgiving. Last week, Oakland police released \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/1354358532863216\">surveillance footage\u003c/a> of the suspect in the incident. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Millhouse and Brown have been acquainted since at least August 2024, when social media posts show Millhouse, who directs a music therapy nonprofit, campaigned for Brown. In February, Brown appointed Millhouse to the city’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Millhouse and Brown have been acquainted since at least August 2024, when social media posts show Millhouse, who directs a music therapy nonprofit, campaigned for Brown. In February, Brown appointed Millhouse to the city’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJHSLBFDTb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==\">on social media\u003c/a> on Thursday that she had been in touch with Brown, and that “she is well and recovering from her injuries.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJHSLBFDTb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==\">on social media\u003c/a> on Thursday that she had been in touch with Brown, and that “she is well and recovering from her injuries.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I want to thank her friends, family and OPD for their support during this period and ask that her privacy be respected at this time,” she wrote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I want to thank her friends, family and OPD for their support during this period and ask that her privacy be respected at this time,” she wrote. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Millhouse is set to return to court on July 30. She has not yet entered a plea.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Brown’s acquaintance, Ahshatae Millhouse, 38, of Hayward, was arraigned Thursday for an assault and robbery that took place in the official’s Oakland home.",
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"title": "Oakland Police Arrest Suspect in Assault of Councilmember Rowena Brown | KQED",
"description": "Brown’s acquaintance, Ahshatae Millhouse, 38, of Hayward, was arraigned Thursday for an assault and robbery that took place in the official’s Oakland home.",
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"headline": "Oakland Police Arrest Suspect in Assault of Councilmember Rowena Brown",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A suspect has been arrested after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> City Councilmember Rowena Brown was robbed and assaulted in her home last week by an acquaintance she was helping through a hard time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland police arrested Ahshatae Millhouse, 38, of Hayward, in Livermore on Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree burglary, assault and false imprisonment. She was booked into Santa Rita Jail and arraigned in Oakland on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brown’s office said in a post \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJBymfPeHD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\">on social media\u003c/a> this week that the council member at large sought medical treatment after the incident and is recovering with support from loved ones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She remains focused on her recovery and on continuing to serve the Oakland community,” her office said. “We are grateful to the Oakland Police Department for its swift response, for taking the suspect into custody, and for its continued investigation of the incident.”\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/10/2026/05/OaklandPoliceCarKQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084253\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/OaklandPoliceCarKQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/OaklandPoliceCarKQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/OaklandPoliceCarKQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Oakland Police vehicle in Oakland, California, on Nov. 5, 2025. (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to court documents, Millhouse was at Brown’s apartment in the early hours of July 19. Brown asked her to leave “because of her escalating behavior,” and on her way to the door, Millhouse allegedly punched Brown twice, causing her to fall to the ground. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Millhouse then dragged Brown by her hair into the living room, where she pressed her knee into Brown’s neck, according to court documents. Millhouse placed both of her hands around Brown’s neck and strangled her, the report said, before Brown was able to escape the apartment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Millhouse allegedly fled the scene with Brown’s purse and two cellphones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sending you love, healing and support during this difficult time,” Councilmember Janani Ramachandran wrote to Brown \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJBymfPeHD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\">on social media\u003c/a>. “You are an incredibly strong person and Oakland is lucky to have your leadership!”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Brown’s staff, Millhouse was an acquaintance that Brown was helping through a difficult time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Millhouse’s brother, Terrill Millhouse, was shot and killed in East Oakland in November, the night before Thanksgiving. Last week, Oakland police released \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/1354358532863216\">surveillance footage\u003c/a> of the suspect in the incident. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Millhouse and Brown have been acquainted since at least August 2024, when social media posts show Millhouse, who directs a music therapy nonprofit, campaigned for Brown. In February, Brown appointed Millhouse to the city’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJHSLBFDTb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==\">on social media\u003c/a> on Thursday that she had been in touch with Brown, and that “she is well and recovering from her injuries.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I want to thank her friends, family and OPD for their support during this period and ask that her privacy be respected at this time,” she wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Millhouse is set to return to court on July 30. She has not yet entered a plea.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
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"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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"reveal": {
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"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"order": 16
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},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
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"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
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