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"content": "\u003cp>Federal prosecutors have charged \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-leandro\">San Leandro\u003c/a> City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, alleging he agreed to use his power as an elected official to benefit a company in exchange for his own personal financial gain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a document filed in federal court on Tuesday, Azevedo is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of making false statements to a government agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The charges come after months of speculation about the extent of Azevedo’s connection to an ongoing FBI corruption investigation that saw the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">indictment of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, her partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. attorneys allege in the filing that Azevedo and two unnamed individuals conspired to obtain a contract from the city of San Leandro for a housing company in exchange for cash and kickback payments to Azevedo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also accuse Azevedo of creating an LLC in his wife’s name and opening a bank account for the purpose of receiving illegal payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a meeting with reporters Tuesday afternoon, San Leandro Mayor Juan Gonzalez said he had not yet spoken with Azevedo and that, as of now, he is not requesting that the council member step down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If he pleads guilty to a felony, the (San Leandro City) Charter makes clear how we proceed. Namely, he may not be a felon and be a member of the city council,” Gonzalez said. “But if he were to plead to something else that did not rise to the level of felony, then we will cross that bridge when we get there. And of course he might be exonerated by a jury of his peers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gonzalez declined to comment on whether he had been interviewed by the FBI, saying only that the city of San Leandro cooperates with all investigations. He also referred to the situation as a “private matter” between Azevedo and the U.S. Department of Justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12054535\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12054535\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, San Leandro City Council members Fred Simon (District 4), Victor Aguilar (District 3) and Bryan Azevedo (District 2) listen as residents voice concerns during public comment about a federal investigation into Azevedo and recent lawsuits involving city leadership, at a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Azevedo attended a 2023 trip to Vietnam sponsored by a business association. Upon returning from the trip, prosecutors allege, Azevedo agreed to use his power as a San Leandro city council member to help obtain a contract for an Oakland-based housing company that aimed to manufacture modular homes made from shipping containers. In exchange, Azevedo would receive a percentage of the sales from units the city purchased, the filing alleges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Azevedo has acknowledged his participation in a 2023 Vietnam trip that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. The trip was sponsored by the Vietnamese American Business Association, led by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The housing company described in the court filing is not explicitly named.[aside postID=news_12022612 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00005-1020x680.jpg'] A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052003/san-leandro-lawsuit-documents-shed-light-on-company-at-center-of-oakland-fbi-probe\">lawsuit filed by former San Leandro City Manager\u003c/a> Francis Robustelli in June alleges Azevedo and fellow San Leandro City Councilmember Victor Aguilar invited her to the Oakland showroom of Evolutionary Homes in 2023. The visit was part of an effort by members of the Duong family, which owned the company, to lobby San Francisco Bay Area politicians to promote the establishment of tiny home developments in the area, Robustelli alleges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Robustelli’s lawsuit claims a representative of Evolutionary Homes pitched an emergency homelessness ordinance to San Leandro officials that would allow the city to more quickly purchase homes like the ones the company aimed to sell. It was never enacted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the document filed Tuesday, during the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024, Azevedo advocated for an emergency shelter ordinance that would benefit the unnamed housing company, advocated for the city to purchase units from the company and took San Leandro city officials to tour the company’s model units.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In November, prosecutors allege, one of the unnamed co-conspirators gave Azevedo $2,000 in cash at a dinner in Alameda in exchange for using his position as an elected official to benefit the housing company. Several days later, he allegedly deposited the money into the recently opened bank account.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12054537\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12054537\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Leandro City Hall, pictured on Aug. 2, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Leandro City Councilmember Victor Aguilar, reached by phone on Tuesday, declined to comment on the charges against Azevedo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, FBI agents raided Azevedo’s San Leandro home, two days before Thao, Jones, and Andy and David Duong were charged with conspiracy, bribery and fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In May, officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office notified Azevedo via a target letter that he, too, was the subject of a federal investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The document filed Tuesday alleges federal investigators in January asked Azevedo whether he had received cash payments from one of the co-conspirators in November 2023 and that Azevedo responded that he had not. Agents also allegedly asked Azevedo whether the co-conspirator’s family had business interests before the city of San Leandro, and he responded that it did not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These statements AZEVEDO made to the agents were false and AZEVEDO knew they were false,” the document reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Federal prosecutors have charged \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-leandro\">San Leandro\u003c/a> City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, alleging he agreed to use his power as an elected official to benefit a company in exchange for his own personal financial gain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a document filed in federal court on Tuesday, Azevedo is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of making false statements to a government agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The charges come after months of speculation about the extent of Azevedo’s connection to an ongoing FBI corruption investigation that saw the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">indictment of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, her partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. attorneys allege in the filing that Azevedo and two unnamed individuals conspired to obtain a contract from the city of San Leandro for a housing company in exchange for cash and kickback payments to Azevedo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also accuse Azevedo of creating an LLC in his wife’s name and opening a bank account for the purpose of receiving illegal payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a meeting with reporters Tuesday afternoon, San Leandro Mayor Juan Gonzalez said he had not yet spoken with Azevedo and that, as of now, he is not requesting that the council member step down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If he pleads guilty to a felony, the (San Leandro City) Charter makes clear how we proceed. Namely, he may not be a felon and be a member of the city council,” Gonzalez said. “But if he were to plead to something else that did not rise to the level of felony, then we will cross that bridge when we get there. And of course he might be exonerated by a jury of his peers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gonzalez declined to comment on whether he had been interviewed by the FBI, saying only that the city of San Leandro cooperates with all investigations. He also referred to the situation as a “private matter” between Azevedo and the U.S. Department of Justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12054535\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12054535\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, San Leandro City Council members Fred Simon (District 4), Victor Aguilar (District 3) and Bryan Azevedo (District 2) listen as residents voice concerns during public comment about a federal investigation into Azevedo and recent lawsuits involving city leadership, at a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Azevedo attended a 2023 trip to Vietnam sponsored by a business association. Upon returning from the trip, prosecutors allege, Azevedo agreed to use his power as a San Leandro city council member to help obtain a contract for an Oakland-based housing company that aimed to manufacture modular homes made from shipping containers. In exchange, Azevedo would receive a percentage of the sales from units the city purchased, the filing alleges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Azevedo has acknowledged his participation in a 2023 Vietnam trip that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. The trip was sponsored by the Vietnamese American Business Association, led by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The housing company described in the court filing is not explicitly named.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12052003/san-leandro-lawsuit-documents-shed-light-on-company-at-center-of-oakland-fbi-probe\">lawsuit filed by former San Leandro City Manager\u003c/a> Francis Robustelli in June alleges Azevedo and fellow San Leandro City Councilmember Victor Aguilar invited her to the Oakland showroom of Evolutionary Homes in 2023. The visit was part of an effort by members of the Duong family, which owned the company, to lobby San Francisco Bay Area politicians to promote the establishment of tiny home developments in the area, Robustelli alleges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Robustelli’s lawsuit claims a representative of Evolutionary Homes pitched an emergency homelessness ordinance to San Leandro officials that would allow the city to more quickly purchase homes like the ones the company aimed to sell. It was never enacted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the document filed Tuesday, during the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024, Azevedo advocated for an emergency shelter ordinance that would benefit the unnamed housing company, advocated for the city to purchase units from the company and took San Leandro city officials to tour the company’s model units.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In November, prosecutors allege, one of the unnamed co-conspirators gave Azevedo $2,000 in cash at a dinner in Alameda in exchange for using his position as an elected official to benefit the housing company. Several days later, he allegedly deposited the money into the recently opened bank account.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12054537\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12054537\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250902_SANLEANDROCITYHALL_GH-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Leandro City Hall, pictured on Aug. 2, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Leandro City Councilmember Victor Aguilar, reached by phone on Tuesday, declined to comment on the charges against Azevedo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, FBI agents raided Azevedo’s San Leandro home, two days before Thao, Jones, and Andy and David Duong were charged with conspiracy, bribery and fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In May, officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office notified Azevedo via a target letter that he, too, was the subject of a federal investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The document filed Tuesday alleges federal investigators in January asked Azevedo whether he had received cash payments from one of the co-conspirators in November 2023 and that Azevedo responded that he had not. Agents also allegedly asked Azevedo whether the co-conspirator’s family had business interests before the city of San Leandro, and he responded that it did not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These statements AZEVEDO made to the agents were false and AZEVEDO knew they were false,” the document reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/university-of-california\">University of California\u003c/a> union members are urging the system to take more concrete steps to protect international workers by barring federal agents from campuses and providing financial and legal assistance for workers facing immigration status changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 13,000 members of United Auto Workers Local 4811, which represents 48,000 student researchers, employees and postdoctoral researchers, sent a petition to the UC Office of the President last week demanding that it “protect vulnerable international workers from the Trump administration’s racist and xenophobic policies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their petition comes as the Trump administration has moved to terminate some student visas and ramped up immigration enforcement around the state. So far this year, at least 100 scholars and recent graduates across the UC system have had their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037114/student-visa-cancellations-uc-berkeley-beyond-could-hurt-us-innovation\">visas or exchange visitor status revoked\u003c/a> “with no valid justification,” according to the union. Some students and graduate workers have had their visas revoked and reinstated, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2025/08/international-students-california-universities/\">according to \u003cem>CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UCSF postdoctoral researcher Atreya Dey, who is from India, said the union began circulating the petition after first hearing that peoples’ exchange visitor status or student visas had been revoked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We think since there’s so many attacks on immigrants happening right now, the UC needs to take some steps to protect basically its core working research group,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the UC system, \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/about-us/information-center/uc-workforce-diversity\">61.5% of postdoctoral scholars\u003c/a> are international workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037908\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12037908\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-800x494.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-1020x630.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-1536x949.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-1920x1187.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay in San Francisco on April 24, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>UAW 4811 is calling on the UC to establish a legal defense fund for those affected by changes to their immigration status; provide financial assistance for people who lose a job, fellowship or living accommodations based on a status change; and deny immigration officials access to university property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The University of California has long been at the forefront of the fight for immigrant rights in higher education,” the petition reads. “UC must live up to this history by joining other universities in their opposition to the Trump Administration’s blatantly illegal attacks on higher education and immigrants.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UAW 4811 graduate students are currently in contract negotiations with the UC, bargaining over fair pay and job security on behalf of graduate students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UC \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/frequently-asked-questions-university-employees-about-possible-federal-immigration-enforcement#questiontwo\">said on its website\u003c/a> that while it cannot broadly prohibit immigration officers from coming onto campus, it does limit public access to certain areas, including those restricted by key card or locked doors, such as dormitories.[aside postID=news_12056908 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/230817-UC-BERKELEY-CAMPUS-MD-03-1020x680.jpg']Access to other areas that are generally unlocked can also be restricted, such as lecture halls where class is in session, hospital exam and inpatient rooms, laboratories and kitchens and food preparation areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spokesperson Rachel Zaentz said the university system provides “know your rights” information cards that detail the information students are legally obligated to provide if stopped by federal immigration enforcement agents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“International students can reach out to their International Student Services Office for legal and resource referrals,” Zaentz wrote via email. “ [UC Immigrant Legal Services Center California] is also available for legal consultations and referrals for UC’s international students with immigration related questions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dey said so far, the UC hasn’t responded to the petition or taken any “concrete steps” in ongoing negotiations on immigration-related demands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The petition is just to get the university to do something to protect its workers, which they haven’t really done much,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dey’s current F-1 visa, a non-immigrant visa for full-time students, expires next year. He had planned to apply for an H1-B visa to continue biomedical research at the UC’s San Francisco campus, but after the Trump administration introduced a \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupations\">new $100,000 fee\u003c/a> for people applying from outside the country in September, he said he’s more worried about how changing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058586/silicon-valley-dreams-at-risk-current-h-1bs-sidestep-trumps-100k-fee-for-now\">restrictions to H1-B\u003c/a> and other work visas could prevent him from continuing his research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“UCSF sees, at least it seems like they see, that my research is important, but they have so far still not taken any concrete steps to protect immigrants like me,” he told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jlara\">\u003cem>Juan Carlos Lara\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/university-of-california\">University of California\u003c/a> union members are urging the system to take more concrete steps to protect international workers by barring federal agents from campuses and providing financial and legal assistance for workers facing immigration status changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 13,000 members of United Auto Workers Local 4811, which represents 48,000 student researchers, employees and postdoctoral researchers, sent a petition to the UC Office of the President last week demanding that it “protect vulnerable international workers from the Trump administration’s racist and xenophobic policies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their petition comes as the Trump administration has moved to terminate some student visas and ramped up immigration enforcement around the state. So far this year, at least 100 scholars and recent graduates across the UC system have had their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037114/student-visa-cancellations-uc-berkeley-beyond-could-hurt-us-innovation\">visas or exchange visitor status revoked\u003c/a> “with no valid justification,” according to the union. Some students and graduate workers have had their visas revoked and reinstated, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2025/08/international-students-california-universities/\">according to \u003cem>CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UCSF postdoctoral researcher Atreya Dey, who is from India, said the union began circulating the petition after first hearing that peoples’ exchange visitor status or student visas had been revoked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We think since there’s so many attacks on immigrants happening right now, the UC needs to take some steps to protect basically its core working research group,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the UC system, \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/about-us/information-center/uc-workforce-diversity\">61.5% of postdoctoral scholars\u003c/a> are international workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037908\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12037908\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1236\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-800x494.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-1020x630.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-1536x949.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-1920x1187.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay in San Francisco on April 24, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>UAW 4811 is calling on the UC to establish a legal defense fund for those affected by changes to their immigration status; provide financial assistance for people who lose a job, fellowship or living accommodations based on a status change; and deny immigration officials access to university property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The University of California has long been at the forefront of the fight for immigrant rights in higher education,” the petition reads. “UC must live up to this history by joining other universities in their opposition to the Trump Administration’s blatantly illegal attacks on higher education and immigrants.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UAW 4811 graduate students are currently in contract negotiations with the UC, bargaining over fair pay and job security on behalf of graduate students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UC \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/frequently-asked-questions-university-employees-about-possible-federal-immigration-enforcement#questiontwo\">said on its website\u003c/a> that while it cannot broadly prohibit immigration officers from coming onto campus, it does limit public access to certain areas, including those restricted by key card or locked doors, such as dormitories.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Access to other areas that are generally unlocked can also be restricted, such as lecture halls where class is in session, hospital exam and inpatient rooms, laboratories and kitchens and food preparation areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spokesperson Rachel Zaentz said the university system provides “know your rights” information cards that detail the information students are legally obligated to provide if stopped by federal immigration enforcement agents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“International students can reach out to their International Student Services Office for legal and resource referrals,” Zaentz wrote via email. “ [UC Immigrant Legal Services Center California] is also available for legal consultations and referrals for UC’s international students with immigration related questions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dey said so far, the UC hasn’t responded to the petition or taken any “concrete steps” in ongoing negotiations on immigration-related demands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The petition is just to get the university to do something to protect its workers, which they haven’t really done much,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dey’s current F-1 visa, a non-immigrant visa for full-time students, expires next year. He had planned to apply for an H1-B visa to continue biomedical research at the UC’s San Francisco campus, but after the Trump administration introduced a \u003ca href=\"https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupations\">new $100,000 fee\u003c/a> for people applying from outside the country in September, he said he’s more worried about how changing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058586/silicon-valley-dreams-at-risk-current-h-1bs-sidestep-trumps-100k-fee-for-now\">restrictions to H1-B\u003c/a> and other work visas could prevent him from continuing his research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“UCSF sees, at least it seems like they see, that my research is important, but they have so far still not taken any concrete steps to protect immigrants like me,” he told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jlara\">\u003cem>Juan Carlos Lara\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "how-to-volunteer-donate-food-bank-near-me-thanksgiving-free-meals-san-francisco-bay-area-snap-calfresh-delays-ebt-november-shutdown",
"title": "How to Best Support Your Local Food Bank During Shutdown SNAP Delays",
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"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/government-shutdown\">government shutdown\u003c/a> has reached its second month. And the 5.5 million Californians who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps — have seen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">their November SNAP payments delayed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it’s still unclear how SNAP payments will be distributed this month. On Nov. 3, President Donald Trump’s administration said it would \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/11/03/nx-s1-5596121/snap-food-benefits-trump-government-shutdown\">use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s contingency fund to provide SNAP payments\u003c/a> in November after all, having previously claimed that it could not tap this fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the White House warned that payments would still only be half of people’s regular benefits, and that there could be lengthy delays before EBT cards are reloaded. And on Nov. 4, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/04/us/trump-shutdown-news#cities-nonprofits-food-stamp-snap-payments\">Trump again threatened to withhold SNAP payments\u003c/a> entirely — before a judge \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-11-6-2025#0000019a-5af9-d003-addb-deffec620000\">ruled a second time that the White House must pay these benefits in full by Nov. 7\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed that \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">some CalFresh recipients have begun to see benefits payments\u003c/a> arrive in full onto their EBT cards, but it’s not yet clear how these funds will continue to roll out, especially since \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/snap-food-government-shutdown-trump-a807e9f0c0a7213e203c074553dc1f9b\">the Trump administration asked a federal appeals court Friday to block the judge’s order\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around the Bay Area,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\"> food banks\u003c/a> are working to meet the needs of thousands of people who have seen their access to food greatly reduced aleady, with the Thanksgiving holidays fast approaching.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you don’t need the services of a food bank right now, you might be wondering how to best support your local nonprofit providing food assistance to your neighbor, either by volunteering your time or donating to them financially.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for how Bay Area food banks say you can most effectively support them during the shutdown. And remember: The quickest way to offer your support is by visiting an organization’s website and signing up there to volunteer or make a donation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Don’t feel you need to wait until the holidays to volunteer or donate\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“The holidays are definitely busier times when we tend to get more volunteers coming in,” said Elizabeth Gomez, vice president of impact at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u003c/a>. “But the truth is that we need volunteers every day of the year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while the Thanksgiving holiday is a particularly popular time to volunteer at food banks around the country, SNAP payments are typically paid onto recipients’ EBT cards in the first ten days of the month — meaning that with the shutdown delays, many people’s urgency around accessing food will start early in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062023\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12062023 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Would-be volunteers should also seek out opportunities at smaller locations in their communities, such as schools, community centers, senior centers and soup kitchens. \u003ccite>(Maskot/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>ACCFB has already seen a 12% increase since July in people using its food distribution sites, Gomez said. And now, the CalFresh delays “couldn’t come at a worse time,” she said. “This is November: It’s a time for family, for food, for togetherness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many people on CalFresh are particularly relying on these funds to feed their families at the holidays, noted Gomez, “especially during the winter months when not only our food prices go up, but electricity bills go up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Be open to different volunteer roles …\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Food banks — and the programs they distribute to — have a wide variety of volunteer roles to be filled, from warehouse roles like stocking shelves, packing boxes and cleaning facilities to “front of house” opportunities where volunteers work directly with members of the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11928374\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11928374\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut.jpg\" alt=\"a volunteer sorts donated food for the SF Marin food bank\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers sort donated apples at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. The organization’s workers voted to unionize in 2020 following a growing sense among employees that management was ignoring institutional problems. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Different organizations may have different needs. Cody Jang, senior associate director of community engagement at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/\">San Francisco-Marin Food Bank\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036573/volunteer-bay-area-non-profits-what-helps-opportunities\">told KQED earlier this year\u003c/a> that one of the organization’s biggest needs is for volunteers with a valid driver’s license and their own vehicle to deliver food door-to-door through\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/programs/home-delivered-groceries-seniors/\"> the home-delivered grocery program\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyfoodnetwork.org/\">Berkeley Food Network\u003c/a>, the most crucial volunteer role is that of greeter, executive director Andrew Crispin said: people who welcome clients, “letting them know what’s on the menu, letting them know that this is a safe space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>… and volunteering at different places\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since\u003ca href=\"https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/what-difference-between-food-bank-and-food-pantry\"> the SF-Marin Food Bank itself is “much more of a warehouse” \u003c/a>where “we get the food, we build a menu each week, and then we push it out to partners,” Jang also suggested would-be volunteers seek out opportunities at these smaller locations in their communities: “schools, community centers, senior centers, soup kitchens, all kinds of different places.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only does donating volunteer hours to one of these smaller pantries help “with the chain of getting food to those in need,” your work there is more likely to impact your actual neighbors, Jang said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Know that donating money has greater impact than donating food\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>‘We definitely need volunteers both at our distribution sites and at our warehouses, but also quite honestly, we need people’s financial support,” said Leslie Bacho, CEO of \u003ca href=\"https://www.shfb.org/\">Second Harvest of Silicon Valley\u003c/a>.[aside postID=news_12061440 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/013_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9229_qed.jpg']Donating money rather than food gives food banks far more flexibility, as these nonprofits are able to negotiate special deals for the food they buy in bulk — at much better prices than you can access as a private customer at a store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can really stretch people’s dollars far,” Bacho said. “And believe me, they are really needed in this moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For every dollar, we’re able to turn that into $2 of purchasing power,” ACCFB’s Gomez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And especially at a time when CalFresh benefits are decreasing, we need to do everything that we can to secure additional funds to purchase nutritious food for our community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>See if your employer will match your donation\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some companies will match whatever you donate to a food bank, so it’s worth inquiring with your employer. \u003ca href=\"https://donate.accfb.org/search/Donate\">ACCFB’s donation page \u003c/a>even allows you to type in your company’s name to see if they’ll match the amount you give.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Be aware of any guidelines for donating food\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Food banks will typically welcome nonperishable, unopened food. And you’ll want to make sure your product can be accepted at the particular food bank you want to donate to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, \u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Needed-Food-items-2025.pdf\">ACCFB has a list of foods “our community loves” \u003c/a>to guide food donations, which include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12060770 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Ready-to-eat meals, especially in easy-open cans or pouches\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chilis, stews, ravioli and soups\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chicken, tuna and salmon\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Snacks for children (like healthy lunch snacks, bars, and fruit or veggie pouches)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Nonperishable fruit (in cups, bowls or cans)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Peanut butter\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cereal (boxes or single-serve bowls)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Nutrition and protein bars\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ACCFB-General-Donation-Guidelines-new-logo-Oct21.pdf\">Items the food bank asks people \u003cem>not \u003c/em>to donate:\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Soda, carbonated drinks, energy drinks or alcohol\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Items with major dents or damage\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Produce that’s overripe, moldy, wilted or extremely bruised\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Items that have been previously thawed\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Ice cream\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Some food banks may also accept products needed by the community, like detergent, period supplies, diapers or other personal care items, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/three-non-food-items-food\">Feeding America suggests \u003c/a>you contact your local organization directly to check.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Host a food drive to collect physical donations …\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While food banks across the country paused their traditional food drives at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re once again an option for people wanting to support their local food bank with food donations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953002\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11953002\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with white hair and a warm coat picks through a huge box of ears of corn in a paved outdoor area where lots of other people are also circulating.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers distribute food items at a San Francisco-Marin Food Bank pop-up pantry in the Richmond District of San Francisco on June 13, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>ACCFB also welcomes\u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/get-involved/fundraise/food-drive/#large\"> “large-scale food drives”\u003c/a> in which groups like schools and larger businesses commit to collecting over 400 lbs. of food, i.e., at least three completely full food drive barrels.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>… or start a virtual food drive\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>ACCFB has a tool that allows supporters to \u003ca href=\"https://donate.accfb.org/vfd\">host virtual food drives online\u003c/a>, inviting donors to “shop” for the food bank’s most needed fresh items, like milk, eggs and produce, which can’t be collected in a typical food drive’s barrels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thanks to our bulk purchasing power, the money you’d spend in a grocery store to fill just one food drive barrel is enough to fill 3–4 virtual barrels,” ACCFB’s website said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story contains reporting from KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ffenzi\">Francesca Fenzi\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/government-shutdown\">government shutdown\u003c/a> has reached its second month. And the 5.5 million Californians who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps — have seen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">their November SNAP payments delayed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it’s still unclear how SNAP payments will be distributed this month. On Nov. 3, President Donald Trump’s administration said it would \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/11/03/nx-s1-5596121/snap-food-benefits-trump-government-shutdown\">use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s contingency fund to provide SNAP payments\u003c/a> in November after all, having previously claimed that it could not tap this fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the White House warned that payments would still only be half of people’s regular benefits, and that there could be lengthy delays before EBT cards are reloaded. And on Nov. 4, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/04/us/trump-shutdown-news#cities-nonprofits-food-stamp-snap-payments\">Trump again threatened to withhold SNAP payments\u003c/a> entirely — before a judge \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-11-6-2025#0000019a-5af9-d003-addb-deffec620000\">ruled a second time that the White House must pay these benefits in full by Nov. 7\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed that \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">some CalFresh recipients have begun to see benefits payments\u003c/a> arrive in full onto their EBT cards, but it’s not yet clear how these funds will continue to roll out, especially since \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/snap-food-government-shutdown-trump-a807e9f0c0a7213e203c074553dc1f9b\">the Trump administration asked a federal appeals court Friday to block the judge’s order\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around the Bay Area,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\"> food banks\u003c/a> are working to meet the needs of thousands of people who have seen their access to food greatly reduced aleady, with the Thanksgiving holidays fast approaching.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you don’t need the services of a food bank right now, you might be wondering how to best support your local nonprofit providing food assistance to your neighbor, either by volunteering your time or donating to them financially.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for how Bay Area food banks say you can most effectively support them during the shutdown. And remember: The quickest way to offer your support is by visiting an organization’s website and signing up there to volunteer or make a donation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Don’t feel you need to wait until the holidays to volunteer or donate\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“The holidays are definitely busier times when we tend to get more volunteers coming in,” said Elizabeth Gomez, vice president of impact at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u003c/a>. “But the truth is that we need volunteers every day of the year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while the Thanksgiving holiday is a particularly popular time to volunteer at food banks around the country, SNAP payments are typically paid onto recipients’ EBT cards in the first ten days of the month — meaning that with the shutdown delays, many people’s urgency around accessing food will start early in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062023\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12062023 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Would-be volunteers should also seek out opportunities at smaller locations in their communities, such as schools, community centers, senior centers and soup kitchens. \u003ccite>(Maskot/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>ACCFB has already seen a 12% increase since July in people using its food distribution sites, Gomez said. And now, the CalFresh delays “couldn’t come at a worse time,” she said. “This is November: It’s a time for family, for food, for togetherness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many people on CalFresh are particularly relying on these funds to feed their families at the holidays, noted Gomez, “especially during the winter months when not only our food prices go up, but electricity bills go up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Be open to different volunteer roles …\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Food banks — and the programs they distribute to — have a wide variety of volunteer roles to be filled, from warehouse roles like stocking shelves, packing boxes and cleaning facilities to “front of house” opportunities where volunteers work directly with members of the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11928374\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11928374\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut.jpg\" alt=\"a volunteer sorts donated food for the SF Marin food bank\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers sort donated apples at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. The organization’s workers voted to unionize in 2020 following a growing sense among employees that management was ignoring institutional problems. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Different organizations may have different needs. Cody Jang, senior associate director of community engagement at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/\">San Francisco-Marin Food Bank\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036573/volunteer-bay-area-non-profits-what-helps-opportunities\">told KQED earlier this year\u003c/a> that one of the organization’s biggest needs is for volunteers with a valid driver’s license and their own vehicle to deliver food door-to-door through\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/programs/home-delivered-groceries-seniors/\"> the home-delivered grocery program\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyfoodnetwork.org/\">Berkeley Food Network\u003c/a>, the most crucial volunteer role is that of greeter, executive director Andrew Crispin said: people who welcome clients, “letting them know what’s on the menu, letting them know that this is a safe space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>… and volunteering at different places\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since\u003ca href=\"https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/what-difference-between-food-bank-and-food-pantry\"> the SF-Marin Food Bank itself is “much more of a warehouse” \u003c/a>where “we get the food, we build a menu each week, and then we push it out to partners,” Jang also suggested would-be volunteers seek out opportunities at these smaller locations in their communities: “schools, community centers, senior centers, soup kitchens, all kinds of different places.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only does donating volunteer hours to one of these smaller pantries help “with the chain of getting food to those in need,” your work there is more likely to impact your actual neighbors, Jang said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Know that donating money has greater impact than donating food\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>‘We definitely need volunteers both at our distribution sites and at our warehouses, but also quite honestly, we need people’s financial support,” said Leslie Bacho, CEO of \u003ca href=\"https://www.shfb.org/\">Second Harvest of Silicon Valley\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Donating money rather than food gives food banks far more flexibility, as these nonprofits are able to negotiate special deals for the food they buy in bulk — at much better prices than you can access as a private customer at a store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can really stretch people’s dollars far,” Bacho said. “And believe me, they are really needed in this moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For every dollar, we’re able to turn that into $2 of purchasing power,” ACCFB’s Gomez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And especially at a time when CalFresh benefits are decreasing, we need to do everything that we can to secure additional funds to purchase nutritious food for our community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>See if your employer will match your donation\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some companies will match whatever you donate to a food bank, so it’s worth inquiring with your employer. \u003ca href=\"https://donate.accfb.org/search/Donate\">ACCFB’s donation page \u003c/a>even allows you to type in your company’s name to see if they’ll match the amount you give.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Be aware of any guidelines for donating food\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Food banks will typically welcome nonperishable, unopened food. And you’ll want to make sure your product can be accepted at the particular food bank you want to donate to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, \u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Needed-Food-items-2025.pdf\">ACCFB has a list of foods “our community loves” \u003c/a>to guide food donations, which include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Ready-to-eat meals, especially in easy-open cans or pouches\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chilis, stews, ravioli and soups\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chicken, tuna and salmon\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Snacks for children (like healthy lunch snacks, bars, and fruit or veggie pouches)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Nonperishable fruit (in cups, bowls or cans)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Peanut butter\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cereal (boxes or single-serve bowls)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Nutrition and protein bars\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ACCFB-General-Donation-Guidelines-new-logo-Oct21.pdf\">Items the food bank asks people \u003cem>not \u003c/em>to donate:\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Soda, carbonated drinks, energy drinks or alcohol\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Items with major dents or damage\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Produce that’s overripe, moldy, wilted or extremely bruised\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Items that have been previously thawed\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Ice cream\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Some food banks may also accept products needed by the community, like detergent, period supplies, diapers or other personal care items, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/three-non-food-items-food\">Feeding America suggests \u003c/a>you contact your local organization directly to check.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Host a food drive to collect physical donations …\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While food banks across the country paused their traditional food drives at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re once again an option for people wanting to support their local food bank with food donations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953002\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11953002\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with white hair and a warm coat picks through a huge box of ears of corn in a paved outdoor area where lots of other people are also circulating.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers distribute food items at a San Francisco-Marin Food Bank pop-up pantry in the Richmond District of San Francisco on June 13, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>ACCFB also welcomes\u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/get-involved/fundraise/food-drive/#large\"> “large-scale food drives”\u003c/a> in which groups like schools and larger businesses commit to collecting over 400 lbs. of food, i.e., at least three completely full food drive barrels.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>… or start a virtual food drive\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>ACCFB has a tool that allows supporters to \u003ca href=\"https://donate.accfb.org/vfd\">host virtual food drives online\u003c/a>, inviting donors to “shop” for the food bank’s most needed fresh items, like milk, eggs and produce, which can’t be collected in a typical food drive’s barrels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thanks to our bulk purchasing power, the money you’d spend in a grocery store to fill just one food drive barrel is enough to fill 3–4 virtual barrels,” ACCFB’s website said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story contains reporting from KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ffenzi\">Francesca Fenzi\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "california-divided-heres-whats-at-stake-for-californians-whose-districts-could-get-rewritten-by-prop-50",
"title": "California Divided: Here’s What’s at Stake for Californians Whose Districts Could Get Rewritten by Proposition 50",
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"headTitle": "California Divided: Here’s What’s at Stake for Californians Whose Districts Could Get Rewritten by Proposition 50 | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Californians will decide Nov. 4 on a ballot measure that could reshape how our state is represented in Congress: Proposition 50 would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053140/california-lawmakers-pass-redistricting-plan-now-it-heads-to-voters\">redraw California’s congressional district lines\u003c/a> to help Democrats pick up five additional seats in the House.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure is Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to the growing \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/08/14/nx-s1-5501537/texas-california-gerrymandering-redistricting\">national fight over redistricting\u003c/a>, sparked by President Donald Trump’s push for Republicans in Texas to redraw their maps. If Proposition 50 passes, the state’s political map will look different from Sonoma down to San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can’t stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district, all across this country,” Newsom said \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io2HutlGdHk\">during a press conference\u003c/a> in August. “It’s not good enough to just hold hands, have a candlelight vigil and talk about the way things should be. We have got to meet fire with fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State legislators voted to put Newsom’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053140/california-lawmakers-pass-redistricting-plan-now-it-heads-to-voters\">redistricting plan on the ballot\u003c/a>. If Proposition 50 passes, it would temporarily suspend California’s independent redistricting commission through 2030 – an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting move for a state that typically redraws its lines after the census once every 10 years after the census.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new map would likely flip five of California’s 52 congressional districts from Republican representation to Democratic. It would also make several existing Democratic seats less competitive by bringing blue-leaning areas like Sonoma and Sacramento counties into more traditionally red areas, like Modoc and Kings counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038712\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038712\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cattle graze in a Modoc County pasture. \u003ccite>(Saul Gonzalez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the final week of campaigning ahead of Election Day, those in favor of Proposition 50 argue that redistricting in the Golden State is a necessary counterpunch to Texas’ gerrymandering — and a way to stand up to President Trump on principle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents argue that the state’s established citizen redistricting commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060736/recall-redux-democrats-and-republicans-bring-back-familiar-arguments-in-prop-50-battle\">should be the one orchestrating this process\u003c/a> to keep things nonpartisan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In collaboration with The California Newsroom and KQED’s The California Report, journalists across the state spoke with residents, business leaders and legislators from each of the five congressional districts that could change under Proposition 50 to understand what’s at stake.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>District 3\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quick take: Democratic residents in the blue bubble of Lake Tahoe say it’s time to have one of their own in Washington.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lake Tahoe is a blue dot in California’s 3rd Congressional District, which covers conservative Placer and El Dorado counties and spans down the Eastern Sierra to Death Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district has long had a Republican representative in Congress, but this mountainous area that draws outdoor lovers year-round usually votes blue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Theresa May Duggan, a Democrat known locally as Tee May, has been writing postcards to voters across the state, urging them to support Proposition 50. She’s lived in Tahoe for 48 years and said the region faces a lot of the same challenges as other parts of California that are often overshadowed by issues surrounding Lake Tahoe itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061948\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061948\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tee May Duggan writes postcards to California voters urging their support on Proposition 50 at her Tahoe Vista home on Oct. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Laura Fitzgerald/CapRadio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Can you imagine if we had another vote in Congress for things for our community that didn’t involve the lake?” Duggan asked. She wants a representative who will work to boost the region’s housing stock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Duggan also wants to feel like she’s part of California, the part that reflects her values.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know I live in a blue dot. I want to live in a blue district too,” Duggan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Duggan could get her wish if Proposition 50 passes. California’s redistricting proposal would shrink the 3rd Congressional District and tie in parts of bluer Sacramento County, making it easier for a Democratic candidate to win the seat, currently held by Republican Kevin Kiley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other residents say, regardless of party, they want their representative to pay more attention to the region’s unique challenges, including wildfire prevention, skyrocketing insurance rates, rural health care access and management of federal land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the cuts to the U.S. Forest Service do not serve this area,” said Truckee Town Councilmember Courtney Henderson. “No matter what the boundary looks like or who that representative is, they have to have deep working knowledge of what happens on the ground and in rural communities and a lot of this district is very rural.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>— \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/about/bios/laura-fitzgerald/\">\u003cem>Laura Fitzgerald\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, CapRadio\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>District 22\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quick Take: Farmers fear losing Republican Rep. David Valadao will put them at the mercy of regulation-crazed Dems; others say the congressman needs to pay the political price for supporting Medicaid cuts.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Proposition 50 passes, Rep. David Valadao of the Central Valley would be one of five Republicans on the chopping block — and that worries farmers in his district, which comprises a significant portion of California’s rich agricultural belt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kings County is one of \u003ca href=\"https://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/final-maps/\">three agricultural counties\u003c/a> that make up District 22, represented by Valadao. Dairy farms, vineyards and crops help make California one of the world’s leading agricultural exporters, bringing in \u003ca href=\"https://plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov/wordpress/?p=27335\">billions of dollars\u003c/a> a year and providing \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/transportation-planning/documents/new-state-planning/transportation-economics/socioeconomic-forecasts/2019/2019-pdf/kingsfinal-a11y.pdf\">tens of thousands\u003c/a> of jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a point of pride for Charles Meyer, who grows a cornucopia of crops on his 1,500-acre Stratford farm in Kings County, including wheat, Pima cotton, alfalfa, almonds and pistachios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061952\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061952\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1505\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided2-1536x1156.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charles Meyer stands in his Kings County cotton field on Oct. 10, 2025. He said he opposes Proposition 50 — and Democratic leadership in general — because he feels their environmental regulations are slowly edging farmers out of business. \u003ccite>(Kerry Klein/KVPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You become attached to the ground,” he said. “It’s like our boys in the military, they give their life for the country. We feel about our ground about like that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meyer wants elected leaders who feel that way, too. Valadao, who \u003ca href=\"https://valadao.house.gov/about/\">used to be a dairy farmer\u003c/a>, was first elected to Congress in 2012. But if voters approve Proposition 50 next month, District 22 would stretch out \u003ca href=\"https://aelc.assembly.ca.gov/proposed-congressional-map\">almost twice as long\u003c/a> to gain Democratic voters from neighboring counties and give them a better shot at winning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want anything that would help Democrats gain power,” Meyer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because California Democrats have pushed a slew of environmental regulations aimed at protecting air, \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/irrigated_lands/background_history/\">water\u003c/a> and ecosystems. They also restrict things like \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sgma/about_sgma.html\">groundwater\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/docs/Fertilizer_Law_and_Regs.pdf\">fertilizer use\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meyer calls that regulatory overreach, and he blames Democrats for rising farming costs and slumping profits: “When they gain power, negative things happen,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061960\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1505\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided4-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided4-1536x1156.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charles Meyer holds pima cotton he grew on his Stratford, California farm. \u003ccite>(Kerry Klein/KVPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a common opinion. Signs reading “Vote No on Prop. 50” line Kings County’s highways, alongside banners to recall Newsom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many Democrats, however, support the new map. Karla Orosco, a retired science teacher, was among a dozen people recently holding up signs in favor of Proposition 50 and other Democratic priorities in nearby Lemoore. She’s part of a “bridge brigade” that hangs signs on overpasses throughout Kings County. None of the dozen volunteers canvassing in Lemoore that day was a farmer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But they said they’re angry that Valadao hasn’t hosted an in-person town hall in \u003ca href=\"https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1424\">more than a year\u003c/a>, and that he voted to cut Medicaid — even though he said he wouldn’t, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.chcf.org/resource/how-many-congressional-district-get-medi-cal-premium-subsidy-through-covered-california/\">two-thirds of his constituents\u003c/a> rely on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s going to hurt a lot of people, and it’s going to wake a lot of people up when the healthcare premiums go up,” Orosco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>—\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/people/kerry-klein\">\u003cem>Kerry Klein\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KVPR\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>District 48\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quick take: In a largely red area of San Diego County, Democrats see Proposition 50 as a way to reach new voters.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Diego County, four out of five congressional seats are held by Democrats. But in the more rural northeast part of the county, Republicans have been on a winning streak that has lasted more than two decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican Darrell Issa, who holds California’s 48th District seat, has represented the area through multiple redistricting cycles. If Proposition 50 passes in November, Issa’s district would become almost unrecognizable, shifting from a double-digit advantage for Republicans to a 10-point lead for Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12056383\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12056383\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/Newsom-Gerry_CalMatters.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/Newsom-Gerry_CalMatters.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/Newsom-Gerry_CalMatters-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/Newsom-Gerry_CalMatters-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa speaks to media outside of a House Republican meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 14, 2023. \u003ccite>(Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Democratic Party activists say the district already has more liberal-leaning voters than even residents in the area might think.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When people find out that they actually have Democrats or like-minded people as their neighbors, they’re surprised,” said Andi McNew, who was canvassing in the small city of Poway in favor of Proposition 50. “While the MAGA people are loud with their flags and stuff, it kind of keeps Democrats afraid and scared. And they shouldn’t be scared.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McNew said this perception leads people — and the Democratic Party — to write these areas off as “red,” and not invest in getting out the vote. But because Proposition 50 is a statewide referendum, every vote counts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s why it’s so sad to see Democrats give up on these areas and not run … for these local seats, because we can win them,” McNew said.[aside postID=news_12061445 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251024-NEWSOM-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg']San Diego County Democratic Party Chair Will Rodriguez-Kennedy said his group is going “all in” on Proposition 50 messaging to reach “everyone, everywhere, all at once.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The party is expanding efforts to reach voters who speak different languages. He said activists on the ground have asked for Spanish-language material, which they’ve been delivering to locals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie Martinez is one of those activists. She volunteers with the Fallbrook Democratic Club, which covers the area northeast of Camp Pendleton.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fifty percent of our Democratic base here [in Fallbrook] is of Hispanic and or Indigenous [heritage],” Martinez said. “So, maybe in the past … their needs and their wants and their voices have not been addressed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez said targeted outreach makes a big difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We do get a lot of ‘thank yous,’” Martinez said. “We get people telling us that in the entire 20 years or so that they’ve lived in this community, no one has ever given them any voter information in their native language of Spanish. So I see that as a huge success.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>—\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/staff/jake-gotta\">\u003cem>Jake Gotta\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KPBS\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>District 1\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quick take: Folks in California’s largest Congressional District worry their rural way of life could be threatened by wealthy Bay Area representation under Proposition 50.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s 1st Congressional District is the state’s largest by geography: It stretches from Modoc County in the northeast corner of the state to the Klamath National Forest in the west, and down south to the city of Chico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While it’s vast, Modoc is the third-least populated county in the state. It’s part of a congressional district created to include counties that depend on natural resources like ranching, timber and farming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under Proposition 50, that would change: Modoc would still be clustered with like-minded Siskiyou and Shasta counties, but it would be in the same congressional district — District 2 — as Marin County on the coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some residents are concerned that the new maps would further reduce their political power in a super-blue state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artist and rancher Valerie Coe moved to Modoc County in the 1990s. She’s concerned that Modoc will be forgotten in the proposed changes, and likes current Congressman Doug LaMalfa, a Republican.[aside label=\"2025 California Special Election\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/proposition-50,Learn about Proposition 50' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Aside-2025-Special-Election-Voter-Guide-Proposition-50-1200x675-1.png]“The representation we have now is a gentleman who is a farmer himself, and so he understands the challenges we face in agriculture,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Proposition 50 is approved, Modoc County Democrats hope that Jared Huffman, who currently represents District 2 and calls Marin County home, would become the area’s new congressman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But not everyone agrees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He doesn’t get what’s going on on the ground in rural areas at all,” said Geri Byrne, a rancher and county supervisor. Huffman isn’t a farmer and represents Bay Area cities like San Rafael and Petaluma, along with more rural cities on the coast like Fort Bragg and Ukiah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huffman told Jefferson Public Radio he’s aware of the skeptics and knows what he’s up against.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve got to take the time and make the effort to humanize myself, to show that I do care,” Huffman said. “I’m not some caricature of an urban elite that knows nothing about rural America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chico, also in District 1, is a bright blue dot in a sea of red. If Proposition 50 is approved, it would stay in District 1, but would be clustered into the same district as some wealthy Bay Area cities like Santa Rosa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chico and Santa Rosa voted for Kamala Harris and agreed on seven out of the 10 propositions on the 2024 ballot. But Chico resident Walt Stile said political affinity doesn’t equate to a connection, and that people in Santa Rosa aren’t likely to care about issues that Chico faces, like flooding in the Sacramento River.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think people in Santa Rosa even know where Chico is,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And when Chico resident Denise Katsikas thinks of Santa Rosa, her first thought is fancy wineries and wealth. (In 2023, Santa Rosa, with its many vineyards, was ranked \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2023/11/07/santa-rosa-ranks-among-top-25-most-expensive-places-to-live-in-the-us-according-to-us-news-world-report/\">eighth out of the 25 most expensive places to live\u003c/a> in the United States, according to a U.S. News & World Report.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m closer to being evicted from my home that’s not paid off than I am to being a billionaire,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, Katsikas is in favor of Proposition 50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>—\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ijpr.org/people/roman-battaglia\">\u003cem>Roman Battaglia\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, Jefferson Public Radio and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mynspr.org/people/sarina-grossi\">\u003cem>Sarina Grossi\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, North State Public Radio\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>District 41\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quick Take: Welcome to the horsey hamlet of Norco, where voters want to protect their way of life, and “Gavin Newsom” is a dirty word. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Life in Norco, a rural city of about 25,000 in Riverside County, is built around horses. Locals call it “Horsetown USA.” Just ask resident Don Pettinger, who rides his reddish-brown horse, “Rusty,” through his neighborhood — the sidewalks in Norco are horse trails.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What does Norco stand for? It stands for the equestrian lifestyle … being able to get our horse and go ride,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pettinger and many others in Norco worry they’ll lose their equestrian way of life if Proposition 50 passes. That’s because Norco would be shifted from a staunchly conservative district into one that’s solidly Democratic, urban and possibly unsympathetic to what Pettinger and others here hold dear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061954\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061954\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1448\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided3-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided3-1536x1112.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The city of Norco’s Main Street — which boasts a “Horsetown, USA” sign in addition to horse trails instead of sidewalks — is seen on Oct. 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Madison Aument/KVCR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If we get a representative here who is representing Los Angeles or parts of Pomona or something like that, she’s not going to be used to our lifestyles, or whoever that Congress person is,” he said. “We need someone who knows who we are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Norco’s current representative, Republican Ken Calvert, \u003ca href=\"https://calvert.house.gov/about-ken/biography\">was born and raised in Corona\u003c/a>, which is just one town over. He’s represented District 41 for more than 30 years. Pettinger abhors the idea of Proposition 50 taking Calvert away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s more an issue of a power grab by the governor and the state trying to put their will in place so that they can help control Congress for whoever might control the White House next,” Pettinger said. “And it’s not right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Calvert has served on the House Appropriations Committee for more than a decade. Norco City Councilmember Kevin Bash said over the years, the congressman has delivered funding to the region for several big infrastructure projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He built \u003ca href=\"https://www.rctc.org/community-celebrates-completion-of-mayor-berwin-hanna-bridge-and-hamner-widening-projects/\">two bridges\u003c/a> for us,” Bash said. “He’s put together a \u003ca href=\"https://kesq.com/news/2024/03/06/millions-in-federal-funding-for-infrastructure-projects-could-be-on-its-way-to-the-coachella-valley/\">recycled water treatment plant\u003c/a> to help the Navy, to help our lake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bash worries that without Calvert, Norco might not get what it needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet conversations with Bash and many other Republicans in town often turn away from Congress and focus instead on state politics, where Democrats hold the power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, they say state policies that require high-density housing threaten Norco’s way of life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our biggest enemy is the state of California,” Bash said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And as many California Republicans see it, Gov. Newsom — who launched Proposition 50 in response to gerrymandering efforts in Texas — \u003cem>is \u003c/em>the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many Democrats in Norco see Proposition 50’s proposed map as an opportunity to get rid of Calvert. Chair of the Riverside County Democratic Party Joy Silver said after more than 30 years, it’s about time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ken Calvert, I think, is just one of those guys who touts the party line,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, Calvert voted to cut Medicaid, by way of voting for the Big Beautiful Bill, and he holds an “\u003ca href=\"https://calvert.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/calvert-evo.house.gov/files/migrated/UploadedFiles/Calvert_Amnesty.pdf\">enforcement-first\u003c/a>” stance on immigration. Local Democrats also say he’s notorious for not hosting town hall events. According to Calvert’s website, the last town hall was held \u003ca href=\"https://calvert.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-calvert-announces-telephone-town-hall\">in 2017\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That doesn’t matter much to Don Pettinger. Even though there’s no sign Congress would come for his horse trails, he still worries that a new district map would stir up trouble for Norco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Let us be Horsetown, USA,” he said. “Let us be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>—\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvcrnews.org/people/madison-aument\">\u003cem>Madison Aument\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KVCR\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>California Divided,\u003cem> a digital and audio series about Proposition 50 produced by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state and KQED’s The California Report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Journalists at public radio stations across California spoke with residents, business leaders and politicos in each of the districts that could flip under Proposition 50.\r\n",
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"title": "California Divided: Here’s What’s at Stake for Californians Whose Districts Could Get Rewritten by Proposition 50 | KQED",
"description": "Journalists at public radio stations across California spoke with residents, business leaders and politicos in each of the districts that could flip under Proposition 50.\r\n",
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"headline": "California Divided: Here’s What’s at Stake for Californians Whose Districts Could Get Rewritten by Proposition 50",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Californians will decide Nov. 4 on a ballot measure that could reshape how our state is represented in Congress: Proposition 50 would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053140/california-lawmakers-pass-redistricting-plan-now-it-heads-to-voters\">redraw California’s congressional district lines\u003c/a> to help Democrats pick up five additional seats in the House.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure is Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to the growing \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/08/14/nx-s1-5501537/texas-california-gerrymandering-redistricting\">national fight over redistricting\u003c/a>, sparked by President Donald Trump’s push for Republicans in Texas to redraw their maps. If Proposition 50 passes, the state’s political map will look different from Sonoma down to San Diego.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can’t stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district, all across this country,” Newsom said \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io2HutlGdHk\">during a press conference\u003c/a> in August. “It’s not good enough to just hold hands, have a candlelight vigil and talk about the way things should be. We have got to meet fire with fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State legislators voted to put Newsom’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053140/california-lawmakers-pass-redistricting-plan-now-it-heads-to-voters\">redistricting plan on the ballot\u003c/a>. If Proposition 50 passes, it would temporarily suspend California’s independent redistricting commission through 2030 – an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting move for a state that typically redraws its lines after the census once every 10 years after the census.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new map would likely flip five of California’s 52 congressional districts from Republican representation to Democratic. It would also make several existing Democratic seats less competitive by bringing blue-leaning areas like Sonoma and Sacramento counties into more traditionally red areas, like Modoc and Kings counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038712\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038712\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/CATTLE-1-KQED-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cattle graze in a Modoc County pasture. \u003ccite>(Saul Gonzalez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the final week of campaigning ahead of Election Day, those in favor of Proposition 50 argue that redistricting in the Golden State is a necessary counterpunch to Texas’ gerrymandering — and a way to stand up to President Trump on principle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents argue that the state’s established citizen redistricting commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060736/recall-redux-democrats-and-republicans-bring-back-familiar-arguments-in-prop-50-battle\">should be the one orchestrating this process\u003c/a> to keep things nonpartisan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In collaboration with The California Newsroom and KQED’s The California Report, journalists across the state spoke with residents, business leaders and legislators from each of the five congressional districts that could change under Proposition 50 to understand what’s at stake.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>District 3\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quick take: Democratic residents in the blue bubble of Lake Tahoe say it’s time to have one of their own in Washington.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lake Tahoe is a blue dot in California’s 3rd Congressional District, which covers conservative Placer and El Dorado counties and spans down the Eastern Sierra to Death Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district has long had a Republican representative in Congress, but this mountainous area that draws outdoor lovers year-round usually votes blue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Theresa May Duggan, a Democrat known locally as Tee May, has been writing postcards to voters across the state, urging them to support Proposition 50. She’s lived in Tahoe for 48 years and said the region faces a lot of the same challenges as other parts of California that are often overshadowed by issues surrounding Lake Tahoe itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061948\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061948\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tee May Duggan writes postcards to California voters urging their support on Proposition 50 at her Tahoe Vista home on Oct. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Laura Fitzgerald/CapRadio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Can you imagine if we had another vote in Congress for things for our community that didn’t involve the lake?” Duggan asked. She wants a representative who will work to boost the region’s housing stock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Duggan also wants to feel like she’s part of California, the part that reflects her values.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know I live in a blue dot. I want to live in a blue district too,” Duggan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Duggan could get her wish if Proposition 50 passes. California’s redistricting proposal would shrink the 3rd Congressional District and tie in parts of bluer Sacramento County, making it easier for a Democratic candidate to win the seat, currently held by Republican Kevin Kiley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other residents say, regardless of party, they want their representative to pay more attention to the region’s unique challenges, including wildfire prevention, skyrocketing insurance rates, rural health care access and management of federal land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the cuts to the U.S. Forest Service do not serve this area,” said Truckee Town Councilmember Courtney Henderson. “No matter what the boundary looks like or who that representative is, they have to have deep working knowledge of what happens on the ground and in rural communities and a lot of this district is very rural.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>— \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/about/bios/laura-fitzgerald/\">\u003cem>Laura Fitzgerald\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, CapRadio\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>District 22\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quick Take: Farmers fear losing Republican Rep. David Valadao will put them at the mercy of regulation-crazed Dems; others say the congressman needs to pay the political price for supporting Medicaid cuts.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Proposition 50 passes, Rep. David Valadao of the Central Valley would be one of five Republicans on the chopping block — and that worries farmers in his district, which comprises a significant portion of California’s rich agricultural belt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kings County is one of \u003ca href=\"https://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/final-maps/\">three agricultural counties\u003c/a> that make up District 22, represented by Valadao. Dairy farms, vineyards and crops help make California one of the world’s leading agricultural exporters, bringing in \u003ca href=\"https://plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov/wordpress/?p=27335\">billions of dollars\u003c/a> a year and providing \u003ca href=\"https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/transportation-planning/documents/new-state-planning/transportation-economics/socioeconomic-forecasts/2019/2019-pdf/kingsfinal-a11y.pdf\">tens of thousands\u003c/a> of jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a point of pride for Charles Meyer, who grows a cornucopia of crops on his 1,500-acre Stratford farm in Kings County, including wheat, Pima cotton, alfalfa, almonds and pistachios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061952\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061952\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1505\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided2-1536x1156.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charles Meyer stands in his Kings County cotton field on Oct. 10, 2025. He said he opposes Proposition 50 — and Democratic leadership in general — because he feels their environmental regulations are slowly edging farmers out of business. \u003ccite>(Kerry Klein/KVPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You become attached to the ground,” he said. “It’s like our boys in the military, they give their life for the country. We feel about our ground about like that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meyer wants elected leaders who feel that way, too. Valadao, who \u003ca href=\"https://valadao.house.gov/about/\">used to be a dairy farmer\u003c/a>, was first elected to Congress in 2012. But if voters approve Proposition 50 next month, District 22 would stretch out \u003ca href=\"https://aelc.assembly.ca.gov/proposed-congressional-map\">almost twice as long\u003c/a> to gain Democratic voters from neighboring counties and give them a better shot at winning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want anything that would help Democrats gain power,” Meyer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because California Democrats have pushed a slew of environmental regulations aimed at protecting air, \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/irrigated_lands/background_history/\">water\u003c/a> and ecosystems. They also restrict things like \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sgma/about_sgma.html\">groundwater\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/docs/Fertilizer_Law_and_Regs.pdf\">fertilizer use\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meyer calls that regulatory overreach, and he blames Democrats for rising farming costs and slumping profits: “When they gain power, negative things happen,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061960\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1505\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided4-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided4-1536x1156.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charles Meyer holds pima cotton he grew on his Stratford, California farm. \u003ccite>(Kerry Klein/KVPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a common opinion. Signs reading “Vote No on Prop. 50” line Kings County’s highways, alongside banners to recall Newsom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many Democrats, however, support the new map. Karla Orosco, a retired science teacher, was among a dozen people recently holding up signs in favor of Proposition 50 and other Democratic priorities in nearby Lemoore. She’s part of a “bridge brigade” that hangs signs on overpasses throughout Kings County. None of the dozen volunteers canvassing in Lemoore that day was a farmer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But they said they’re angry that Valadao hasn’t hosted an in-person town hall in \u003ca href=\"https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1424\">more than a year\u003c/a>, and that he voted to cut Medicaid — even though he said he wouldn’t, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.chcf.org/resource/how-many-congressional-district-get-medi-cal-premium-subsidy-through-covered-california/\">two-thirds of his constituents\u003c/a> rely on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s going to hurt a lot of people, and it’s going to wake a lot of people up when the healthcare premiums go up,” Orosco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>—\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/people/kerry-klein\">\u003cem>Kerry Klein\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KVPR\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>District 48\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quick take: In a largely red area of San Diego County, Democrats see Proposition 50 as a way to reach new voters.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Diego County, four out of five congressional seats are held by Democrats. But in the more rural northeast part of the county, Republicans have been on a winning streak that has lasted more than two decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican Darrell Issa, who holds California’s 48th District seat, has represented the area through multiple redistricting cycles. If Proposition 50 passes in November, Issa’s district would become almost unrecognizable, shifting from a double-digit advantage for Republicans to a 10-point lead for Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12056383\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12056383\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/Newsom-Gerry_CalMatters.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/Newsom-Gerry_CalMatters.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/Newsom-Gerry_CalMatters-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/Newsom-Gerry_CalMatters-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa speaks to media outside of a House Republican meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 14, 2023. \u003ccite>(Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Democratic Party activists say the district already has more liberal-leaning voters than even residents in the area might think.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When people find out that they actually have Democrats or like-minded people as their neighbors, they’re surprised,” said Andi McNew, who was canvassing in the small city of Poway in favor of Proposition 50. “While the MAGA people are loud with their flags and stuff, it kind of keeps Democrats afraid and scared. And they shouldn’t be scared.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McNew said this perception leads people — and the Democratic Party — to write these areas off as “red,” and not invest in getting out the vote. But because Proposition 50 is a statewide referendum, every vote counts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s why it’s so sad to see Democrats give up on these areas and not run … for these local seats, because we can win them,” McNew said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>San Diego County Democratic Party Chair Will Rodriguez-Kennedy said his group is going “all in” on Proposition 50 messaging to reach “everyone, everywhere, all at once.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The party is expanding efforts to reach voters who speak different languages. He said activists on the ground have asked for Spanish-language material, which they’ve been delivering to locals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie Martinez is one of those activists. She volunteers with the Fallbrook Democratic Club, which covers the area northeast of Camp Pendleton.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fifty percent of our Democratic base here [in Fallbrook] is of Hispanic and or Indigenous [heritage],” Martinez said. “So, maybe in the past … their needs and their wants and their voices have not been addressed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez said targeted outreach makes a big difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We do get a lot of ‘thank yous,’” Martinez said. “We get people telling us that in the entire 20 years or so that they’ve lived in this community, no one has ever given them any voter information in their native language of Spanish. So I see that as a huge success.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>—\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/staff/jake-gotta\">\u003cem>Jake Gotta\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KPBS\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>District 1\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quick take: Folks in California’s largest Congressional District worry their rural way of life could be threatened by wealthy Bay Area representation under Proposition 50.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s 1st Congressional District is the state’s largest by geography: It stretches from Modoc County in the northeast corner of the state to the Klamath National Forest in the west, and down south to the city of Chico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While it’s vast, Modoc is the third-least populated county in the state. It’s part of a congressional district created to include counties that depend on natural resources like ranching, timber and farming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under Proposition 50, that would change: Modoc would still be clustered with like-minded Siskiyou and Shasta counties, but it would be in the same congressional district — District 2 — as Marin County on the coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some residents are concerned that the new maps would further reduce their political power in a super-blue state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artist and rancher Valerie Coe moved to Modoc County in the 1990s. She’s concerned that Modoc will be forgotten in the proposed changes, and likes current Congressman Doug LaMalfa, a Republican.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The representation we have now is a gentleman who is a farmer himself, and so he understands the challenges we face in agriculture,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Proposition 50 is approved, Modoc County Democrats hope that Jared Huffman, who currently represents District 2 and calls Marin County home, would become the area’s new congressman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But not everyone agrees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He doesn’t get what’s going on on the ground in rural areas at all,” said Geri Byrne, a rancher and county supervisor. Huffman isn’t a farmer and represents Bay Area cities like San Rafael and Petaluma, along with more rural cities on the coast like Fort Bragg and Ukiah.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huffman told Jefferson Public Radio he’s aware of the skeptics and knows what he’s up against.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve got to take the time and make the effort to humanize myself, to show that I do care,” Huffman said. “I’m not some caricature of an urban elite that knows nothing about rural America.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chico, also in District 1, is a bright blue dot in a sea of red. If Proposition 50 is approved, it would stay in District 1, but would be clustered into the same district as some wealthy Bay Area cities like Santa Rosa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chico and Santa Rosa voted for Kamala Harris and agreed on seven out of the 10 propositions on the 2024 ballot. But Chico resident Walt Stile said political affinity doesn’t equate to a connection, and that people in Santa Rosa aren’t likely to care about issues that Chico faces, like flooding in the Sacramento River.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think people in Santa Rosa even know where Chico is,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And when Chico resident Denise Katsikas thinks of Santa Rosa, her first thought is fancy wineries and wealth. (In 2023, Santa Rosa, with its many vineyards, was ranked \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2023/11/07/santa-rosa-ranks-among-top-25-most-expensive-places-to-live-in-the-us-according-to-us-news-world-report/\">eighth out of the 25 most expensive places to live\u003c/a> in the United States, according to a U.S. News & World Report.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m closer to being evicted from my home that’s not paid off than I am to being a billionaire,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nevertheless, Katsikas is in favor of Proposition 50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>—\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ijpr.org/people/roman-battaglia\">\u003cem>Roman Battaglia\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, Jefferson Public Radio and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mynspr.org/people/sarina-grossi\">\u003cem>Sarina Grossi\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, North State Public Radio\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>District 41\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Quick Take: Welcome to the horsey hamlet of Norco, where voters want to protect their way of life, and “Gavin Newsom” is a dirty word. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Life in Norco, a rural city of about 25,000 in Riverside County, is built around horses. Locals call it “Horsetown USA.” Just ask resident Don Pettinger, who rides his reddish-brown horse, “Rusty,” through his neighborhood — the sidewalks in Norco are horse trails.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What does Norco stand for? It stands for the equestrian lifestyle … being able to get our horse and go ride,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pettinger and many others in Norco worry they’ll lose their equestrian way of life if Proposition 50 passes. That’s because Norco would be shifted from a staunchly conservative district into one that’s solidly Democratic, urban and possibly unsympathetic to what Pettinger and others here hold dear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061954\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061954\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1448\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided3-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/CaliforniaDivided3-1536x1112.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The city of Norco’s Main Street — which boasts a “Horsetown, USA” sign in addition to horse trails instead of sidewalks — is seen on Oct. 8, 2025. \u003ccite>(Madison Aument/KVCR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If we get a representative here who is representing Los Angeles or parts of Pomona or something like that, she’s not going to be used to our lifestyles, or whoever that Congress person is,” he said. “We need someone who knows who we are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Norco’s current representative, Republican Ken Calvert, \u003ca href=\"https://calvert.house.gov/about-ken/biography\">was born and raised in Corona\u003c/a>, which is just one town over. He’s represented District 41 for more than 30 years. Pettinger abhors the idea of Proposition 50 taking Calvert away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s more an issue of a power grab by the governor and the state trying to put their will in place so that they can help control Congress for whoever might control the White House next,” Pettinger said. “And it’s not right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Calvert has served on the House Appropriations Committee for more than a decade. Norco City Councilmember Kevin Bash said over the years, the congressman has delivered funding to the region for several big infrastructure projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He built \u003ca href=\"https://www.rctc.org/community-celebrates-completion-of-mayor-berwin-hanna-bridge-and-hamner-widening-projects/\">two bridges\u003c/a> for us,” Bash said. “He’s put together a \u003ca href=\"https://kesq.com/news/2024/03/06/millions-in-federal-funding-for-infrastructure-projects-could-be-on-its-way-to-the-coachella-valley/\">recycled water treatment plant\u003c/a> to help the Navy, to help our lake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bash worries that without Calvert, Norco might not get what it needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet conversations with Bash and many other Republicans in town often turn away from Congress and focus instead on state politics, where Democrats hold the power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, they say state policies that require high-density housing threaten Norco’s way of life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our biggest enemy is the state of California,” Bash said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And as many California Republicans see it, Gov. Newsom — who launched Proposition 50 in response to gerrymandering efforts in Texas — \u003cem>is \u003c/em>the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many Democrats in Norco see Proposition 50’s proposed map as an opportunity to get rid of Calvert. Chair of the Riverside County Democratic Party Joy Silver said after more than 30 years, it’s about time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ken Calvert, I think, is just one of those guys who touts the party line,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, Calvert voted to cut Medicaid, by way of voting for the Big Beautiful Bill, and he holds an “\u003ca href=\"https://calvert.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/calvert-evo.house.gov/files/migrated/UploadedFiles/Calvert_Amnesty.pdf\">enforcement-first\u003c/a>” stance on immigration. Local Democrats also say he’s notorious for not hosting town hall events. According to Calvert’s website, the last town hall was held \u003ca href=\"https://calvert.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-calvert-announces-telephone-town-hall\">in 2017\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That doesn’t matter much to Don Pettinger. Even though there’s no sign Congress would come for his horse trails, he still worries that a new district map would stir up trouble for Norco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Let us be Horsetown, USA,” he said. “Let us be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>—\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvcrnews.org/people/madison-aument\">\u003cem>Madison Aument\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KVCR\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>California Divided,\u003cem> a digital and audio series about Proposition 50 produced by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state and KQED’s The California Report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "a-political-reckoning-for-twitch",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">TwitchCon, Twitch’s annual convention in San Diego for all things streaming and gaming, is facing heightened scrutiny after streamer Emiru was assaulted there during a meet-and-greet. The incident occurred after a series of streamers pulled out of the event over safety concerns and the growing specter of political violence. All of this has highlighted questions about the role of political commentary on Twitch — a genre that’s exploded in the last few years, transforming the platform into much more than a gaming site. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this episode, Morgan is joined by author and reporter Nathan Grayson and political streamer Denims to explore Twitch’s rise as a hub for political speech, the company’s inconsistent handling of backlash against political creators, and whether any real alternatives exist for this new wave of commentators. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC6693258081\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guests: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://aftermath.site/author/nathan-grayson\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nathan Grayson\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, co-founder and reporter at Aftermath \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.twitch.tv/denims\">Denims,\u003c/a> political streamer on Twitch\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Further reading/listening: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://aftermath.site/twitch-twitchcon-2025-security-emiru-assault-irl-streamers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beefed Up TwitchCon Security Couldn’t Stop The Internet’s Issues From Spilling Over Into Real Life\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — Nathan Grayson, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Aftermath\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.usermag.co/p/can-twitch-survive-ceo-dan-clancy-at-twitchcon-interview\">Can Twitch Survive? CEO Dan Clancy at Twitchcon\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Taylor Lorenz\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003ci>User Mag\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Stream-Big/Nathan-Grayson/9781982156763\">Stream Big: The Triumphs and Turmoils of Twitch and the Stars Behind the Screen\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — Nathan Grayson\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://mashable.com/article/twitchcon-unsafe-for-streamers\">Why is TwitchCon so uniquely unsafe for streamers?\u003c/a> — Christianna Silva, \u003ci>Mashable\u003c/i>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Want to give us feedback on the show? Shoot us an email at \u003ca href=\"mailto:CloseAllTabs@KQED.org\">CloseAllTabs@KQED.org\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/closealltabspod/\">Follow us on Instagram\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003c/h2>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>bbno$ speaking to a crowd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Get a hell yeah!\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Crowd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">hell yeah!\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>bbno$:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Twitchcon!\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Crowd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Twitchcon!\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>bbno$: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Right click! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung, Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Two weekends ago, the live streaming platform Twitch held its 10th annual TwitchCon. That’s Twitch’s annual convention in San Diego for all things streaming and gaming. And the tape you just heard was the rapper turned cosplayer, bbno$, performing at one of the creator after parties. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>bbno$: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">F*ck yeah, TwitchCon! \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I went into this weekend’s planning to cover Twitch’s evolution as an influential platform for political speech. These creators have massive audiences and have the potential to educate and inspire entire generations into civic engagement. And my quest to talk to them brought me here… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>bbno$: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Right click! \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">TwitchCon has had its controversies in the past, from the infamous foam pit that severely injured multiple attendees to streamers from the rival platform Kick sneaking in to harass Twitch creators. But this time, the event was held in the shadow of this country’s mounting political violence, most notably the recent assassination of right-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk. In the weeks leading up to the convention, high-profile streamers like Hasan Piker dropped out of the event citing concern over public safety and political violence. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Hasan Piker speaking during a livestream: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m worried about the safety of others. I don’t want to put them in the f*cking crosshairs if some psycho freak decides like, I’m gonna go there. I’m very publicly not going to TwitchCon for that reason. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And concerns about safety boiled over completely when, on the first day of the event, a streamer named Emiru was assaulted during her Twitch-organized meet and greet. A man was able to cross multiple barriers through other creators’ meet and greet lines before he grabbed Emiru and tried to forcibly kiss her. In a statement, Twitch said that, “Law enforcement and event security were on site and responded to the incident.” But Emiru said that event staff didn’t step in to stop him. It was her own private security that intervened. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Emiru speaking to an audience : \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like, if you watch the clip, the security guard who pushes the guy away is my security, the woman who pulls me to the back, my manager. If you’re a small streamer and you don’t have those resources or someone in your line is not filming, what the f*ck do you do? \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Twitch did significantly beef up security before this year’s event. We’re talking more surveillance, more bodyguards, the whole nine yards. Still, the assault haunted TwitchCon all weekend. Other streamers, the overwhelming majority of whom were women, posted that they were nervous about going to the convention center. Some hired their own private security last minute, or even canceled their meet and greets. Several posted about getting harassed by fans and other male streamers during the event. \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\">On the last day of the convention, Twitch hosted an open Q&A for streamers and fans to talk directly to the company’s CEO, Dan Clancy. Finally, in the middle of the panel, an attendee stepped up to the mic. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Q&A Attendee: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How’s it going? I’ve been coming to TwitchCon since 2016. I love Twitch’s platform. I think the elephant in the room right now is just like there’s a lot of big creators that don’t necessarily feel that this is the safest space in person or necessarily online and I was just curious as to the additional steps that Twitch is going to take to make that, to change that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dan Clancy during Q&A: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Livestreaming offers some advantages in terms of the ability to control your community, but it’s still this issue that people of all sizes, it’s not just, you know, women of course have a challenge, but also underrepresented groups often have this problem of harassment online. And it’s something we care deeply about and we’re always looking for how we continue to invest to help protect creators as they go on their journey. So thanks for the question. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This weekend was a reckoning for Twitch. The streaming community has been embroiled in debate over the culture of misogyny on the platform and the parasocial relationships that endanger creators. And it highlighted questions about the role of political commentary in streaming, a genre of content that’s exploded in the last few years, establishing Twitch as more than a gaming site. Now it’s a legitimate platform for political discourse and not everyone is happy about that. \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\">Today, we’re diving into Twitch, political speech online, and whether creators have anywhere else to go if they can’t talk about it on Twitch. This is Close All Tabs. I’m Morgan Sung, tech journalist, and your chronically online friend, here to open as many browser tabs as it takes to help you understand how the digital world affects our real lives. Let’s get into it. \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\">Many people associate political commentary with traditional formats, like broadcast talk shows and op-eds, that kind of thing. But over the last few election cycles, an alternative information ecosystem has been growing across social media, including Twitch. But throughout its growth, Twitch hasn’t figured out how to handle this kind of content, from moderation to responding to public backlash. And as commentary streamers gain more influence Twitch has faced increasing scrutiny from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers who aren’t thrilled about this growing sphere of leftist discussion. Some are pushing Twitch to crack down on political speech and after the Charlie Kirk shooting, that pressure has been kicked into overdrive. \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\">To understand how we got here, let’s go back to the very beginning by opening a new tab. When did Twitch get so political? \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\">To get into this, let’s talk to my friend Nathan Grayson, co-founder and reporter at Aftermath. It’s a worker-owned publication reporting on video games. He’s also the author of Stream Big, which explains the history of Twitch by profiling nine different streamers. Twitch has changed and morphed many times since it spun off from the live streaming site Justin.tv in 2011. And for much of that time, Twitch had a singular focus, gaming.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson, Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For a long time in Twitch’s history, you were required to be playing a video game while streaming, like that was a rule and people tried to get around it and all these like really funny ways. Like there was an era where somebody would like invert kind of the size of their camera views. So instead of the game being really big and them being small, they’d be huge and there’d be a tiny little like bit of gameplay in the corner. That wasn’t technically allowed so people would get in trouble for it. But yeah, so it was that kind of a thing. And so it was pretty hard, you know, to like be a political commentator when you also had to be like, keeping up with a League of Legends match and Twitch finally said like, ‘Hey, you know, you guys clearly want to just talk to your audiences. We hear you, we’re going to let you.’\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2017, Twitch launched two new categories, Just Chatting and IRL, short for in real life. They paved the way for a new type of streamer, a chronically online talk show host. Hasan Piker, who was then a producer for the Young Turks, started streaming on Twitch the next year. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Hasan Piker speaking to a livestream audience: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s going on, everybody? I’m going to get really quickly into it. OK, today we have an awesome episode… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He started getting big around 2019, you know, it was like, he started that year with like a hundred thousand followers and ended it with like close to half a million. And so 2020, I think definitely, especially like, allowed us all to take off because we were all stuck inside as a result of the pandemic and there’s an election. The internet, when it comes to politics, especially, and then these like major events in the political landscape, like elections, it’s just chaos. There’s so much happening. And the role that somebody like Hasan serves is that they curate it for you, you know? And they do it in a language that you, as somebody who regularly like browses the internet, can understand. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Hasan Piker speaking to a livestream audience: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So let me like walk you through it. The reason why you push for a shutdown in this situation is to really highlight what you are seeking to protect, okay? And what you’re seeking to protect in this circumstance is $800 billion of cuts for Medicaid. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What is it about this particular moment in internet history that made political streams so popular on Twitch, beyond just Hassan? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean, one of the things is a pandemic. You cannot understate the importance of that moment in that I would say that is when everybody’s world inverted. Before that, real life was the main thing and the internet was supplementary to it. And then with everybody stuck inside because of the pandemic, suddenly the internet became the real thing and real life with supplementary to it. And we never really went back. And as a result, I mean like, you know, the pandemic itself is heavily politicized. Um, there was a big election that year, you know, Trump and Biden, which was going to decide the future of America. Um, not long after January 6th happened. \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\">All of these landmark political events as like, you now, Gen Z in particular was coming of age, they were becoming kind of, I guess, like politically activated in that moment. And these are the people doing the job because, you know, the old institutions were failing them. A lot of news networks were not covering this moment, um, accurately or usefully. And then you had people like a Hasan step and be like, okay, ‘well I’m gonna tell you how things are actually as I see them’ as opposed to like, you know, it’s business as usual because it clearly wasn’t. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Then there is this pivotal moment for pandemic-era politics online, the Among Us stream. In 2020, in the weeks leading up to the election, representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar hosted a voter outreach event entirely on stream. They invited popular creators to play Among Us, a game that had become a phenomenon during the pandemic. Everyone plays as cute little characters, but one of them is a secret killer. If you’ve ever played Mafia, you get the idea. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Game play conversation]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Speaker 1: Ilhan you need to vote. You need to click on AOC and then… AOC: Are you, are you really gonna do this to me, Ilhan? \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ilhan: No, I’m not voting for Alex. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">AOC: Thank you. Thank you very much. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Among Us was the game at that time because Among Us allowed people to, you know, have a place to play together during this time of intense separation. And so it blew up and like, they capitalized on that zeitgeist and they’re like, yeah, as a politician, I’m going to play it with a bunch of people that you’ve heard of. So I’m gonna reach these new audiences, maybe you’ve of me, but like, don’t really know me that well and aren’t that into politics. And these streamers definitely are political streamers, aside from Hasan. Most of them are semi-progressive, but they’re not like experts in the field. \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\">And so, yeah, they, they pulled, you know, hundreds of thousands of viewers, um, and just generally managed to do something that nobody really had before, at least in that space. And I think at the time, a lot of people saw that and they said, okay, you know this is it, this is the new politics meta. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hasan’s popularity and influence, and all of the other political streamers that followed in his footsteps, launched Twitch into the spotlight. But all of that attention comes with a hefty dose of criticism. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s something Denims has become very familiar with. She’s a political streamer who basically runs a morning talk show on Twitch, streaming five days a week.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims, Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think Hassan really put Twitch on the radar in a more general sense because prior to that it was just like, oh, isn’t that some gaming website if you even knew about it at all. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How has your experience as a political content creator changed on Twitch? \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A lot of people were a lot more lackadaisical with how they would stream and I think I’ve noticed myself as well as a lot other people be a lot cautious with the things that they talk about because there are a lot bad faith actors that do want to see left-wing voices silenced. I mean, under the Trumpian era, he’s practically just saying if you have an opinion that isn’t pro-me, I don’t want you on the air. That’s the reason Kimmel got off the air. Because Donald Trump didn’t want him on the air because he didn’t like the things that he was saying because he was making fun of Donald Trump. So yeah, it does feel like everyone has to be more cautious on Twitch because there’s a bigger magnifier on it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today’s political climate is very different from the one that Hasan began streaming in. The vibe has shifted, and the stakes are higher. What does this mean for Twitch? And more importantly, what does it tell us about the state of political speech online? We’re diving into that after this break. \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\">Okay, we’re back. Time to open another tab. Is political speech still allowed on Twitch? \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\">Politicians have been trying to capitalize on Twitch’s popularity among young voters for years, with mixed results. Former Congressman Matt Gaetz, for instance, streamed on Twitch and peaked at six viewers. Then you have Senator Bernie Sanders going on stream and learning a lot about the internet. \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\">[Audio from Bernie Sanders livestream]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Poki: Mr. Sanders, my name’s Poki. So nice to meet you. I’m a big fan, as you can tell. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bernie Sanders: Thank you very much. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saikuno: I’m Saikuno. Do you know what a VTuber is? Have you heard of a Vtuber before? \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bernie Sanders: Nope. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saikuno: No.? That’s all right. I’m the first one.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Speaker: Yeah, it’s the first one. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saikuno: Thank you so much for supporting Vtubers.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And then there’s California governor Gavin Newsom showing off his elite gaming skills. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Audio from Fortnite Friday w/ Governor Gavin Newsom]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Connor Eats Pants: Gavin press press the press the X button or Y.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Governor Gavin Newsom: Oh, yeah, where am I man? Where are we? No, sorry. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That last clip is from a few weeks ago, when Newsom joined Fortnite Friday, a weekly show in which a streamer who goes by Connor Eats Pants interviews guests while they play Fortnite. The quality of the guests’ play varies. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Audio from Fortnite Friday w/ Governor Gavin Newsom]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Governor Gavin Newsom: Jesus Christ, I closed things out. See, I don’t like this Nintendo Switch stuff. I’m back in, man. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here’s Aftermath reporter Nathan again. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A lot of those are not necessarily political streamers, political content creators and so if you do it right, you’re reaching people you would never otherwise reach. And the way that you do that is a little different than like, you know, I’m gonna go on this debate and talk about my policies. It’s, I’m going to talk to this person that, you know, other people find relatable, and I’m just gonna like, hang out, laugh, tell jokes, get a little bit more personal with things, or at least appear more personal. You know, that the ConnorEatsPants stream with Gavin Newsom is illustrative because I think that Gavin Newsom talked a very big game and then, you know, a few days later vetoed a bunch of pro-trans legislation after being like… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Audio from Fortnite Friday w/ Governor Gavin Newsom]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Governor Gavin Newsom: You know, you’re talking to a guy who’s been a champion of LGBT rights. I take a backseat to no one in signing more bills for the community. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think that we’re also seeing, like, at least in the case of somebody like Connor, you know, these people who came up on the internet, pretty young, like growing up. And even as he was like, kind of decamping from the Gavin Newsom stream, he was talking about how like, he’s had to kind of become better versed in a lot of these things as he’s talked to more and more political figures. He’s also interviewed people like George Santos. \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\">And so people were asking him why he didn’t push harder on a couple subjects and he was like, ‘I just didn’t feel like I was informed enough to do it well, and I want to do it right instead of, you know, like stumbling through it and then letting him off easy,’ Um, but he still did a crazy good job. I mean, like, I don’t know if anyone has held Gavin Newsom’s feet to the fire on like Israel Palestine stuff that well, he just like kept him on track. It was really impressive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While playing Fortnite, it was incredible. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And he’s good at Fortnite too. Gavin Newsom is not good at Fortnight. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Audio from Fortnite Friday w/ Governor Gavin Newsom]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">ConnorEatsPants: \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You closed out of it on the switch. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Governor Gavin Newsom: \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I know. I don’t like this. I can’t, this switch is not \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">suboptimal.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">ConnorEatsPants: You gotta get a Switch 2, they fixed it. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But it seems like political streamers on Twitch have faced constant backlash in the last few years. What was the turning point for this? Like, when did they suddenly become so controversial? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean, Israel/Palestine, um, and in particular Hasan being pro-Palestinian because then you had all of these other people trying to bring him down because he’s such an outspoken and like visible pro-Palestinian voice. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A few years ago, Hasan collaborated with another YouTuber, Ethan Klein, on a weekly politics and culture podcast called Leftovers. They don’t work together anymore. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">October 7th occurred and they started to drift in terms of their viewpoints.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For context, Ethan’s wife is Israeli. Hasan and Ethan did one last very emotional, hours-long episode of Leftovers together, in which they try to explain their opposing views to each other. But they ultimately put the show on hiatus. \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\">Since their breakup, Ethan has gone from criticizing Hasan’s political stances to making frequent personal attacks about Hasan and anyone critical of Israel. Hasan, meanwhile, started gaining more mainstream attention and viewership, and has rarely acknowledged Ethan since. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But then Ethan was like, well, then I’m gonna come after people that you know. And that’s like what resulted in those streamers getting banned after the TwitchCon panel and all that. And ever since then, it’s been much more personal and much more of a back and forth. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When Nathan says ‘streamers getting banned after a TwitchCon panel,’ he’s actually referring to an incident with denims. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got banned for 30 days for a tier list about who can say the word habibi, which is just the arab word for like love or like my love. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last year, Denims participated in a panel, organized by Twitch, with other Arab-American creators. They made a tier list—it’s a meme format for ranking things. At the top of the list were creators who Denims and the other panelists deemed worthy of saying Habibi. The tiers ranked from Arab, Arab-coded, asks permission to say Habibi, thinks the word is a slur and then…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the bottom of the list, it says “loves Sabra”, because sabra is a sh*tty type of hummus that’s not good. And anyone who’s had Sabra and had actual good hummus, you know that Sabra’s got this bitter taste. It’s like buying freezer pie. It’s just not good. Like, you should just make it from scratch. And so if you love Sabra hummus you’re like, this is my favorite hummus, you do not get the pass, you don’t get the pass. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Analysts placed Ethan Klein in the loves Sabra category. He very quickly posted his response. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Clip from Twitch Has a Major Problem Youtube post]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ethan Klein: I mean, it’s kind of just Arab good, Jew bad. I mean I’m having a hard time seeing this any other way. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some critics claim that it was deeper, because Sabra, the hummus brand, was a boycott target over its parent company’s support of the IDF. Then others pointed out that the word Sabra, a prickly pear cactus fruit, has been used to describe Jewish people born in Israel. One of the panelists was Jewish, but that didn’t stop the accusations of antisemitism. Clips of the panel went viral, kicking off a frenzy of backlash. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> We make multiple references to hummus on that panel. So we’re very clearly talking about hummus. But there was this massive campaign to pretend like, no, we were making this Jew to Arab tier list, which is insane. It doesn’t make any sense because we put a bunch of people who weren’t Jewish, myself included in the bottom tier list. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s worth noting that all five of the creators on that panel are left-leaning and make content about supporting progressive political issues. And they’re all vocally pro-Palestine.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Denims:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> …and Twitch caved and banned us for 30 days, which was insane because again, you’re just telling the platform, you’re telling everyone on that platform, hey, if you pressure us hard enough we’ll just cave and wrongfully ban anyone you want which is not, it’s not good for the health of the platform.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nathan described Twitch’s approach to moderating political content as haphazard. The site was relatively left-leaning until recently, thanks to Hasan’s influence and the platform’s strict policies against harassment and hate speech. These violations are pretty clear-cut when a streamer says a slur, for example. But Twitch has struggled to draw clear boundaries around political speech. Critics say the company tends to cave to backlash. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Twitch is always reactive when it comes to this stuff. They are not proactive. They don’t really know how to moderate this. I think that they don’t mind that because it gives them legitimacy, but they also don’t want to engage with the full ramifications of it. So they’re just sort of flying by the seat of their pants. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Denims, for one, has been frustrated by this inconsistency. She and the other panelists received 30-day bans for last year’s Twitch con tier list. Asmongold, a right-wing political streamer, was banned for 14 days for violating Twitch’s hateful conduct policy with a racist tirade against Palestinians. Denims noted that other creators have been allowed to return to the platform, even though they’ve received multiple bans for saying slurs on stream. But streamers who talk about politics, even if it’s just explaining a news story, are under more\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s sad because it doesn’t actually matter what you’re doing on Twitch. You can do basically anything on Twitch and you won’t get banned for it, almost anything, as long as there isn’t anyone actively trying to organize a campaign to get you banned. They’re in desperate need of help on figuring out how to handle politics on Twitch \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ethan Klein’s efforts to pick fights with Hasan, and anyone associated with him, have also been picked up by actual elected officials. Like last year, when Congressman Ritchie Torres penned an open letter to Twitch executives, calling on them to rein in anti-Semitism on the platform. He cited Hasan’s comments criticizing Israel, which Hasan said were clipped and taken out of context. \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\">The backlash against progressive voices on Twitch has been mounting since Trump took office. Charlie Kirk’s death only intensified it. The accused shooter Tyler Robinson had made references to memes and video games in his Discord messages and on the bullet casings. In the days following the shooting, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee requested the attendance of the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Reddit, and Twitch at a hearing on radicalization and extremism on their sites. \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\">The hearing was postponed because of the government shutdown, but the increased criticism of online political speech has made talking about current events especially complicated for streamers like Denims. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Twitch, if you say anything and there are any people hate-watching, they will try as hard as they can to clip you, right? \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: …\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Clipping as\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">in literally pulling clips from streams and posting them on Twitter or TikTok and sites like that. Sometimes viewers will go out of their way to post clips out of context. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I think I’ve just gotten, again, so internet brainrotted that when I speak, I will speak in full sentences and like, reiterate points over and over and over again. So, like, during the Charlie Kirk assassination, I said multiple times, like every two sentences I was saying, ‘I don’t condone the assassinating of any political content creators or political media influencers, or any of these any pundits.’ Like, because you have to because you can’t say any sentences without immediately having that because you wanna make it as hard as possible to be clipped for anything you say to be posted. Cause even the few things that I have been clipped for, it’s like you play for like another 20 seconds and there’s context there. What I will say is it’s just more frustrating than it is anything else because we should collectively be able to talk about issues without worrying whether or not there was enough context in a 30 second clip. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But would Twitch ever really ban political content? And if they did, is there any space on the internet to still engage in these conversations? \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\">Let’s open one more tab. Where can you stream besides Twitch? \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\">It’s super unlikely that any creator would be able to launch and maintain their own version of Twitch. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Creating a site like that is easier said than done because streaming is super expensive. You know, this has been Twitch’s own problem over the years. Twitch is not profitable, has not been profitable because there’s just so much bandwidth involved and when you are a streaming platform, your operation becomes more expensive as it gets bigger. And so in some ways it’s bad to grow, but, you know, it’ll be interesting to see.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Adding to the economic complexity is the fact that political content on Twitch rarely has ads. That’s because last year, Twitch rolled out a label for politics and sensitive social issues. Streamers have to label their content if they include former or current politicians talking about policies, coverage of elections, discussions of foreign policy, and any commentary and topics like gender, race, sexuality, or religion in a, “polarizing or inflammatory manner.” Basically, it lets advertisers opt out of advertising next to anything political and it also silos this kind of content. I asked Denims if she’d ever jump ship if Twitch continues to demonetize political speech. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Not really, no, because your alternatives are like streaming on YouTube, streaming on TikTok, which I don’t know to be fair, how good or bad TikTok live streaming is. I genuinely just like, I struggle to use the platform because I’m just not Zoomer enough yet for it. And then what’s the alternative like Kick? Yeah, you can be right next to the other 1700 gambling streamers. So there isn’t really, like, another place that I think a lot of people could call home. I think most people would end up just going to YouTube, which again should incentivize Twitch to improve their platform because why would you want to lose a bunch of creators to YouTube? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. After the shooting and after the response and all these crackdowns, a lot of people were speculating that Twitch would just ban political content in response to that. Do you ever see that happening? \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No, I don’t think Twitch will ever ban political content. I think that they understand that it’s too lucrative is the wrong word, but that it legitimizes the platform too much for them to remove it. It’s the same reason that YouTube would rather go through all of these proceedings with Congress than ever take down political content on YouTube because they enjoy the hegemony that they have over media. \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\">And it’s the thing with Twitch. Twitch doesn’t wanna lose its spot as being like the number one live streaming platform because they decided they couldn’t handle the heat of politics. I think that they want it. And I think they want that market share. I think that they just don’t know how to thread the needle just yet. \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\">And I feel like there’s been a massive pushback against general right-wing restriction of freedom of speech. And so I feel on Twitch, yeah, people are more cautious, but I think also people want to see other people fight and people want to fight. I mean, at one point, was it four million people canceled their like Disney subscription because Kimmel got put off the shelf? Like, that’s insane. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The congressional hearing on radicalization and online extremism was supposed to happen earlier this month. It’s unclear when or if the hearing will be rescheduled. The pressure to crack down on political speech isn’t unique to Twitch. Like we’ve talked about on the show before, this suppression is happening all over the internet. So then, what does the future of political streaming look like? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s hard to say. I think that if Twitch has its way, things won’t change too much, which of course, I don’t think they want anything to really change. They just wanna keep adding more layers of monetization to the site. But, you know, the hearing could go any number of ways and so at least in some regard, it will decide that future. If Hasan gets banned, then that’s an entirely different set of circumstances. That’s like a whole different reality. You know it’s the flap of the butterfly’s wings. Like we’ll see. I cannot predict that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The uncertainty hasn’t discouraged Denims from streaming. She’s been sued, doxed, harassed, and threatened, but she’s determined to keep her morning show going. For her, it’s about more than free speech than politics. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I just believe in what I say and I want to say what I believe and I think what I believe is empathy driven and it’s encouraging a world that makes everyone’s life better. \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\">Regardless of whether or not I agree with you, I still want you to have health care. Whether or I agree, I still want you have housing. I still want you to have clean water, clean air. I think it’s cowardly to stop fighting for that, especially from, like, the comfort of my own home. Even if it, like, means a bunch of people will hate me, I don’t really care. It’s hard to care when I know that what I’m talking about is just improving everyone’s lives. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s happening on Twitch is a case study on the political content creator sphere as a whole. Across social media, across all the apps, these creators have amassed influence. The new generation of political pundits has proven that this niche can be lucrative. These content creators are incredibly valuable for social media companies if they’re making money, and also valuable to political figures to access new audiences. That is, until people use platforms like TikTok and Twitch to express dissent. \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\">And yet… People love to post, and they love consuming content. There will always be a demand for this kind of commentary, especially as younger generations rely on political content creators to explain the news. So we don’t know what the future of political streaming looks like, but it’s clear that it’s not going away anytime soon. \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\">Let’s close all these tabs. \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\">Close All Tabs is a production of KQED Studios and is reported and hosted by me, Morgan Sung. This episode is produced by Maya Cueva and edited by Chris Egusa. Close All Tabs producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our senior editor. \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\">Additional editing by Chris Hambrick and Jen Chien, who is KQED’s director of podcasts. Original music, including our theme song and credits, by Chris Egusa. Additional music by APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our podcast operations manager and Ethan Tovin-Lindsey is our editor-in-chief. \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\">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/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keyboard sounds were recorded on my purple and pink dust silver K84 wired mechanical keyboard with Gateron red switches. \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\">Okay, and I know it’s a podcast cliche, but if you like these deep dives and want us to keep making more, It would really help us out if you could rate and review us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. And if you really like Close All Tabs and want to support public media, go to donate.kqed.org/podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @CloseAlltabspod or TikTok @Closealltabs. And join our Discord. We’re in the Close All Tabs channel at discord.gg/KQED. Thanks for listening. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"description": "TwitchCon, Twitch’s annual convention in San Diego for all things streaming and gaming, is facing heightened scrutiny after streamer Emiru was assaulted there during a meet-and-greet. The incident occurred after a series of streamers pulled out of the event over safety concerns and the growing specter of political violence. All of this has highlighted questions about the role of political commentary on Twitch — a genre that's exploded in the last few years, transforming the platform into much more than a gaming site. In this episode, Morgan is joined by author and reporter Nathan Grayson and political streamer Denims to explore Twitch’s rise as a hub for political speech, the company’s inconsistent handling of backlash against political creators, and whether any real alternatives exist for this new wave of commentators.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">TwitchCon, Twitch’s annual convention in San Diego for all things streaming and gaming, is facing heightened scrutiny after streamer Emiru was assaulted there during a meet-and-greet. The incident occurred after a series of streamers pulled out of the event over safety concerns and the growing specter of political violence. All of this has highlighted questions about the role of political commentary on Twitch — a genre that’s exploded in the last few years, transforming the platform into much more than a gaming site. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this episode, Morgan is joined by author and reporter Nathan Grayson and political streamer Denims to explore Twitch’s rise as a hub for political speech, the company’s inconsistent handling of backlash against political creators, and whether any real alternatives exist for this new wave of commentators. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC6693258081\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guests: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://aftermath.site/author/nathan-grayson\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nathan Grayson\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, co-founder and reporter at Aftermath \u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.twitch.tv/denims\">Denims,\u003c/a> political streamer on Twitch\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Further reading/listening: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://aftermath.site/twitch-twitchcon-2025-security-emiru-assault-irl-streamers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beefed Up TwitchCon Security Couldn’t Stop The Internet’s Issues From Spilling Over Into Real Life\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — Nathan Grayson, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Aftermath\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.usermag.co/p/can-twitch-survive-ceo-dan-clancy-at-twitchcon-interview\">Can Twitch Survive? CEO Dan Clancy at Twitchcon\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Taylor Lorenz\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003ci>User Mag\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Stream-Big/Nathan-Grayson/9781982156763\">Stream Big: The Triumphs and Turmoils of Twitch and the Stars Behind the Screen\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — Nathan Grayson\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://mashable.com/article/twitchcon-unsafe-for-streamers\">Why is TwitchCon so uniquely unsafe for streamers?\u003c/a> — Christianna Silva, \u003ci>Mashable\u003c/i>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Want to give us feedback on the show? Shoot us an email at \u003ca href=\"mailto:CloseAllTabs@KQED.org\">CloseAllTabs@KQED.org\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/closealltabspod/\">Follow us on Instagram\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>bbno$ speaking to a crowd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Get a hell yeah!\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Crowd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">hell yeah!\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>bbno$:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Twitchcon!\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Crowd: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Twitchcon!\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>bbno$: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Right click! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung, Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Two weekends ago, the live streaming platform Twitch held its 10th annual TwitchCon. That’s Twitch’s annual convention in San Diego for all things streaming and gaming. And the tape you just heard was the rapper turned cosplayer, bbno$, performing at one of the creator after parties. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>bbno$: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">F*ck yeah, TwitchCon! \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I went into this weekend’s planning to cover Twitch’s evolution as an influential platform for political speech. These creators have massive audiences and have the potential to educate and inspire entire generations into civic engagement. And my quest to talk to them brought me here… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>bbno$: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Right click! \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">TwitchCon has had its controversies in the past, from the infamous foam pit that severely injured multiple attendees to streamers from the rival platform Kick sneaking in to harass Twitch creators. But this time, the event was held in the shadow of this country’s mounting political violence, most notably the recent assassination of right-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk. In the weeks leading up to the convention, high-profile streamers like Hasan Piker dropped out of the event citing concern over public safety and political violence. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Hasan Piker speaking during a livestream: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m worried about the safety of others. I don’t want to put them in the f*cking crosshairs if some psycho freak decides like, I’m gonna go there. I’m very publicly not going to TwitchCon for that reason. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And concerns about safety boiled over completely when, on the first day of the event, a streamer named Emiru was assaulted during her Twitch-organized meet and greet. A man was able to cross multiple barriers through other creators’ meet and greet lines before he grabbed Emiru and tried to forcibly kiss her. In a statement, Twitch said that, “Law enforcement and event security were on site and responded to the incident.” But Emiru said that event staff didn’t step in to stop him. It was her own private security that intervened. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Emiru speaking to an audience : \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like, if you watch the clip, the security guard who pushes the guy away is my security, the woman who pulls me to the back, my manager. If you’re a small streamer and you don’t have those resources or someone in your line is not filming, what the f*ck do you do? \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Twitch did significantly beef up security before this year’s event. We’re talking more surveillance, more bodyguards, the whole nine yards. Still, the assault haunted TwitchCon all weekend. Other streamers, the overwhelming majority of whom were women, posted that they were nervous about going to the convention center. Some hired their own private security last minute, or even canceled their meet and greets. Several posted about getting harassed by fans and other male streamers during the event. \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\">On the last day of the convention, Twitch hosted an open Q&A for streamers and fans to talk directly to the company’s CEO, Dan Clancy. Finally, in the middle of the panel, an attendee stepped up to the mic. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Q&A Attendee: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How’s it going? I’ve been coming to TwitchCon since 2016. I love Twitch’s platform. I think the elephant in the room right now is just like there’s a lot of big creators that don’t necessarily feel that this is the safest space in person or necessarily online and I was just curious as to the additional steps that Twitch is going to take to make that, to change that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Dan Clancy during Q&A: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Livestreaming offers some advantages in terms of the ability to control your community, but it’s still this issue that people of all sizes, it’s not just, you know, women of course have a challenge, but also underrepresented groups often have this problem of harassment online. And it’s something we care deeply about and we’re always looking for how we continue to invest to help protect creators as they go on their journey. So thanks for the question. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This weekend was a reckoning for Twitch. The streaming community has been embroiled in debate over the culture of misogyny on the platform and the parasocial relationships that endanger creators. And it highlighted questions about the role of political commentary in streaming, a genre of content that’s exploded in the last few years, establishing Twitch as more than a gaming site. Now it’s a legitimate platform for political discourse and not everyone is happy about that. \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\">Today, we’re diving into Twitch, political speech online, and whether creators have anywhere else to go if they can’t talk about it on Twitch. This is Close All Tabs. I’m Morgan Sung, tech journalist, and your chronically online friend, here to open as many browser tabs as it takes to help you understand how the digital world affects our real lives. Let’s get into it. \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\">Many people associate political commentary with traditional formats, like broadcast talk shows and op-eds, that kind of thing. But over the last few election cycles, an alternative information ecosystem has been growing across social media, including Twitch. But throughout its growth, Twitch hasn’t figured out how to handle this kind of content, from moderation to responding to public backlash. And as commentary streamers gain more influence Twitch has faced increasing scrutiny from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers who aren’t thrilled about this growing sphere of leftist discussion. Some are pushing Twitch to crack down on political speech and after the Charlie Kirk shooting, that pressure has been kicked into overdrive. \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\">To understand how we got here, let’s go back to the very beginning by opening a new tab. When did Twitch get so political? \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\">To get into this, let’s talk to my friend Nathan Grayson, co-founder and reporter at Aftermath. It’s a worker-owned publication reporting on video games. He’s also the author of Stream Big, which explains the history of Twitch by profiling nine different streamers. Twitch has changed and morphed many times since it spun off from the live streaming site Justin.tv in 2011. And for much of that time, Twitch had a singular focus, gaming.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson, Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For a long time in Twitch’s history, you were required to be playing a video game while streaming, like that was a rule and people tried to get around it and all these like really funny ways. Like there was an era where somebody would like invert kind of the size of their camera views. So instead of the game being really big and them being small, they’d be huge and there’d be a tiny little like bit of gameplay in the corner. That wasn’t technically allowed so people would get in trouble for it. But yeah, so it was that kind of a thing. And so it was pretty hard, you know, to like be a political commentator when you also had to be like, keeping up with a League of Legends match and Twitch finally said like, ‘Hey, you know, you guys clearly want to just talk to your audiences. We hear you, we’re going to let you.’\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2017, Twitch launched two new categories, Just Chatting and IRL, short for in real life. They paved the way for a new type of streamer, a chronically online talk show host. Hasan Piker, who was then a producer for the Young Turks, started streaming on Twitch the next year. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Hasan Piker speaking to a livestream audience: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s going on, everybody? I’m going to get really quickly into it. OK, today we have an awesome episode… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He started getting big around 2019, you know, it was like, he started that year with like a hundred thousand followers and ended it with like close to half a million. And so 2020, I think definitely, especially like, allowed us all to take off because we were all stuck inside as a result of the pandemic and there’s an election. The internet, when it comes to politics, especially, and then these like major events in the political landscape, like elections, it’s just chaos. There’s so much happening. And the role that somebody like Hasan serves is that they curate it for you, you know? And they do it in a language that you, as somebody who regularly like browses the internet, can understand. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Hasan Piker speaking to a livestream audience: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So let me like walk you through it. The reason why you push for a shutdown in this situation is to really highlight what you are seeking to protect, okay? And what you’re seeking to protect in this circumstance is $800 billion of cuts for Medicaid. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What is it about this particular moment in internet history that made political streams so popular on Twitch, beyond just Hassan? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean, one of the things is a pandemic. You cannot understate the importance of that moment in that I would say that is when everybody’s world inverted. Before that, real life was the main thing and the internet was supplementary to it. And then with everybody stuck inside because of the pandemic, suddenly the internet became the real thing and real life with supplementary to it. And we never really went back. And as a result, I mean like, you know, the pandemic itself is heavily politicized. Um, there was a big election that year, you know, Trump and Biden, which was going to decide the future of America. Um, not long after January 6th happened. \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\">All of these landmark political events as like, you now, Gen Z in particular was coming of age, they were becoming kind of, I guess, like politically activated in that moment. And these are the people doing the job because, you know, the old institutions were failing them. A lot of news networks were not covering this moment, um, accurately or usefully. And then you had people like a Hasan step and be like, okay, ‘well I’m gonna tell you how things are actually as I see them’ as opposed to like, you know, it’s business as usual because it clearly wasn’t. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Then there is this pivotal moment for pandemic-era politics online, the Among Us stream. In 2020, in the weeks leading up to the election, representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar hosted a voter outreach event entirely on stream. They invited popular creators to play Among Us, a game that had become a phenomenon during the pandemic. Everyone plays as cute little characters, but one of them is a secret killer. If you’ve ever played Mafia, you get the idea. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Game play conversation]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Speaker 1: Ilhan you need to vote. You need to click on AOC and then… AOC: Are you, are you really gonna do this to me, Ilhan? \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ilhan: No, I’m not voting for Alex. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">AOC: Thank you. Thank you very much. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Among Us was the game at that time because Among Us allowed people to, you know, have a place to play together during this time of intense separation. And so it blew up and like, they capitalized on that zeitgeist and they’re like, yeah, as a politician, I’m going to play it with a bunch of people that you’ve heard of. So I’m gonna reach these new audiences, maybe you’ve of me, but like, don’t really know me that well and aren’t that into politics. And these streamers definitely are political streamers, aside from Hasan. Most of them are semi-progressive, but they’re not like experts in the field. \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\">And so, yeah, they, they pulled, you know, hundreds of thousands of viewers, um, and just generally managed to do something that nobody really had before, at least in that space. And I think at the time, a lot of people saw that and they said, okay, you know this is it, this is the new politics meta. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hasan’s popularity and influence, and all of the other political streamers that followed in his footsteps, launched Twitch into the spotlight. But all of that attention comes with a hefty dose of criticism. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s something Denims has become very familiar with. She’s a political streamer who basically runs a morning talk show on Twitch, streaming five days a week.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims, Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think Hassan really put Twitch on the radar in a more general sense because prior to that it was just like, oh, isn’t that some gaming website if you even knew about it at all. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How has your experience as a political content creator changed on Twitch? \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A lot of people were a lot more lackadaisical with how they would stream and I think I’ve noticed myself as well as a lot other people be a lot cautious with the things that they talk about because there are a lot bad faith actors that do want to see left-wing voices silenced. I mean, under the Trumpian era, he’s practically just saying if you have an opinion that isn’t pro-me, I don’t want you on the air. That’s the reason Kimmel got off the air. Because Donald Trump didn’t want him on the air because he didn’t like the things that he was saying because he was making fun of Donald Trump. So yeah, it does feel like everyone has to be more cautious on Twitch because there’s a bigger magnifier on it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today’s political climate is very different from the one that Hasan began streaming in. The vibe has shifted, and the stakes are higher. What does this mean for Twitch? And more importantly, what does it tell us about the state of political speech online? We’re diving into that after this break. \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\">Okay, we’re back. Time to open another tab. Is political speech still allowed on Twitch? \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\">Politicians have been trying to capitalize on Twitch’s popularity among young voters for years, with mixed results. Former Congressman Matt Gaetz, for instance, streamed on Twitch and peaked at six viewers. Then you have Senator Bernie Sanders going on stream and learning a lot about the internet. \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\">[Audio from Bernie Sanders livestream]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Poki: Mr. Sanders, my name’s Poki. So nice to meet you. I’m a big fan, as you can tell. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bernie Sanders: Thank you very much. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saikuno: I’m Saikuno. Do you know what a VTuber is? Have you heard of a Vtuber before? \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bernie Sanders: Nope. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saikuno: No.? That’s all right. I’m the first one.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Speaker: Yeah, it’s the first one. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saikuno: Thank you so much for supporting Vtubers.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And then there’s California governor Gavin Newsom showing off his elite gaming skills. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Audio from Fortnite Friday w/ Governor Gavin Newsom]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Connor Eats Pants: Gavin press press the press the X button or Y.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Governor Gavin Newsom: Oh, yeah, where am I man? Where are we? No, sorry. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That last clip is from a few weeks ago, when Newsom joined Fortnite Friday, a weekly show in which a streamer who goes by Connor Eats Pants interviews guests while they play Fortnite. The quality of the guests’ play varies. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Audio from Fortnite Friday w/ Governor Gavin Newsom]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Governor Gavin Newsom: Jesus Christ, I closed things out. See, I don’t like this Nintendo Switch stuff. I’m back in, man. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here’s Aftermath reporter Nathan again. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A lot of those are not necessarily political streamers, political content creators and so if you do it right, you’re reaching people you would never otherwise reach. And the way that you do that is a little different than like, you know, I’m gonna go on this debate and talk about my policies. It’s, I’m going to talk to this person that, you know, other people find relatable, and I’m just gonna like, hang out, laugh, tell jokes, get a little bit more personal with things, or at least appear more personal. You know, that the ConnorEatsPants stream with Gavin Newsom is illustrative because I think that Gavin Newsom talked a very big game and then, you know, a few days later vetoed a bunch of pro-trans legislation after being like… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Audio from Fortnite Friday w/ Governor Gavin Newsom]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Governor Gavin Newsom: You know, you’re talking to a guy who’s been a champion of LGBT rights. I take a backseat to no one in signing more bills for the community. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think that we’re also seeing, like, at least in the case of somebody like Connor, you know, these people who came up on the internet, pretty young, like growing up. And even as he was like, kind of decamping from the Gavin Newsom stream, he was talking about how like, he’s had to kind of become better versed in a lot of these things as he’s talked to more and more political figures. He’s also interviewed people like George Santos. \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\">And so people were asking him why he didn’t push harder on a couple subjects and he was like, ‘I just didn’t feel like I was informed enough to do it well, and I want to do it right instead of, you know, like stumbling through it and then letting him off easy,’ Um, but he still did a crazy good job. I mean, like, I don’t know if anyone has held Gavin Newsom’s feet to the fire on like Israel Palestine stuff that well, he just like kept him on track. It was really impressive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While playing Fortnite, it was incredible. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And he’s good at Fortnite too. Gavin Newsom is not good at Fortnight. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Audio from Fortnite Friday w/ Governor Gavin Newsom]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">ConnorEatsPants: \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You closed out of it on the switch. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Governor Gavin Newsom: \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I know. I don’t like this. I can’t, this switch is not \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">suboptimal.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">ConnorEatsPants: You gotta get a Switch 2, they fixed it. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But it seems like political streamers on Twitch have faced constant backlash in the last few years. What was the turning point for this? Like, when did they suddenly become so controversial? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean, Israel/Palestine, um, and in particular Hasan being pro-Palestinian because then you had all of these other people trying to bring him down because he’s such an outspoken and like visible pro-Palestinian voice. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A few years ago, Hasan collaborated with another YouTuber, Ethan Klein, on a weekly politics and culture podcast called Leftovers. They don’t work together anymore. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">October 7th occurred and they started to drift in terms of their viewpoints.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For context, Ethan’s wife is Israeli. Hasan and Ethan did one last very emotional, hours-long episode of Leftovers together, in which they try to explain their opposing views to each other. But they ultimately put the show on hiatus. \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\">Since their breakup, Ethan has gone from criticizing Hasan’s political stances to making frequent personal attacks about Hasan and anyone critical of Israel. Hasan, meanwhile, started gaining more mainstream attention and viewership, and has rarely acknowledged Ethan since. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But then Ethan was like, well, then I’m gonna come after people that you know. And that’s like what resulted in those streamers getting banned after the TwitchCon panel and all that. And ever since then, it’s been much more personal and much more of a back and forth. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When Nathan says ‘streamers getting banned after a TwitchCon panel,’ he’s actually referring to an incident with denims. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got banned for 30 days for a tier list about who can say the word habibi, which is just the arab word for like love or like my love. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last year, Denims participated in a panel, organized by Twitch, with other Arab-American creators. They made a tier list—it’s a meme format for ranking things. At the top of the list were creators who Denims and the other panelists deemed worthy of saying Habibi. The tiers ranked from Arab, Arab-coded, asks permission to say Habibi, thinks the word is a slur and then…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the bottom of the list, it says “loves Sabra”, because sabra is a sh*tty type of hummus that’s not good. And anyone who’s had Sabra and had actual good hummus, you know that Sabra’s got this bitter taste. It’s like buying freezer pie. It’s just not good. Like, you should just make it from scratch. And so if you love Sabra hummus you’re like, this is my favorite hummus, you do not get the pass, you don’t get the pass. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Analysts placed Ethan Klein in the loves Sabra category. He very quickly posted his response. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Clip from Twitch Has a Major Problem Youtube post]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ethan Klein: I mean, it’s kind of just Arab good, Jew bad. I mean I’m having a hard time seeing this any other way. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some critics claim that it was deeper, because Sabra, the hummus brand, was a boycott target over its parent company’s support of the IDF. Then others pointed out that the word Sabra, a prickly pear cactus fruit, has been used to describe Jewish people born in Israel. One of the panelists was Jewish, but that didn’t stop the accusations of antisemitism. Clips of the panel went viral, kicking off a frenzy of backlash. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> We make multiple references to hummus on that panel. So we’re very clearly talking about hummus. But there was this massive campaign to pretend like, no, we were making this Jew to Arab tier list, which is insane. It doesn’t make any sense because we put a bunch of people who weren’t Jewish, myself included in the bottom tier list. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s worth noting that all five of the creators on that panel are left-leaning and make content about supporting progressive political issues. And they’re all vocally pro-Palestine.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Denims:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> …and Twitch caved and banned us for 30 days, which was insane because again, you’re just telling the platform, you’re telling everyone on that platform, hey, if you pressure us hard enough we’ll just cave and wrongfully ban anyone you want which is not, it’s not good for the health of the platform.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nathan described Twitch’s approach to moderating political content as haphazard. The site was relatively left-leaning until recently, thanks to Hasan’s influence and the platform’s strict policies against harassment and hate speech. These violations are pretty clear-cut when a streamer says a slur, for example. But Twitch has struggled to draw clear boundaries around political speech. Critics say the company tends to cave to backlash. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Twitch is always reactive when it comes to this stuff. They are not proactive. They don’t really know how to moderate this. I think that they don’t mind that because it gives them legitimacy, but they also don’t want to engage with the full ramifications of it. So they’re just sort of flying by the seat of their pants. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Denims, for one, has been frustrated by this inconsistency. She and the other panelists received 30-day bans for last year’s Twitch con tier list. Asmongold, a right-wing political streamer, was banned for 14 days for violating Twitch’s hateful conduct policy with a racist tirade against Palestinians. Denims noted that other creators have been allowed to return to the platform, even though they’ve received multiple bans for saying slurs on stream. But streamers who talk about politics, even if it’s just explaining a news story, are under more\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s sad because it doesn’t actually matter what you’re doing on Twitch. You can do basically anything on Twitch and you won’t get banned for it, almost anything, as long as there isn’t anyone actively trying to organize a campaign to get you banned. They’re in desperate need of help on figuring out how to handle politics on Twitch \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ethan Klein’s efforts to pick fights with Hasan, and anyone associated with him, have also been picked up by actual elected officials. Like last year, when Congressman Ritchie Torres penned an open letter to Twitch executives, calling on them to rein in anti-Semitism on the platform. He cited Hasan’s comments criticizing Israel, which Hasan said were clipped and taken out of context. \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\">The backlash against progressive voices on Twitch has been mounting since Trump took office. Charlie Kirk’s death only intensified it. The accused shooter Tyler Robinson had made references to memes and video games in his Discord messages and on the bullet casings. In the days following the shooting, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee requested the attendance of the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Reddit, and Twitch at a hearing on radicalization and extremism on their sites. \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\">The hearing was postponed because of the government shutdown, but the increased criticism of online political speech has made talking about current events especially complicated for streamers like Denims. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Twitch, if you say anything and there are any people hate-watching, they will try as hard as they can to clip you, right? \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: …\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Clipping as\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">in literally pulling clips from streams and posting them on Twitter or TikTok and sites like that. Sometimes viewers will go out of their way to post clips out of context. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I think I’ve just gotten, again, so internet brainrotted that when I speak, I will speak in full sentences and like, reiterate points over and over and over again. So, like, during the Charlie Kirk assassination, I said multiple times, like every two sentences I was saying, ‘I don’t condone the assassinating of any political content creators or political media influencers, or any of these any pundits.’ Like, because you have to because you can’t say any sentences without immediately having that because you wanna make it as hard as possible to be clipped for anything you say to be posted. Cause even the few things that I have been clipped for, it’s like you play for like another 20 seconds and there’s context there. What I will say is it’s just more frustrating than it is anything else because we should collectively be able to talk about issues without worrying whether or not there was enough context in a 30 second clip. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But would Twitch ever really ban political content? And if they did, is there any space on the internet to still engage in these conversations? \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\">Let’s open one more tab. Where can you stream besides Twitch? \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\">It’s super unlikely that any creator would be able to launch and maintain their own version of Twitch. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Creating a site like that is easier said than done because streaming is super expensive. You know, this has been Twitch’s own problem over the years. Twitch is not profitable, has not been profitable because there’s just so much bandwidth involved and when you are a streaming platform, your operation becomes more expensive as it gets bigger. And so in some ways it’s bad to grow, but, you know, it’ll be interesting to see.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Adding to the economic complexity is the fact that political content on Twitch rarely has ads. That’s because last year, Twitch rolled out a label for politics and sensitive social issues. Streamers have to label their content if they include former or current politicians talking about policies, coverage of elections, discussions of foreign policy, and any commentary and topics like gender, race, sexuality, or religion in a, “polarizing or inflammatory manner.” Basically, it lets advertisers opt out of advertising next to anything political and it also silos this kind of content. I asked Denims if she’d ever jump ship if Twitch continues to demonetize political speech. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Not really, no, because your alternatives are like streaming on YouTube, streaming on TikTok, which I don’t know to be fair, how good or bad TikTok live streaming is. I genuinely just like, I struggle to use the platform because I’m just not Zoomer enough yet for it. And then what’s the alternative like Kick? Yeah, you can be right next to the other 1700 gambling streamers. So there isn’t really, like, another place that I think a lot of people could call home. I think most people would end up just going to YouTube, which again should incentivize Twitch to improve their platform because why would you want to lose a bunch of creators to YouTube? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. After the shooting and after the response and all these crackdowns, a lot of people were speculating that Twitch would just ban political content in response to that. Do you ever see that happening? \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Denims: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No, I don’t think Twitch will ever ban political content. I think that they understand that it’s too lucrative is the wrong word, but that it legitimizes the platform too much for them to remove it. It’s the same reason that YouTube would rather go through all of these proceedings with Congress than ever take down political content on YouTube because they enjoy the hegemony that they have over media. \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\">And it’s the thing with Twitch. Twitch doesn’t wanna lose its spot as being like the number one live streaming platform because they decided they couldn’t handle the heat of politics. I think that they want it. And I think they want that market share. I think that they just don’t know how to thread the needle just yet. \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\">And I feel like there’s been a massive pushback against general right-wing restriction of freedom of speech. And so I feel on Twitch, yeah, people are more cautious, but I think also people want to see other people fight and people want to fight. I mean, at one point, was it four million people canceled their like Disney subscription because Kimmel got put off the shelf? Like, that’s insane. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The congressional hearing on radicalization and online extremism was supposed to happen earlier this month. It’s unclear when or if the hearing will be rescheduled. The pressure to crack down on political speech isn’t unique to Twitch. Like we’ve talked about on the show before, this suppression is happening all over the internet. So then, what does the future of political streaming look like? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nathan Grayson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s hard to say. I think that if Twitch has its way, things won’t change too much, which of course, I don’t think they want anything to really change. They just wanna keep adding more layers of monetization to the site. But, you know, the hearing could go any number of ways and so at least in some regard, it will decide that future. If Hasan gets banned, then that’s an entirely different set of circumstances. That’s like a whole different reality. You know it’s the flap of the butterfly’s wings. Like we’ll see. I cannot predict that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The uncertainty hasn’t discouraged Denims from streaming. She’s been sued, doxed, harassed, and threatened, but she’s determined to keep her morning show going. For her, it’s about more than free speech than politics. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Denims:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I just believe in what I say and I want to say what I believe and I think what I believe is empathy driven and it’s encouraging a world that makes everyone’s life better. \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\">Regardless of whether or not I agree with you, I still want you to have health care. Whether or I agree, I still want you have housing. I still want you to have clean water, clean air. I think it’s cowardly to stop fighting for that, especially from, like, the comfort of my own home. Even if it, like, means a bunch of people will hate me, I don’t really care. It’s hard to care when I know that what I’m talking about is just improving everyone’s lives. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Morgan Sung: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s happening on Twitch is a case study on the political content creator sphere as a whole. Across social media, across all the apps, these creators have amassed influence. The new generation of political pundits has proven that this niche can be lucrative. These content creators are incredibly valuable for social media companies if they’re making money, and also valuable to political figures to access new audiences. That is, until people use platforms like TikTok and Twitch to express dissent. \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\">And yet… People love to post, and they love consuming content. There will always be a demand for this kind of commentary, especially as younger generations rely on political content creators to explain the news. So we don’t know what the future of political streaming looks like, but it’s clear that it’s not going away anytime soon. \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\">Let’s close all these tabs. \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\">Close All Tabs is a production of KQED Studios and is reported and hosted by me, Morgan Sung. This episode is produced by Maya Cueva and edited by Chris Egusa. Close All Tabs producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our senior editor. \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\">Additional editing by Chris Hambrick and Jen Chien, who is KQED’s director of podcasts. Original music, including our theme song and credits, by Chris Egusa. Additional music by APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our podcast operations manager and Ethan Tovin-Lindsey is our editor-in-chief. \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\">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/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keyboard sounds were recorded on my purple and pink dust silver K84 wired mechanical keyboard with Gateron red switches. \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\">Okay, and I know it’s a podcast cliche, but if you like these deep dives and want us to keep making more, It would really help us out if you could rate and review us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. And if you really like Close All Tabs and want to support public media, go to donate.kqed.org/podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @CloseAlltabspod or TikTok @Closealltabs. And join our Discord. We’re in the Close All Tabs channel at discord.gg/KQED. Thanks for listening. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
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"slug": "can-san-francisco-build-its-way-out-of-the-housing-crisis",
"title": "Can San Francisco Build Its Way Out of the Housing Crisis?",
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"headTitle": "Can San Francisco Build Its Way Out of the Housing Crisis? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">California is under pressure to build more homes — fast. In response to the state’s housing mandates, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is pushing a major \u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003ca class=\"e-91036-text-link e-91036-baseline e-91036-overflow-wrap-anywhere encore-internal-color-text-announcement e-91036-text-link--use-focus sc-ihgnxF fGbrTd\" href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12033966/sfs-single-family-home-neighborhoods-apartments-65-story-towers-downtown\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">plan to upzone\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\"> parts of the city’s north and west sides, allowing for tens of thousands of new homes. But some residents are concerned that housing changes will do more harm than good. \u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Scott and Marisa talk to Jason Elliott, former housing advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom and now president of Versus Solutions, about what’s driving the state’s housing mandates and how upzoning could reshape San Francisco.\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Plus, they discuss California’s legislation on artificial intelligence and how the government should regulate AI.\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-fragment=\"JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMkNhbGlmb3JuaWElMjBpcyUyMHVuZGVyJTIwcHJlc3N1cmUlMjB0byUyMGJ1aWxkJTIwbW9yZSUyMGhvbWVzJTIwJUUyJTgwJTk0JTIwZmFzdC4lMjBJbiUyMHJlc3BvbnNlJTIwdG8lMjB0aGUlMjBzdGF0ZSdzJTIwaG91c2luZyUyMG1hbmRhdGVzJTJDJTIwU2FuJTIwRnJhbmNpc2NvJTIwTWF5b3IlMjBEYW5pZWwlMjBMdXJpZSUyMGlzJTIwcHVzaGluZyUyMGElMjBtYWpvciUyMCUyMiU3RCUyQyU3QiUyMnR5cGUlMjIlM0ElMjJsaW5rJTIyJTJDJTIydXJsJTIyJTNBJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cua3FlZC5vcmclMkZuZXdzJTJGMTIwMzM5NjYlMkZzZnMtc2luZ2xlLWZhbWlseS1ob21lLW5laWdoYm9yaG9vZHMtYXBhcnRtZW50cy02NS1zdG9yeS10b3dlcnMtZG93bnRvd24lMjIlMkMlMjJ0YXJnZXQlMjIlM0FudWxsJTJDJTIycmVsJTIyJTNBbnVsbCUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMnBsYW4lMjB0byUyMHVwem9uZSUyMiU3RCU1RCU3RCUyQyU3QiUyMnRleHQlMjIlM0ElMjIlMjBwYXJ0cyUyMG9mJTIwdGhlJTIwY2l0eSdzJTIwbm9ydGglMjBhbmQlMjB3ZXN0JTIwc2lkZXMlMkMlMjBhbGxvd2luZyUyMGZvciUyMHRlbnMlMjBvZiUyMHRob3VzYW5kcyUyMG9mJTIwbmV3JTIwaG9tZXMuJTIwQnV0JTIwc29tZSUyMHJlc2lkZW50cyUyMGFyZSUyMGNvbmNlcm5lZCUyMHRoYXQlMjBob3VzaW5nJTIwY2hhbmdlcyUyMHdpbGwlMjBkbyUyMG1vcmUlMjBoYXJtJTIwdGhhbiUyMGdvb2QuJTIwJTIyJTdEJTVEJTdEJTJDJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMlNjb3R0JTIwYW5kJTIwTWFyaXNhJTIwdGFsayUyMHRvJTIwSmFzb24lMjBFbGxpb3R0JTJDJTIwZm9ybWVyJTIwaG91c2luZyUyMGFkdmlzb3IlMjB0byUyMEdvdi4lMjBHYXZpbiUyME5ld3NvbSUyMGFuZCUyMG5vdyUyMHByZXNpZGVudCUyMG9mJTIwVmVyc3VzJTIwU29sdXRpb25zJTJDJTIwYWJvdXQlMjB3aGF0J3MlMjBkcml2aW5nJTIwdGhlJTIwc3RhdGUncyUyMGhvdXNpbmclMjBtYW5kYXRlcyUyMGFuZCUyMGhvdyUyMHVwem9uaW5nJTIwY291bGQlMjByZXNoYXBlJTIwU2FuJTIwRnJhbmNpc2NvLiUyMiU3RCU1RCU3RCUyQyU3QiUyMnR5cGUlMjIlM0ElMjJwYXJhZ3JhcGglMjIlMkMlMjJjaGlsZHJlbiUyMiUzQSU1QiU3QiUyMnRleHQlMjIlM0ElMjJQbHVzJTJDJTIwdGhleSUyMGRpc2N1c3MlMjBDYWxpZm9ybmlhJ3MlMjBsZWdpc2xhdGlvbiUyMG9uJTIwYXJ0aWZpY2lhbCUyMGludGVsbGlnZW5jZSUyMGFuZCUyMGhvdyUyMHRoZSUyMGdvdmVybm1lbnQlMjBzaG91bGQlMjByZWd1bGF0ZSUyMEFJLiUyMiU3RCU1RCU3RCUyQyU3QiUyMnR5cGUlMjIlM0ElMjJwYXJhZ3JhcGglMjIlMkMlMjJjaGlsZHJlbiUyMiUzQSU1QiU3QiUyMnRleHQlMjIlM0ElMjJDaGVjayUyMG91dCVDMiVBMCUyMiU3RCUyQyU3QiUyMnR5cGUlMjIlM0ElMjJsaW5rJTIyJTJDJTIydXJsJTIyJTNBJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cua3FlZC5vcmclMkZuZXdzbGV0dGVycyUyRnBvbGl0aWNhbC1icmVha2Rvd24lMjIlMkMlMjJ0YXJnZXQlMjIlM0FudWxsJTJDJTIycmVsJTIyJTNBbnVsbCUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMlBvbGl0aWNhbCUyMEJyZWFrZG93biVFMiU4MCU5OXMlMjB3ZWVrbHklMjBuZXdzbGV0dGVyJTIyJTdEJTVEJTdEJTJDJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMiUyQyUyMGRlbGl2ZXJlZCUyMHN0cmFpZ2h0JTIwdG8lMjB5b3VyJTIwaW5ib3guJTIyJTdEJTVEJTdEJTVE\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Check out \u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003ca class=\"e-91036-text-link e-91036-baseline e-91036-overflow-wrap-anywhere encore-internal-color-text-announcement e-91036-text-link--use-focus sc-ihgnxF fGbrTd\" href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">California is under pressure to build more homes — fast. In response to the state’s housing mandates, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is pushing a major \u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003ca class=\"e-91036-text-link e-91036-baseline e-91036-overflow-wrap-anywhere encore-internal-color-text-announcement e-91036-text-link--use-focus sc-ihgnxF fGbrTd\" href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12033966/sfs-single-family-home-neighborhoods-apartments-65-story-towers-downtown\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">plan to upzone\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\"> parts of the city’s north and west sides, allowing for tens of thousands of new homes. But some residents are concerned that housing changes will do more harm than good. \u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Scott and Marisa talk to Jason Elliott, former housing advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom and now president of Versus Solutions, about what’s driving the state’s housing mandates and how upzoning could reshape San Francisco.\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Plus, they discuss California’s legislation on artificial intelligence and how the government should regulate AI.\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"e-91036-text encore-text-body-medium\" data-encore-id=\"text\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-fragment=\"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\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Check out \u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003ca class=\"e-91036-text-link e-91036-baseline e-91036-overflow-wrap-anywhere encore-internal-color-text-announcement e-91036-text-link--use-focus sc-ihgnxF fGbrTd\" href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\" data-encore-id=\"textLink\" data-slate-node=\"element\" data-slate-inline=\"true\">\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan data-slate-node=\"text\">\u003cspan class=\"sc-brPLxw gubhrO\" data-slate-leaf=\"true\">, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/span>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "oakland-sisters-lead-fight-to-free-la-relatives-from-ice-detention",
"title": "Oakland Sisters Lead Fight to Free LA Relatives From ICE Detention",
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"content": "\u003cp>Jennifer Alejo was taking a midmorning stroll through the serene San Francisco Botanical Garden when she got a panicked call from her mother in Los Angeles. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043346/sf-rallies-for-david-huerta-california-union-leader-arrested-in-la-immigration-raid\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided\u003c/a> the garment warehouse where more than a dozen of Alejo’s cousins and uncles worked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The men were handcuffed, loaded into white vans and driven away as federal agents in military gear clashed with protesters outside the warehouse’s gates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, Alejo didn’t know how many relatives were arrested or where they were taken. Over the next frantic 24 hours of phone calls and online searches, a clearer picture emerged: ICE had detained 14 of her family members in a single swoop at Ambiance Apparel on June 6.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am freaking out because I’ve been in the Bay organizing for 10 years, but I have never gone up to the immigration machine in this way,” said Alejo, who leads the Oakland-based nonprofit Trabajadores Unidos Workers United. “So I was nervous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Alejos’ story captures the new reality of immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump: mass workplace raids returning on a scale not seen in years, sweeping up longtime residents with no criminal records and leaving families to navigate a system stacked against them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across California and the U.S., ICE arrests and detentions have climbed sharply in recent years, as the administration renews its focus on high-profile raids and deportations — forcing communities to organize legal and financial lifelines on the fly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061732\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061732\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jennifer Alejo works in her office in Oakland on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061545/bay-area-spared-from-federal-immigration-enforcement-surge-officials-say\">braced for aggressive immigration arrests\u003c/a> like those seen in Los Angeles and Chicago in recent months. Last week, dozens of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrived at a Coast Guard base in Alameda, prompting a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061436/2-injured-after-officers-shoot-at-truck-outside-alameda-base-following-day-of-protests\">confrontation with protesters\u003c/a>. Tensions eased after President Donald Trump \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061209/lurie-trump-is-calling-off-plans-to-send-federal-troops-to-san-francisco\">called off a planned surge\u003c/a> of federal agents targeting San Francisco on Oct. 23, and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said the next day that scheduled ICE and Border Patrol operations were canceled. Still, immigrant advocates, school leaders and elected officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055279/oakland-latino-merchants-learn-rights-as-ice-targets-worksites\">urged residents to stay prepared\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alejo and his younger sister, Citlali, also a staffer at the organization, knew their relatives would have a better chance at release if the family worked together. They tapped their Bay Area networks for legal aid and fundraising, and rallied relatives and close friends in L.A. to launch Lucha Zapoteca, a public campaign named for their Indigenous Zapoteca roots from Southern Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly five months later, public awareness about the family’s plight helped raise more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-aid-for-families-of-14-detained-members\">$370,000\u003c/a> from thousands of donors — enough to pay immigration bonds, which can range from $1,500 to more than $25,000 each, and cover rent and groceries for relatives left without breadwinners.[aside postID=news_12057190 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251022-FRUITVALE-MERCHANTS-MD-02-KQED.jpg']Immigration attorneys in the Bay Area and Southern California worked to free 11 of the men from the Adelanto ICE detention center and secured long-term representation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wanted people to know that they could fight back. We didn’t know what it was going to look like, but we also knew that our community does have rights,” said Alejo, 33. “But it is hard to organize your own family into action, especially when there’s just so much at stake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family joined protests, including outside of the Adelanto facility, and packed court hearings to show support — a factor immigration judges often consider when deciding whether to release a detainee on bond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Alejo’s relatives is still locked up at the Adelanto facility, about 90 miles from L.A. Two were deported, including a 22-year-old who, the sisters said, didn’t realize the papers he signed sealed his removal to Tijuana. The other relative, unable to endure detention conditions, voluntarily agreed to deportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ICE did not respond to requests for comment on why Ambiance Apparel, which employs about 150 employees at its warehouse and showroom, was targeted in June or about the operation’s outcome. It’s unclear whether the 2021 \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/los-angeles-fashion-district-company-owner-sentenced-one-year-prison-committing-customs\">sentencing\u003c/a> of the company’s owner to one year in federal prison for failing to pay more than $35 million in taxes and customs duties was connected to the raid. Ambiance has denied any wrongdoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ambiance is committed to following the law and to supporting its workers, many of whom have worked for the company for decades,” said Benjamin Gluck, an attorney representing the company, in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12055266\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12055266\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/GettyImages-2221046205-scaled-e1761161380689.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1345\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A protester carries a sign reading “Immigrants Built America!” as anti-ICE demonstrators protest outside a federal building on June 19, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. \u003ccite>(Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>White House “border czar” Tom Homan said federal agents executed a search warrant at the business, which has locations in L.A.’s Fashion District and Vernon, as part of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tom-homan-trump-border-czar-los-angeles-rcna211701\">criminal investigation\u003c/a> that also swept up undocumented workers. But U.S. Attorney Bill Assaily said the judicial \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/us-attorney-confirms-fbi-federal-agencies-search-warrant-downtown-los-angeles/3717411/\">warrant\u003c/a> that gained agents’ entry to the gated worksite was only for immigration enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California law prohibits employers from allowing ICE into their facilities unless agents present a valid judicial warrant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The roughly 10,300 ICE arrests in California from January through July represent nearly double the total for all of 2024 and more than five times the arrests in 2023, according to a KQED analysis of \u003ca href=\"https://deportationdata.org/data/ice.html\">data\u003c/a> from the UC Berkeley Deportation Data Project. About 62% of this year’s arrests occurred in ICE’s Los Angeles area of responsibility, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration said its immigration crackdown prioritizes expelling dangerous criminals, but undocumented immigrants with no criminal records are being detained as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve said a thousand times that aperture will open,” Homan told NBC News in June. “And I said, if you’re in the country illegally, you’re not off the table.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Deciding to push back\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After Alejo and Citlali drove to L.A. on the evening of June 6, they met with dozens of worried relatives and friends who gathered at a Quinceañera party hall someone had secured. They tallied which family members hadn’t returned home from their shifts and spoke with two Bay Area immigration attorneys Alejo had already contacted. Her first question: Could the family help by speaking up and organizing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hall had a projector. Alejo brought in Lisa Knox of the California Center for Immigrant Justice and Luis Angel Reyes Savalza of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office via Zoom. Both attorneys, active in local immigration rapid response networks, confirmed that public pressure could boost a legal process to get the fathers and husbands out of detention. Alejo reminded her family that it would take work and courage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jennifer Alejo works in her office in Oakland on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I was transparent, that, hey, this is going to be a big fight. I do think we can fight back, but we need to be vocal,” Alejo, an Oakland resident who organizes low-wage cooks, builders and other workers to combat labor violations such as wage theft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her sister Citlali, 27, who works in communications, organized Lucha Zapoteca’s first \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DKsClVtpDq-/\">press conference\u003c/a> that weekend. Many relatives felt anxious, Citlali said, but Yurien Contreras was the first to volunteer to talk to reporters about her father’s arrest and what it meant for her and three younger brothers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On June 9, supporters held cardboard signs with photos of their 14 detained relatives outside of Ambiance’s warehouse. When it was her turn to speak, Contreras stepped onto a wooden box near a podium and faced a wall of reporters for the first time. The 20-year-old American citizen had rushed to the warehouse in time to see federal agents lead her father and roughly 40 others away the previous Friday. She demanded that immigration authorities respect the workers’ due process rights and release them.[aside postID=news_12055279 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250903-ICETRAINING_01023_TV-KQED.jpg']“I witnessed how they put my father in handcuffs, chained him from the waist and from his ankles,” said Yurien, speaking into a bouquet of microphones. “We suffered and still suffer from this traumatizing experience emotionally, mentally, and physically…We need our father back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contreras said her father’s absence was particularly hard on her 4-year-old brother, who has special needs and stopped eating and talking for about a week. For the three months her father was detained, Contreras found it difficult to sleep. She ultimately deferred her college enrollment to stay home and support her family full-time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their stories struck a nerve in a city reeling from aggressive immigration sweeps and the arrival of National Guard soldiers, sometimes fully armed, sent by Trump to help federal agents. TV stations and newspapers carried the Alejo family’s story — even into the ICE Processing Center in Adelanto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Contreras’ uncles, uncertain about what would happen to his four U.S.-born children, said another detainee peeked into his cell to tell him his family was on TV. Disbelieving, he hurried to the recreation room but missed the newscast. He waited for the next one at 6 p.m. When he finally saw his eldest daughter on screen, he wondered how his shy 23-year-old had found the strength to speak fearlessly. KQED agreed to grant the man anonymity because of his pending immigration case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It helped me a lot because I saw the support both from my family members and everyone who was there,” the man, who was released from detention in late August, said in Spanish. “It gives you more courage to cope with the case because it can be very exhausting. The psychological anguish eats at you, wears you out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He worked for 15 years in L.A.’s construction and janitorial industries before handling shipping at Ambiance for the last five years. He said it’s been hard to adjust to life after detention, as he’s unable to work while fighting his immigration case. Not knowing whether he will be deported still weighs heavily on him, but he’s grateful to Lucha Zapoteca for legal representation and financial help that keep his children and wife fed and housed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Community and strangers step in to help\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>One vocal supporter has been the Rev. Jaime Edwards-Acton, rector at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Hollywood, where the family attends services. He got involved early to raise funds and coordinate donations. His parishioners, led by two sisters in their 20s, have delivered weekly boxes of groceries, diapers and household supplies to Alejo’s relatives. The church is expanding efforts to help more Angelenos affected by ICE arrests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been an amazing kind of outpouring of generosity and a desire to really want to do something, to make a positive contribution to this mess that we find ourselves in right now,” said Edwards-Acton, who also wrote letters supporting the detained Ambiance workers to the immigration court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12055746\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12055746\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/IMG_9847-scaled-e1761671224320.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dozens of carwash employees and their family members rallied alongside immigrant rights activists in Los Angeles on Thursday to denounce federal immigration raids at their worksites. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Los Angeles Worker Center Network)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the Alejo family’s campaign and the broader community response have inspired him. Edwards-Acton recalled an interfaith vigil at downtown L.A.’s Grand Park, attended by about 1,000 people, where speakers included Mayor Karen Bass and Contreras. He said Contreras’ powerful testimony countered fear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s what kind of really moves people to action. Her courage was really contagious,” he said. “It wasn’t just a testimony of despair. It was a testimony about this tragic moment, but also how we’re fighting for justice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contreras, who had a baby in March, spent her time attending court hearings for her father and the other detained relatives while caring for her brothers, mother and her child. Her 17-year-old brother remained withdrawn but kept his grades up. One day, he said he had a new goal — to graduate with honors to make his parents proud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their efforts paid off: Contreras’ father returned home in early September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a lot of hard work, a lot of times where it felt impossible for my dad to be liberated,” Contreras, who hopes to one day become an ultrasound technician, said. “We are super excited that he’s back home. We are thankful for this second opportunity with my dad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys for the Alejo family, who believe their clients were unlawfully targeted, said they face a difficult path to remain in the U.S. The Trump administration recently changed its policies to make detainees who crossed the border illegally \u003ca href=\"https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/bia-ruling-immigration-judges-bond-mandatory-detention-undocumented-immigrants/\">ineligible\u003c/a> for bond. Dozens of immigration judges, employed by the Department of Justice, have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/09/23/nx-s1-5550915/trump-immigration-judges\">fired \u003c/a>and temporarily replaced with military lawyers who are not trained to oversee deportation hearings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the Bay Area and other regions remain on high alert for more ICE enforcement, Alejo said her family’s story — and the support it inspired from strangers — offers hope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel really proud of our family for doing this,” Alejo said. “It’s also been an amazing time to prove to our community that we can organize when we come together and push back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Jennifer Alejo was taking a midmorning stroll through the serene San Francisco Botanical Garden when she got a panicked call from her mother in Los Angeles. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043346/sf-rallies-for-david-huerta-california-union-leader-arrested-in-la-immigration-raid\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided\u003c/a> the garment warehouse where more than a dozen of Alejo’s cousins and uncles worked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The men were handcuffed, loaded into white vans and driven away as federal agents in military gear clashed with protesters outside the warehouse’s gates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, Alejo didn’t know how many relatives were arrested or where they were taken. Over the next frantic 24 hours of phone calls and online searches, a clearer picture emerged: ICE had detained 14 of her family members in a single swoop at Ambiance Apparel on June 6.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am freaking out because I’ve been in the Bay organizing for 10 years, but I have never gone up to the immigration machine in this way,” said Alejo, who leads the Oakland-based nonprofit Trabajadores Unidos Workers United. “So I was nervous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Alejos’ story captures the new reality of immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump: mass workplace raids returning on a scale not seen in years, sweeping up longtime residents with no criminal records and leaving families to navigate a system stacked against them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across California and the U.S., ICE arrests and detentions have climbed sharply in recent years, as the administration renews its focus on high-profile raids and deportations — forcing communities to organize legal and financial lifelines on the fly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061732\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061732\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jennifer Alejo works in her office in Oakland on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061545/bay-area-spared-from-federal-immigration-enforcement-surge-officials-say\">braced for aggressive immigration arrests\u003c/a> like those seen in Los Angeles and Chicago in recent months. Last week, dozens of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrived at a Coast Guard base in Alameda, prompting a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061436/2-injured-after-officers-shoot-at-truck-outside-alameda-base-following-day-of-protests\">confrontation with protesters\u003c/a>. Tensions eased after President Donald Trump \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061209/lurie-trump-is-calling-off-plans-to-send-federal-troops-to-san-francisco\">called off a planned surge\u003c/a> of federal agents targeting San Francisco on Oct. 23, and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said the next day that scheduled ICE and Border Patrol operations were canceled. Still, immigrant advocates, school leaders and elected officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055279/oakland-latino-merchants-learn-rights-as-ice-targets-worksites\">urged residents to stay prepared\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alejo and his younger sister, Citlali, also a staffer at the organization, knew their relatives would have a better chance at release if the family worked together. They tapped their Bay Area networks for legal aid and fundraising, and rallied relatives and close friends in L.A. to launch Lucha Zapoteca, a public campaign named for their Indigenous Zapoteca roots from Southern Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly five months later, public awareness about the family’s plight helped raise more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-aid-for-families-of-14-detained-members\">$370,000\u003c/a> from thousands of donors — enough to pay immigration bonds, which can range from $1,500 to more than $25,000 each, and cover rent and groceries for relatives left without breadwinners.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Immigration attorneys in the Bay Area and Southern California worked to free 11 of the men from the Adelanto ICE detention center and secured long-term representation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wanted people to know that they could fight back. We didn’t know what it was going to look like, but we also knew that our community does have rights,” said Alejo, 33. “But it is hard to organize your own family into action, especially when there’s just so much at stake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family joined protests, including outside of the Adelanto facility, and packed court hearings to show support — a factor immigration judges often consider when deciding whether to release a detainee on bond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Alejo’s relatives is still locked up at the Adelanto facility, about 90 miles from L.A. Two were deported, including a 22-year-old who, the sisters said, didn’t realize the papers he signed sealed his removal to Tijuana. The other relative, unable to endure detention conditions, voluntarily agreed to deportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ICE did not respond to requests for comment on why Ambiance Apparel, which employs about 150 employees at its warehouse and showroom, was targeted in June or about the operation’s outcome. It’s unclear whether the 2021 \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/los-angeles-fashion-district-company-owner-sentenced-one-year-prison-committing-customs\">sentencing\u003c/a> of the company’s owner to one year in federal prison for failing to pay more than $35 million in taxes and customs duties was connected to the raid. Ambiance has denied any wrongdoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ambiance is committed to following the law and to supporting its workers, many of whom have worked for the company for decades,” said Benjamin Gluck, an attorney representing the company, in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12055266\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12055266\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/GettyImages-2221046205-scaled-e1761161380689.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1345\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A protester carries a sign reading “Immigrants Built America!” as anti-ICE demonstrators protest outside a federal building on June 19, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. \u003ccite>(Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>White House “border czar” Tom Homan said federal agents executed a search warrant at the business, which has locations in L.A.’s Fashion District and Vernon, as part of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tom-homan-trump-border-czar-los-angeles-rcna211701\">criminal investigation\u003c/a> that also swept up undocumented workers. But U.S. Attorney Bill Assaily said the judicial \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/us-attorney-confirms-fbi-federal-agencies-search-warrant-downtown-los-angeles/3717411/\">warrant\u003c/a> that gained agents’ entry to the gated worksite was only for immigration enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California law prohibits employers from allowing ICE into their facilities unless agents present a valid judicial warrant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The roughly 10,300 ICE arrests in California from January through July represent nearly double the total for all of 2024 and more than five times the arrests in 2023, according to a KQED analysis of \u003ca href=\"https://deportationdata.org/data/ice.html\">data\u003c/a> from the UC Berkeley Deportation Data Project. About 62% of this year’s arrests occurred in ICE’s Los Angeles area of responsibility, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration said its immigration crackdown prioritizes expelling dangerous criminals, but undocumented immigrants with no criminal records are being detained as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve said a thousand times that aperture will open,” Homan told NBC News in June. “And I said, if you’re in the country illegally, you’re not off the table.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Deciding to push back\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After Alejo and Citlali drove to L.A. on the evening of June 6, they met with dozens of worried relatives and friends who gathered at a Quinceañera party hall someone had secured. They tallied which family members hadn’t returned home from their shifts and spoke with two Bay Area immigration attorneys Alejo had already contacted. Her first question: Could the family help by speaking up and organizing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hall had a projector. Alejo brought in Lisa Knox of the California Center for Immigrant Justice and Luis Angel Reyes Savalza of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office via Zoom. Both attorneys, active in local immigration rapid response networks, confirmed that public pressure could boost a legal process to get the fathers and husbands out of detention. Alejo reminded her family that it would take work and courage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251026_FAMILYMEMBERSARRESTED_HERNANDEZ-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jennifer Alejo works in her office in Oakland on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I was transparent, that, hey, this is going to be a big fight. I do think we can fight back, but we need to be vocal,” Alejo, an Oakland resident who organizes low-wage cooks, builders and other workers to combat labor violations such as wage theft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her sister Citlali, 27, who works in communications, organized Lucha Zapoteca’s first \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DKsClVtpDq-/\">press conference\u003c/a> that weekend. Many relatives felt anxious, Citlali said, but Yurien Contreras was the first to volunteer to talk to reporters about her father’s arrest and what it meant for her and three younger brothers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On June 9, supporters held cardboard signs with photos of their 14 detained relatives outside of Ambiance’s warehouse. When it was her turn to speak, Contreras stepped onto a wooden box near a podium and faced a wall of reporters for the first time. The 20-year-old American citizen had rushed to the warehouse in time to see federal agents lead her father and roughly 40 others away the previous Friday. She demanded that immigration authorities respect the workers’ due process rights and release them.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I witnessed how they put my father in handcuffs, chained him from the waist and from his ankles,” said Yurien, speaking into a bouquet of microphones. “We suffered and still suffer from this traumatizing experience emotionally, mentally, and physically…We need our father back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contreras said her father’s absence was particularly hard on her 4-year-old brother, who has special needs and stopped eating and talking for about a week. For the three months her father was detained, Contreras found it difficult to sleep. She ultimately deferred her college enrollment to stay home and support her family full-time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their stories struck a nerve in a city reeling from aggressive immigration sweeps and the arrival of National Guard soldiers, sometimes fully armed, sent by Trump to help federal agents. TV stations and newspapers carried the Alejo family’s story — even into the ICE Processing Center in Adelanto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Contreras’ uncles, uncertain about what would happen to his four U.S.-born children, said another detainee peeked into his cell to tell him his family was on TV. Disbelieving, he hurried to the recreation room but missed the newscast. He waited for the next one at 6 p.m. When he finally saw his eldest daughter on screen, he wondered how his shy 23-year-old had found the strength to speak fearlessly. KQED agreed to grant the man anonymity because of his pending immigration case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It helped me a lot because I saw the support both from my family members and everyone who was there,” the man, who was released from detention in late August, said in Spanish. “It gives you more courage to cope with the case because it can be very exhausting. The psychological anguish eats at you, wears you out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He worked for 15 years in L.A.’s construction and janitorial industries before handling shipping at Ambiance for the last five years. He said it’s been hard to adjust to life after detention, as he’s unable to work while fighting his immigration case. Not knowing whether he will be deported still weighs heavily on him, but he’s grateful to Lucha Zapoteca for legal representation and financial help that keep his children and wife fed and housed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Community and strangers step in to help\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>One vocal supporter has been the Rev. Jaime Edwards-Acton, rector at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Hollywood, where the family attends services. He got involved early to raise funds and coordinate donations. His parishioners, led by two sisters in their 20s, have delivered weekly boxes of groceries, diapers and household supplies to Alejo’s relatives. The church is expanding efforts to help more Angelenos affected by ICE arrests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been an amazing kind of outpouring of generosity and a desire to really want to do something, to make a positive contribution to this mess that we find ourselves in right now,” said Edwards-Acton, who also wrote letters supporting the detained Ambiance workers to the immigration court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12055746\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12055746\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/IMG_9847-scaled-e1761671224320.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dozens of carwash employees and their family members rallied alongside immigrant rights activists in Los Angeles on Thursday to denounce federal immigration raids at their worksites. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Los Angeles Worker Center Network)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the Alejo family’s campaign and the broader community response have inspired him. Edwards-Acton recalled an interfaith vigil at downtown L.A.’s Grand Park, attended by about 1,000 people, where speakers included Mayor Karen Bass and Contreras. He said Contreras’ powerful testimony countered fear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s what kind of really moves people to action. Her courage was really contagious,” he said. “It wasn’t just a testimony of despair. It was a testimony about this tragic moment, but also how we’re fighting for justice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contreras, who had a baby in March, spent her time attending court hearings for her father and the other detained relatives while caring for her brothers, mother and her child. Her 17-year-old brother remained withdrawn but kept his grades up. One day, he said he had a new goal — to graduate with honors to make his parents proud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their efforts paid off: Contreras’ father returned home in early September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a lot of hard work, a lot of times where it felt impossible for my dad to be liberated,” Contreras, who hopes to one day become an ultrasound technician, said. “We are super excited that he’s back home. We are thankful for this second opportunity with my dad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys for the Alejo family, who believe their clients were unlawfully targeted, said they face a difficult path to remain in the U.S. The Trump administration recently changed its policies to make detainees who crossed the border illegally \u003ca href=\"https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/bia-ruling-immigration-judges-bond-mandatory-detention-undocumented-immigrants/\">ineligible\u003c/a> for bond. Dozens of immigration judges, employed by the Department of Justice, have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/09/23/nx-s1-5550915/trump-immigration-judges\">fired \u003c/a>and temporarily replaced with military lawyers who are not trained to oversee deportation hearings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the Bay Area and other regions remain on high alert for more ICE enforcement, Alejo said her family’s story — and the support it inspired from strangers — offers hope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel really proud of our family for doing this,” Alejo said. “It’s also been an amazing time to prove to our community that we can organize when we come together and push back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "the-latest-bay-area-recall-campaign-is-over-a-six-story-apartment-building",
"title": "The Latest Bay Area Recall Campaign Is Over a 6-Story Apartment Building",
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"headTitle": "The Latest Bay Area Recall Campaign Is Over a 6-Story Apartment Building | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s spooky season in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/marin-county\">Marin County\u003c/a> town of Fairfax, where skeletons and pumpkins take up their positions in yards, right alongside signs urging residents to “Vote Yes to Recall” or “Vote No Recalls.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 4, voters will decide whether to recall Fairfax’s mayor and vice mayor over their approval of a six-story apartment complex — a decision that’s divided this small town of about 7,500 residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/fairfaxca/2025/04/Notice-of-Intent-to-Circulate-a-Recall-Petition-Hellman-3-6-25.pdf\">recall petition\u003c/a> accuses Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman of mismanaging funds, neglecting road maintenance and prioritizing their personal agendas. But at the heart of the recall is a high-density housing development proposed for a 2-acre site called School Street Plaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last November, developer Mill Creek Residential submitted a preliminary application to build a 243-unit apartment complex at School Street Plaza, with 49 affordable housing units priced between about \u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/sanrafaelca/2024/07/2024-affordable-rent-schedule-50-60-65-7075-80-90-100-AMI.pdf\">$1,900 to $2,500 a month\u003c/a> for a studio. The proposal includes two levels of parking and commercial space on the ground floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residents immediately pushed back. The development site sits on a hill at the edge of downtown Fairfax. A six-story building would tower over the town, where most buildings are one or two stories and the tallest reaches just four stories, and would block many residents’ views of the rolling hills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060488\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12060488 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-37-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-37-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-37-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-37-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Fairfax Theater in Fairfax, California, on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Recall proponents blame Blash, who was elected to the council in 2022, and Hellman, who has served since 2019, for approving zoning changes to School Street Plaza that allowed the housing proposal to move forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, voters replaced two council members who had approved the rezoning with Mike Ghiringhelli and Frank Egger, who both opposed taller buildings. Egger told KQED he will vote Yes on the recall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blash and Hellman argue their hands were tied. State housing mandates require Fairfax to approve a housing plan, or “housing element,” for \u003ca href=\"https://townoffairfaxca.gov/town-of-fairfax-files-regional-housing-needs-allocation-rhna-appeal/\">at least 490 new homes by 2031\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061569\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061569\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-11-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-11-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-11-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-11-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Halloween display plays on election related content in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If the town fails to make progress toward meeting its required housing allocation, it could \u003ca href=\"https://assets.marincounty.gov/marincounty-prod/public/2025-06/The%20Worrisome%20Future%20of%20Marin%20Housing.pdf\">face lawsuits, fines of up to $600,000 a month and a loss of permitting and zoning authority\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The push to unseat Blash and Hellman is the latest in a string of Bay Area recall campaigns, where frustrated residents have increasingly turned to recalls to express their dissatisfaction with political leaders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fight also underscores a fundamental shift in California housing policy, as new state laws steadily erode local control in favor of state mandates.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A small town divided\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Fairfax, nestled in the foothills of Mount Tamalpais, is known as the cradle of mountain biking and was once an oasis for artists and musicians, who have since been priced out of the town. Many people find the charming homes along winding, redwood-forested streets a desirable place to settle down and raise kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ian Glover, 47, who’s lived in Fairfax for five years, was among families shopping at a recent Wednesday evening farmers market in Bolinas Park. Glover had initially signed the recall petition, believing it would block the School Street apartment complex. The property’s former occupants included a school, a marijuana dispensary and community hot tubs and saunas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060959\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060959\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/School-Street-Plaza-Plaza-View-2-04.16.2025-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/School-Street-Plaza-Plaza-View-2-04.16.2025-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/School-Street-Plaza-Plaza-View-2-04.16.2025-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/School-Street-Plaza-Plaza-View-2-04.16.2025-KQED-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The proposed 6-story housing development at 95 Broadway in Fairfax includes 4 stories of apartment units, 2 levels for parking and commercial space on the ground floor. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Stackhouse De la Peña Trachtenberg Architects)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to see a big high-rise. I don’t want to see more traffic,” Glover said as he offered his 2.5-year-old son some pomegranate seeds and melon slices. Even though he believes apartments and cheap housing benefit the community, Glover said he’d prefer the site become something that preserves the town’s character. “I’d rather see it be a cool school again or … the hot tub place was funky.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many residents share his sentiment. Some call the building proposal a “monstrosity.” Even Vice Mayor Hellman agrees it’s too tall and would look out of place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Design-wise, it’s cookie-cutter, cheap, ugly, doesn’t fit within the design and aesthetic or character of the town,” Hellman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060487\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060487\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman poses for a photo at her home in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wendy Lee, 64, has lived in Fairfax for nearly 40 years, raised three kids there and now has three grandchildren. Lee is against the recall, but like many residents, she doesn’t like the development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to be a NIMBY because I know Marin County, we need low-income housing,” Lee said. “But I also don’t think that a six-story apartment building should be smack downtown on that little hill rise.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with concerns about parking and traffic, recall supporters contend the project could create a “death trap” in the event of a wildfire, flood or earthquake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have one road in and out in case of fire coming from West Marin,” said recall treasurer Sean Fitzgerald. “We have to go through four other towns to get out to the freeway.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060483\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060483\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Mackintosh (left) and Sean Fitzgerald speak with fellow supporters of the recall of Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman at Nave’s Bar and Grill in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Riley Hurd, a land use attorney representing Mill Creek, said he isn’t surprised by the town’s pushback on the School Street proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s been the Fairfax way for decades and decades,” he said. “That’s why nothing ever gets built there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate over the recall has driven a wedge between neighbors and strained friendships in the tight-knit community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has totally splintered our town,” Lee said. “It’s so sad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Council meetings have turned “ugly and vitriolic,” Blash said, with people yelling, pounding chairs and waving their fists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060480\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fairfax Mayor Lisel Blash at her home in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“People talk about gnawing on our necks, or lynching us or tar and feathering us,” Blash said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve had days where it’s really taken a toll on my mental health for sure,” Hellman added. “I’ve had days where I’ve thought about quitting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hellman installed a new security system after a few recall organizers showed up at her house. Blash stopped walking home from meetings at night and no longer goes to her favorite coffee shop, now that its windows are plastered with pro-recall signs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People hear about East Bay recalls or recalls in San Francisco, and I’m sure those are painful for the recallees, but this is a really tiny town,” she said. “It just really feels very personal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Bay Area recall fever\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The campaign to oust Blash and Hellman joins a growing list of Bay Area recalls since the pandemic, including the removal of three school board members in San Francisco and the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11916212/chesa-boudin-recall-sf-voters-on-track-to-oust-district-attorney\">District Attorney Chesa Boudin\u003c/a> in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, voters recalled \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11992881/recall-of-two-sunol-school-board-members-appears-headed-to-victory\">two more school board members in Sunol\u003c/a>, Alameda County \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013442/alameda-county-voters-recall-district-attorney-pamela-price\">District Attorney Pamela Price\u003c/a> and Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">Mayor Sheng Thao\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060479\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signs for and against the recall of Fairfax Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman sit outside a 7-Eleven in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In September, residents in San Francisco’s Sunset District \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12056059/supervisor-joel-engardio-is-out-whats-next-for-san-franciscos-sunset-district\">recalled Supervisor Joel Engardio\u003c/a> over his support for closing part of the Great Highway to turn it into a park. His removal did not alter the highway’s closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mark Baldassare, a director at the Public Policy Institute of California, said local recalls offer residents a tool to effect change. They’re far harder to pull off at the state level and they don’t exist at the federal level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“COVID put the emphasis on local government as being both the solution and in some cases the problem,” Baldassare said. “As that’s taken place, it’s also become apparent to a lot of people that an option is the recall.”[aside postID=news_12012553 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GETTYIMAGES-1244095544-KQED-1020x680.jpg']Fairfax recall organizers received guidance from Chris Moore and Edward Escobar, who helped lead the recalls of Price and Thao. Fitzgerald said they sought their advice after their initial petition was rejected by the town clerk and town attorney over technical errors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They came out, they shared with us what they had done successfully for free,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve done this all 100% grassroots.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moore said he spent a few hours with recall organizers in the spring, advising them on messaging strategies, how to gather signatures and volunteers and recommending an attorney. Since then, he’s answered one or two questions a month over text.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t active in day-to-day activity,” Moore said. “I just kind of say, ‘OK, here’s what we did in that scenario.’ But largely they’ve run it up there themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, recall supporters held a rally, which Moore and Escobar attended. Escobar said he helped “orchestrate” a press conference, reaching out to reporters to cover the event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All we do is amplify the voice of the people,” Escobar said. “These folks are, they’re weeds that need to be pulled out of office.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A shift in housing policy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Recall organizers often meet at Nave’s Bar, a downtown pub managed by recall leader Candace Neal-Ricker, which they jokingly call their “newsroom.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am your local, ultra-low-income, born and raised Fairfaxian that could not afford what they are proposing there,” Neal-Ricker said as she poured drinks and rang up customers on a 1967 vintage cash register. If the development had included “truly affordable” housing with fewer stories, she said she would’ve supported it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neal-Ricker believes the mayor and vice mayor are out of touch with their constituents’ desires. In 2022, the town council approved a rent stabilization ordinance and its “just cause” eviction ordinance, which aimed to protect tenants from arbitrary evictions. At the time, Hellman was on the council, but Blash had not yet been elected. Voters \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012553/californians-appear-to-reject-many-rent-control-measures\">repealed the law\u003c/a> in last year’s election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060485\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fairfax Citizens Coalition Lead Candace Neal-Ricker works at Nave’s Bar and Grill in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Council members are not gods,” Neal-Ricker said. “They’ve forgotten who they work for and what they were elected to represent.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s also critical of the development receiving “ministerial approval,” which fast-tracks developments by bypassing public hearings and review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hellman defended her handling of the housing proposal, saying she followed state laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of my actions have been to protect the town from litigation, penalties and fines,” Hellman said. “I’m not happy about a lot of these laws, but I didn’t run for office to break the law. And if I have to fall on my sword for that, that’s perfectly fine.”[aside postID=news_12056059 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250916-RecallElectionNight-33-BL.jpg']In July, Hellman said the town council received \u003ca href=\"https://townoffairfaxca.gov/documents/yimby-law-letter-06-18-25/\">letters from Yes In My Backyard\u003c/a> (YIMBY) groups and “threatening communications” from the enforcement arm of the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), \u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/fairfaxca/2025/09/4-95-Broadway-City-letter_ministerial-process-clarification-with-exhibits_9-8-25.pdf\">reminding them that they could face enforcement action\u003c/a> if they failed to process the School Street project under ministerial approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I truly believe that the state and lots of jurisdictions are looking at Fairfax right now as a test case,” Hellman said. “I also believe that they would love to make an example out of Marin County due to their perception that we haven’t kept up with housing demand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://assets.marincounty.gov/marincounty-prod/public/2025-06/The%20Worrisome%20Future%20of%20Marin%20Housing.pdf\">Marin County Grand Jury report\u003c/a> in June noted that since 2017, lawmakers have passed over 100 pieces of legislation to shift power over housing policy to the state. “New state laws significantly reduce the ability of local jurisdictions to deny housing projects that meet objective requirements, even if there is community opposition,” the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lawmakers passed many of these laws in response to years of Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) communities interfering with state efforts to ease California’s housing crunch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blash said recall supporters don’t understand how much power the state has taken from local governments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061504\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12061504 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign supporting the recall of Fairfax Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman hangs in a coffee shop in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They’ve chipped away at most of our local control,” Blash said. “It used to be possible to object to something and either force the developer to give a little bit or to stop the project altogether. And that power isn’t there as much as it used to be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The grand jury report determined that the state’s requirement for the whole county to issue 14,405 permits by 2031 is “unrealistic and unlikely to be achieved.” The report cites community resistance as a major obstacle to new housing in Marin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The town has a really famous reputation for fighting development,” Blash said. “People are very proud of the small town atmosphere and very protective of it, so it’s often been hard to get just about anything built.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the threat of lawsuits and fines, recall proponents feel their city leaders caved to state demands too readily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can’t let the fear of financial penalties be the deciding factor in what’s right for a town,” Fitzgerald said. “Do I think the state’s gonna come in and bankrupt every small town because we don’t meet their housing numbers? I doubt it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recall organizers know their town has a reputation for being NIMBY. But Fitzgerald said, actually, they consider themselves more “MIMBY” — maybe in my backyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060486\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060486\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-29-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-29-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-29-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-29-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Kathy Flores, Michael Mackintosh and Sean Fitzgerald, supporters of the recall of Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman, talk at Nave’s Bar and Grill in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s all these elements that go into why we don’t want that particular building in its current form, so I think being called NIMBY is lazy,” Fitzgerald said. “It prevents people from having constructive dialogue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hurd, the developer’s attorney, pointed out that the School Street proposal only represents about half of Fairfax’s housing allocation, and there are currently no other multi-family housing applications in the town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If doing just half of what was allotted results in this level of outcry, I think it’s pretty clear that doing all or meeting the goal was never really on the table,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Less than three weeks before the election, Fairfax’s planning department sent a \u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/fairfaxca/2025/10/ec4f9313-95-broadway-application-consistency-review-10-16-25.pdf\">letter to the developer\u003c/a> requiring major changes to the housing proposal. The letter cited 25 deficiencies that, if not addressed in 30 days, will result in the project’s denial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hurd said he does not expect the developer to make any project changes, nor will they abandon ship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That letter violates numerous, numerous laws,” he said. He expects HCD to weigh in and “inform the town that that letter is illegal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the recall fails, both Blash and Hellman said they will not seek reelection when their terms expire next November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Voters in the Marin County town of Fairfax will decide Nov. 4 whether to recall the mayor and vice mayor over their approval to rezone for a proposed six-story housing development downtown.",
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"title": "The Latest Bay Area Recall Campaign Is Over a 6-Story Apartment Building | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s spooky season in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/marin-county\">Marin County\u003c/a> town of Fairfax, where skeletons and pumpkins take up their positions in yards, right alongside signs urging residents to “Vote Yes to Recall” or “Vote No Recalls.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 4, voters will decide whether to recall Fairfax’s mayor and vice mayor over their approval of a six-story apartment complex — a decision that’s divided this small town of about 7,500 residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/fairfaxca/2025/04/Notice-of-Intent-to-Circulate-a-Recall-Petition-Hellman-3-6-25.pdf\">recall petition\u003c/a> accuses Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman of mismanaging funds, neglecting road maintenance and prioritizing their personal agendas. But at the heart of the recall is a high-density housing development proposed for a 2-acre site called School Street Plaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last November, developer Mill Creek Residential submitted a preliminary application to build a 243-unit apartment complex at School Street Plaza, with 49 affordable housing units priced between about \u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/sanrafaelca/2024/07/2024-affordable-rent-schedule-50-60-65-7075-80-90-100-AMI.pdf\">$1,900 to $2,500 a month\u003c/a> for a studio. The proposal includes two levels of parking and commercial space on the ground floor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residents immediately pushed back. The development site sits on a hill at the edge of downtown Fairfax. A six-story building would tower over the town, where most buildings are one or two stories and the tallest reaches just four stories, and would block many residents’ views of the rolling hills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060488\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12060488 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-37-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-37-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-37-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-37-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Fairfax Theater in Fairfax, California, on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Recall proponents blame Blash, who was elected to the council in 2022, and Hellman, who has served since 2019, for approving zoning changes to School Street Plaza that allowed the housing proposal to move forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, voters replaced two council members who had approved the rezoning with Mike Ghiringhelli and Frank Egger, who both opposed taller buildings. Egger told KQED he will vote Yes on the recall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blash and Hellman argue their hands were tied. State housing mandates require Fairfax to approve a housing plan, or “housing element,” for \u003ca href=\"https://townoffairfaxca.gov/town-of-fairfax-files-regional-housing-needs-allocation-rhna-appeal/\">at least 490 new homes by 2031\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061569\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061569\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-11-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-11-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-11-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-11-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Halloween display plays on election related content in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If the town fails to make progress toward meeting its required housing allocation, it could \u003ca href=\"https://assets.marincounty.gov/marincounty-prod/public/2025-06/The%20Worrisome%20Future%20of%20Marin%20Housing.pdf\">face lawsuits, fines of up to $600,000 a month and a loss of permitting and zoning authority\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The push to unseat Blash and Hellman is the latest in a string of Bay Area recall campaigns, where frustrated residents have increasingly turned to recalls to express their dissatisfaction with political leaders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fight also underscores a fundamental shift in California housing policy, as new state laws steadily erode local control in favor of state mandates.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A small town divided\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Fairfax, nestled in the foothills of Mount Tamalpais, is known as the cradle of mountain biking and was once an oasis for artists and musicians, who have since been priced out of the town. Many people find the charming homes along winding, redwood-forested streets a desirable place to settle down and raise kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ian Glover, 47, who’s lived in Fairfax for five years, was among families shopping at a recent Wednesday evening farmers market in Bolinas Park. Glover had initially signed the recall petition, believing it would block the School Street apartment complex. The property’s former occupants included a school, a marijuana dispensary and community hot tubs and saunas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060959\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060959\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/School-Street-Plaza-Plaza-View-2-04.16.2025-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/School-Street-Plaza-Plaza-View-2-04.16.2025-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/School-Street-Plaza-Plaza-View-2-04.16.2025-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/School-Street-Plaza-Plaza-View-2-04.16.2025-KQED-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The proposed 6-story housing development at 95 Broadway in Fairfax includes 4 stories of apartment units, 2 levels for parking and commercial space on the ground floor. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Stackhouse De la Peña Trachtenberg Architects)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to see a big high-rise. I don’t want to see more traffic,” Glover said as he offered his 2.5-year-old son some pomegranate seeds and melon slices. Even though he believes apartments and cheap housing benefit the community, Glover said he’d prefer the site become something that preserves the town’s character. “I’d rather see it be a cool school again or … the hot tub place was funky.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many residents share his sentiment. Some call the building proposal a “monstrosity.” Even Vice Mayor Hellman agrees it’s too tall and would look out of place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Design-wise, it’s cookie-cutter, cheap, ugly, doesn’t fit within the design and aesthetic or character of the town,” Hellman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060487\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060487\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-33-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-33-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-33-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-33-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman poses for a photo at her home in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wendy Lee, 64, has lived in Fairfax for nearly 40 years, raised three kids there and now has three grandchildren. Lee is against the recall, but like many residents, she doesn’t like the development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to be a NIMBY because I know Marin County, we need low-income housing,” Lee said. “But I also don’t think that a six-story apartment building should be smack downtown on that little hill rise.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with concerns about parking and traffic, recall supporters contend the project could create a “death trap” in the event of a wildfire, flood or earthquake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have one road in and out in case of fire coming from West Marin,” said recall treasurer Sean Fitzgerald. “We have to go through four other towns to get out to the freeway.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060483\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060483\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Mackintosh (left) and Sean Fitzgerald speak with fellow supporters of the recall of Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman at Nave’s Bar and Grill in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Riley Hurd, a land use attorney representing Mill Creek, said he isn’t surprised by the town’s pushback on the School Street proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s been the Fairfax way for decades and decades,” he said. “That’s why nothing ever gets built there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate over the recall has driven a wedge between neighbors and strained friendships in the tight-knit community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has totally splintered our town,” Lee said. “It’s so sad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Council meetings have turned “ugly and vitriolic,” Blash said, with people yelling, pounding chairs and waving their fists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060480\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fairfax Mayor Lisel Blash at her home in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“People talk about gnawing on our necks, or lynching us or tar and feathering us,” Blash said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve had days where it’s really taken a toll on my mental health for sure,” Hellman added. “I’ve had days where I’ve thought about quitting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hellman installed a new security system after a few recall organizers showed up at her house. Blash stopped walking home from meetings at night and no longer goes to her favorite coffee shop, now that its windows are plastered with pro-recall signs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People hear about East Bay recalls or recalls in San Francisco, and I’m sure those are painful for the recallees, but this is a really tiny town,” she said. “It just really feels very personal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Bay Area recall fever\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The campaign to oust Blash and Hellman joins a growing list of Bay Area recalls since the pandemic, including the removal of three school board members in San Francisco and the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11916212/chesa-boudin-recall-sf-voters-on-track-to-oust-district-attorney\">District Attorney Chesa Boudin\u003c/a> in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, voters recalled \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11992881/recall-of-two-sunol-school-board-members-appears-headed-to-victory\">two more school board members in Sunol\u003c/a>, Alameda County \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013442/alameda-county-voters-recall-district-attorney-pamela-price\">District Attorney Pamela Price\u003c/a> and Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">Mayor Sheng Thao\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060479\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signs for and against the recall of Fairfax Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman sit outside a 7-Eleven in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In September, residents in San Francisco’s Sunset District \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12056059/supervisor-joel-engardio-is-out-whats-next-for-san-franciscos-sunset-district\">recalled Supervisor Joel Engardio\u003c/a> over his support for closing part of the Great Highway to turn it into a park. His removal did not alter the highway’s closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mark Baldassare, a director at the Public Policy Institute of California, said local recalls offer residents a tool to effect change. They’re far harder to pull off at the state level and they don’t exist at the federal level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“COVID put the emphasis on local government as being both the solution and in some cases the problem,” Baldassare said. “As that’s taken place, it’s also become apparent to a lot of people that an option is the recall.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Fairfax recall organizers received guidance from Chris Moore and Edward Escobar, who helped lead the recalls of Price and Thao. Fitzgerald said they sought their advice after their initial petition was rejected by the town clerk and town attorney over technical errors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They came out, they shared with us what they had done successfully for free,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve done this all 100% grassroots.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moore said he spent a few hours with recall organizers in the spring, advising them on messaging strategies, how to gather signatures and volunteers and recommending an attorney. Since then, he’s answered one or two questions a month over text.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t active in day-to-day activity,” Moore said. “I just kind of say, ‘OK, here’s what we did in that scenario.’ But largely they’ve run it up there themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, recall supporters held a rally, which Moore and Escobar attended. Escobar said he helped “orchestrate” a press conference, reaching out to reporters to cover the event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All we do is amplify the voice of the people,” Escobar said. “These folks are, they’re weeds that need to be pulled out of office.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A shift in housing policy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Recall organizers often meet at Nave’s Bar, a downtown pub managed by recall leader Candace Neal-Ricker, which they jokingly call their “newsroom.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am your local, ultra-low-income, born and raised Fairfaxian that could not afford what they are proposing there,” Neal-Ricker said as she poured drinks and rang up customers on a 1967 vintage cash register. If the development had included “truly affordable” housing with fewer stories, she said she would’ve supported it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neal-Ricker believes the mayor and vice mayor are out of touch with their constituents’ desires. In 2022, the town council approved a rent stabilization ordinance and its “just cause” eviction ordinance, which aimed to protect tenants from arbitrary evictions. At the time, Hellman was on the council, but Blash had not yet been elected. Voters \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012553/californians-appear-to-reject-many-rent-control-measures\">repealed the law\u003c/a> in last year’s election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060485\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fairfax Citizens Coalition Lead Candace Neal-Ricker works at Nave’s Bar and Grill in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Council members are not gods,” Neal-Ricker said. “They’ve forgotten who they work for and what they were elected to represent.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s also critical of the development receiving “ministerial approval,” which fast-tracks developments by bypassing public hearings and review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hellman defended her handling of the housing proposal, saying she followed state laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of my actions have been to protect the town from litigation, penalties and fines,” Hellman said. “I’m not happy about a lot of these laws, but I didn’t run for office to break the law. And if I have to fall on my sword for that, that’s perfectly fine.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In July, Hellman said the town council received \u003ca href=\"https://townoffairfaxca.gov/documents/yimby-law-letter-06-18-25/\">letters from Yes In My Backyard\u003c/a> (YIMBY) groups and “threatening communications” from the enforcement arm of the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), \u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/fairfaxca/2025/09/4-95-Broadway-City-letter_ministerial-process-clarification-with-exhibits_9-8-25.pdf\">reminding them that they could face enforcement action\u003c/a> if they failed to process the School Street project under ministerial approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I truly believe that the state and lots of jurisdictions are looking at Fairfax right now as a test case,” Hellman said. “I also believe that they would love to make an example out of Marin County due to their perception that we haven’t kept up with housing demand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://assets.marincounty.gov/marincounty-prod/public/2025-06/The%20Worrisome%20Future%20of%20Marin%20Housing.pdf\">Marin County Grand Jury report\u003c/a> in June noted that since 2017, lawmakers have passed over 100 pieces of legislation to shift power over housing policy to the state. “New state laws significantly reduce the ability of local jurisdictions to deny housing projects that meet objective requirements, even if there is community opposition,” the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lawmakers passed many of these laws in response to years of Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) communities interfering with state efforts to ease California’s housing crunch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Blash said recall supporters don’t understand how much power the state has taken from local governments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061504\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12061504 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FairfaxRecall-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign supporting the recall of Fairfax Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman hangs in a coffee shop in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They’ve chipped away at most of our local control,” Blash said. “It used to be possible to object to something and either force the developer to give a little bit or to stop the project altogether. And that power isn’t there as much as it used to be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The grand jury report determined that the state’s requirement for the whole county to issue 14,405 permits by 2031 is “unrealistic and unlikely to be achieved.” The report cites community resistance as a major obstacle to new housing in Marin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The town has a really famous reputation for fighting development,” Blash said. “People are very proud of the small town atmosphere and very protective of it, so it’s often been hard to get just about anything built.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the threat of lawsuits and fines, recall proponents feel their city leaders caved to state demands too readily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can’t let the fear of financial penalties be the deciding factor in what’s right for a town,” Fitzgerald said. “Do I think the state’s gonna come in and bankrupt every small town because we don’t meet their housing numbers? I doubt it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recall organizers know their town has a reputation for being NIMBY. But Fitzgerald said, actually, they consider themselves more “MIMBY” — maybe in my backyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060486\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060486\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-29-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-29-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-29-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251015-FAIRFAXRECALL-29-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Kathy Flores, Michael Mackintosh and Sean Fitzgerald, supporters of the recall of Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman, talk at Nave’s Bar and Grill in Fairfax on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s all these elements that go into why we don’t want that particular building in its current form, so I think being called NIMBY is lazy,” Fitzgerald said. “It prevents people from having constructive dialogue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hurd, the developer’s attorney, pointed out that the School Street proposal only represents about half of Fairfax’s housing allocation, and there are currently no other multi-family housing applications in the town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If doing just half of what was allotted results in this level of outcry, I think it’s pretty clear that doing all or meeting the goal was never really on the table,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Less than three weeks before the election, Fairfax’s planning department sent a \u003ca href=\"https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/fairfaxca/2025/10/ec4f9313-95-broadway-application-consistency-review-10-16-25.pdf\">letter to the developer\u003c/a> requiring major changes to the housing proposal. The letter cited 25 deficiencies that, if not addressed in 30 days, will result in the project’s denial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hurd said he does not expect the developer to make any project changes, nor will they abandon ship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That letter violates numerous, numerous laws,” he said. He expects HCD to weigh in and “inform the town that that letter is illegal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the recall fails, both Blash and Hellman said they will not seek reelection when their terms expire next November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "British Commentator Sami Hamdi’s Detention at SFO Raises Alarms Over Free Speech",
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"content": "\u003cp>Activists are warning about the erosion of free speech as they demand the release of British political commentator Sami Hamdi, who was detained at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-international-airport\">San Francisco International Airport\u003c/a> on Sunday during a speaking tour of the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The State Department confirmed in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/StateDept/status/1982564610759594104\">statement on social media\u003c/a> that Hamdi, who has been a vocal critic of Israel, had his visa revoked and will be removed from the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was traveling across the U.S. to appear at multiple events, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Sacramento chapter’s annual gala Saturday, and another CAIR gala in Florida, scheduled for Sunday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The organization alleged that Hamdi was detained because of his criticism of Israel and at the urging of right-wing political activists, including Laura Loomer, who has called herself a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/laura-loomer-islamophobe-republican-primary-florida-a9677066.html\">proud Islamophobe\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Abducting a prominent British Muslim journalist and political commentator on a speaking tour in the United States because he dared to criticize the Israeli government’s genocide is a blatant affront to free speech,” CAIR said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loomer wrote on X that she demanded federal authorities “treat Hamdi as the major National security threat that he is” and reported him “over his documented support for Islamic terrorism.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Homeland Security \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1982514569307197749\">revoked Hamdi’s visa\u003c/a> and has him in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody as it moves to deport him, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.[aside postID=news_12061545 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251023-MAYOR-LEE-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED.jpg']“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans,” the State Department said on X on Sunday. “We continue to revoke the visas of persons engaged in such activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hamdi is the managing director of the International Interest, an organization that says it “advises on geopolitical environments and risks across the globe.” He has also appeared on \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/2469842849870782\">Al Jazeera\u003c/a>, Britain’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DP07I53DJsj/?hl=en\">Sky News\u003c/a> and other media outlets to offer commentary on the war in Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His detention appears to follow others by DHS under President Trump to revoke visas from people over political speech, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/14/politics/state-department-revoke-visas-charlie-kirk-murder\">including people who the State Department said “celebrated” Charlie Kirk’s\u003c/a> death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sending him to ICE detention, I think, is intentionally trying to put fear into others who are also speaking about this subject and … others who are traveling with visas as well, as public speakers or guests at different events,” said Reshad Noorzay, the executive director of CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s CAIR chapter said Monday that its legal team, as well as attorneys from the Muslim Legal Fund of America and the HMA Law Firm, are seeking Hamdi’s release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Noorzay told KQED on Sunday that the organization is hoping Hamdi can reunite with his family and travel back to the United Kingdom. He said in the future, there should be a longer conversation about what the claims that led to Hamdi’s detention were and the State Department’s willingness to “act so brazenly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s an attack on free speech, it’s an attack on the community and it’s really an attack on Americans who dare to criticize a foreign government and its actions,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Activists are warning about the erosion of free speech as they demand the release of British political commentator Sami Hamdi, who was detained at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-international-airport\">San Francisco International Airport\u003c/a> on Sunday during a speaking tour of the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The State Department confirmed in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/StateDept/status/1982564610759594104\">statement on social media\u003c/a> that Hamdi, who has been a vocal critic of Israel, had his visa revoked and will be removed from the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was traveling across the U.S. to appear at multiple events, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Sacramento chapter’s annual gala Saturday, and another CAIR gala in Florida, scheduled for Sunday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The organization alleged that Hamdi was detained because of his criticism of Israel and at the urging of right-wing political activists, including Laura Loomer, who has called herself a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/laura-loomer-islamophobe-republican-primary-florida-a9677066.html\">proud Islamophobe\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Abducting a prominent British Muslim journalist and political commentator on a speaking tour in the United States because he dared to criticize the Israeli government’s genocide is a blatant affront to free speech,” CAIR said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loomer wrote on X that she demanded federal authorities “treat Hamdi as the major National security threat that he is” and reported him “over his documented support for Islamic terrorism.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Homeland Security \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1982514569307197749\">revoked Hamdi’s visa\u003c/a> and has him in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody as it moves to deport him, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans,” the State Department said on X on Sunday. “We continue to revoke the visas of persons engaged in such activity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hamdi is the managing director of the International Interest, an organization that says it “advises on geopolitical environments and risks across the globe.” He has also appeared on \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/reel/2469842849870782\">Al Jazeera\u003c/a>, Britain’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DP07I53DJsj/?hl=en\">Sky News\u003c/a> and other media outlets to offer commentary on the war in Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His detention appears to follow others by DHS under President Trump to revoke visas from people over political speech, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/14/politics/state-department-revoke-visas-charlie-kirk-murder\">including people who the State Department said “celebrated” Charlie Kirk’s\u003c/a> death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sending him to ICE detention, I think, is intentionally trying to put fear into others who are also speaking about this subject and … others who are traveling with visas as well, as public speakers or guests at different events,” said Reshad Noorzay, the executive director of CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s CAIR chapter said Monday that its legal team, as well as attorneys from the Muslim Legal Fund of America and the HMA Law Firm, are seeking Hamdi’s release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Noorzay told KQED on Sunday that the organization is hoping Hamdi can reunite with his family and travel back to the United Kingdom. He said in the future, there should be a longer conversation about what the claims that led to Hamdi’s detention were and the State Department’s willingness to “act so brazenly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s an attack on free speech, it’s an attack on the community and it’s really an attack on Americans who dare to criticize a foreign government and its actions,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-latinos-take-pride-in-voting-in-person-ice-at-polls-could-deter-that",
"title": "California Latinos Take Pride in Voting in Person. ICE at Polls Could Deter That",
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"content": "\u003cp>As in-person voting begins in California’s special election on redistricting, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> has repeatedly asserted that the Trump administration could send immigration agents to polling places in an attempt to intimidate voters and depress turnout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The governor’s warnings, while unspecific, speak to what community leaders call real, palpable fears within some Latino communities that immigration agents could show up on Election Day. And ever since the Supreme Court greenlit using \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2025/09/la-immigration-sweeps-supreme-court/\">racial profiling in immigration stops\u003c/a>, even U.S. citizens are scared they could be detained simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re going to likely see members of our military in and around polling booths and voting places all across this country,” Newsom warned last week during a virtual event with former President Barack Obama in support of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/prop-50/\">Proposition 50\u003c/a>. “I would say the same about ICE and Border Patrol, and I say that soberly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom has not provided any evidence to suggest that the Department of Homeland Security will deploy immigration agents to polling sites. But he pointed to the Los Angeles campaign launch event for Prop. 50, his plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts to favor Democrats, where federal immigration agents blocked supporters from entering the area and detained a nearby strawberry vendor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement wrote in a statement that the agency “is not planning operations targeting polling locations,” but that if agents are tracking “a dangerous criminal alien” who goes near a voting site they could be arrested there. A spokesperson for Customs and Border Patrol did not respond to emailed questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061617\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_BAYRESISTANCE_HERNANDEZ-13-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061617\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_BAYRESISTANCE_HERNANDEZ-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_BAYRESISTANCE_HERNANDEZ-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_BAYRESISTANCE_HERNANDEZ-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_BAYRESISTANCE_HERNANDEZ-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man watches from an office window as protesters pass by during the Bay Resistance march in San Francisco on Oct. 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The governor argues that the Trump administration’s indiscriminate immigration raids, military and National Guard deployments are intended to suppress Democratic voters and keep Republicans in control of Congress for the duration of Trump’s presidency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know the intention of this administration — to rig next year’s midterms,” Newsom told reporters recently. “It’s absolutely predictable. It’s a script that’s been written for centuries. It’s the authoritarian playbook.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-monitor-polling-sites-california-new-jersey\">announced on Friday\u003c/a> that it will \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/10/proposition-50-election-monitors/\">deploy personnel to monitor polling sites in five counties\u003c/a>: Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside on Election Day. Fresno, Kern and Riverside counties are majority Latino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The poll monitors will “ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law,” according to the department. The administration has not said whether the agents will be stationed at polling sites in addition to county election offices where ballots are counted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democrats denounced the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Deploying federal forces to ‘monitor’ elections is nothing more than an intimidation tactic meant to suppress the vote,” said Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party. “What Republicans are really afraid of is record voter participation and a clear verdict from the people of California in support of Prop. 50.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>‘Alarming’ number of Latinos fear ICE at polls\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The vast majority of Californians vote by mail, especially since the state adopted universal mail-in voting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just over 80% of votes cast in the 2024 presidential election were mail-in ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But casting a ballot in-person on Election Day is a point of pride for many American immigrants, especially Latinos, said Yvette Martinez, executive director of the California Democratic Party.[aside postID=news_12061545 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251023-MAYOR-LEE-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED.jpg']“It’s a cultural thing,” said Martinez. “People want to show up and say, ‘I’m patriotic, here’s my civic duty. I’m here to vote, I’m here to make my voice heard.’ And when you quell that, it’s dangerous. And it’s actually sad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://latinocf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1.-LCF-Latino-Survey-Sept-2025-Results-by-Region.pdf\">September survey\u003c/a> of 1,200 registered Latino voters conducted by the Latino Community Foundation, a nonprofit that funds Latino advocacy, 53% said they planned to vote in person. Of those, more than half said they would vote on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same survey also found that two-thirds of the Latino voters surveyed said they were at least somewhat worried that ICE or Border Patrol agents could show up at polling places. The poll had a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are citizens of this country. And if they are concerned about immigration or any type of federal presence at in-person voting sites, that is alarming,” said Christian Arana, who leads policy strategy for the foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If people want to vote in person, it is their fundamental right,” Arana said. “I never want us to buy into the fear that you can’t participate in democracy because immigration enforcement may show up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far in the race for Prop. 50, only 9% of registered Latino voters have returned their ballots, according to the most recent data available from Political Data Inc., compared to 19% of white voters and 13% of Black voters. California pollster Ben Tulchin, who recently surveyed Latino voters about Prop. 50, said those numbers “are not unusual” since Latino voters tend to lag other ethnic and racial groups in casting ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/anna-caballero-101330\">Sen. Anna Caballero\u003c/a>, Democrat of Merced, said U.S. citizens told her they’re afraid to go outside, especially when there have been reports of ICE sightings in the region. Many of her constituents come from mixed-status families in which some family members are citizens and others aren’t. She blames the Trump administration for terrifying those families so much that they don’t want to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/060625_ICE-Raid-DTLA_JWBH_CM_02-1024x683.jpg\" alt='A heavily armed individual in military-style gear and a gas mask stands behind yellow caution tape marked \"crime scene do not cross.\" They are holding a rifle and surrounded by others in tactical uniforms. Behind them, a crowd of onlookers gathers near a building with a sign that reads \"ambiance – not open to the public.\" The scene appears tense, unfolding in an urban area.'>\u003cfigcaption>Federal immigration authorities face off against protesters during an ICE raid at Ambiance Apparel in Downtown Los Angeles on June 6, 2025. \u003cem>(J.W. Hendricks for CalMatters)\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This idea that all you have to do is pull out your driver’s license, or pull out some kind of documentation, that’s a fantasy,” said Caballero. “U.S. citizens have been detained and taken into custody.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/immigration-dhs-american-citizens-arrested-detained-against-will\">investigation by ProPublica\u003c/a> found that at least 170 U.S. citizens have been wrongfully detained by ICE since the second Trump administration took office, prompting intense criticism from opponents. Top Democrats on the House and Senate government oversight committees, Rep. Robert Garcia of California and Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, have opened an investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/esmeralda-soria-1989\">Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria\u003c/a>, another Merced Democrat and the daughter of Mexican immigrants, said ever since the Supreme Court \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2025/09/la-immigration-sweeps-supreme-court/\">issued its racial profiling ruling\u003c/a> earlier this summer, she keeps her passport in her bag at all times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just because you may look like an immigrant — which I don’t even know what that really means — you know, I could also be targeted,” Soria said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>‘My voice will be heard’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Opponents of Newsom’s redistricting plan say the governor’s warnings about Election Day intimidation and interference from federal agents are exaggerated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People see it for what it is. It’s politics, it’s headline-grabbing,” said Hector Barajas, a spokesperson for the No on 50 campaign.[aside postID=news_12061080 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/GettyImages-2220045842-2000x1334.jpg']Barajas denounced Democrats for what he said was intentional disenfranchisement of nonwhite voters, since white college-educated voters are historically far more likely to turn out during off-year elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is what happens with special elections, is people don’t turn out to vote, especially Hispanics, which is a sad tragedy in itself,” Barajas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez said Democratic Party volunteers are for the first time urging voters to return their ballots early via mail or drop-off when they go door to door and handing out pamphlets with instructions for how to report any suspicious activity near polling sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The party has also trained hundreds of volunteers as poll watchers who will monitor polling sites for signs of intimidation or federal interference starting the weekend before Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arana, with the Latino Community Foundation, said he’s choosing to vote in person as an act of defiance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m seeing this as a form of a declaration that I am a Latino man in the state,” he said. “My voice will be heard on this issue, and no one is ever gonna take that right away from me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Gov. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly warned that immigration agents could show up at polling sites the way they did at the launch for Proposition 50. Community members and local leaders say those fears are real.\r\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As in-person voting begins in California’s special election on redistricting, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> has repeatedly asserted that the Trump administration could send immigration agents to polling places in an attempt to intimidate voters and depress turnout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The governor’s warnings, while unspecific, speak to what community leaders call real, palpable fears within some Latino communities that immigration agents could show up on Election Day. And ever since the Supreme Court greenlit using \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2025/09/la-immigration-sweeps-supreme-court/\">racial profiling in immigration stops\u003c/a>, even U.S. citizens are scared they could be detained simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re going to likely see members of our military in and around polling booths and voting places all across this country,” Newsom warned last week during a virtual event with former President Barack Obama in support of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/prop-50/\">Proposition 50\u003c/a>. “I would say the same about ICE and Border Patrol, and I say that soberly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom has not provided any evidence to suggest that the Department of Homeland Security will deploy immigration agents to polling sites. But he pointed to the Los Angeles campaign launch event for Prop. 50, his plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts to favor Democrats, where federal immigration agents blocked supporters from entering the area and detained a nearby strawberry vendor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement wrote in a statement that the agency “is not planning operations targeting polling locations,” but that if agents are tracking “a dangerous criminal alien” who goes near a voting site they could be arrested there. A spokesperson for Customs and Border Patrol did not respond to emailed questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061617\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_BAYRESISTANCE_HERNANDEZ-13-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061617\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_BAYRESISTANCE_HERNANDEZ-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_BAYRESISTANCE_HERNANDEZ-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_BAYRESISTANCE_HERNANDEZ-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_BAYRESISTANCE_HERNANDEZ-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man watches from an office window as protesters pass by during the Bay Resistance march in San Francisco on Oct. 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The governor argues that the Trump administration’s indiscriminate immigration raids, military and National Guard deployments are intended to suppress Democratic voters and keep Republicans in control of Congress for the duration of Trump’s presidency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know the intention of this administration — to rig next year’s midterms,” Newsom told reporters recently. “It’s absolutely predictable. It’s a script that’s been written for centuries. It’s the authoritarian playbook.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-monitor-polling-sites-california-new-jersey\">announced on Friday\u003c/a> that it will \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/10/proposition-50-election-monitors/\">deploy personnel to monitor polling sites in five counties\u003c/a>: Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside on Election Day. Fresno, Kern and Riverside counties are majority Latino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The poll monitors will “ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law,” according to the department. The administration has not said whether the agents will be stationed at polling sites in addition to county election offices where ballots are counted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democrats denounced the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Deploying federal forces to ‘monitor’ elections is nothing more than an intimidation tactic meant to suppress the vote,” said Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party. “What Republicans are really afraid of is record voter participation and a clear verdict from the people of California in support of Prop. 50.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>‘Alarming’ number of Latinos fear ICE at polls\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The vast majority of Californians vote by mail, especially since the state adopted universal mail-in voting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just over 80% of votes cast in the 2024 presidential election were mail-in ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But casting a ballot in-person on Election Day is a point of pride for many American immigrants, especially Latinos, said Yvette Martinez, executive director of the California Democratic Party.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It’s a cultural thing,” said Martinez. “People want to show up and say, ‘I’m patriotic, here’s my civic duty. I’m here to vote, I’m here to make my voice heard.’ And when you quell that, it’s dangerous. And it’s actually sad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://latinocf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1.-LCF-Latino-Survey-Sept-2025-Results-by-Region.pdf\">September survey\u003c/a> of 1,200 registered Latino voters conducted by the Latino Community Foundation, a nonprofit that funds Latino advocacy, 53% said they planned to vote in person. Of those, more than half said they would vote on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same survey also found that two-thirds of the Latino voters surveyed said they were at least somewhat worried that ICE or Border Patrol agents could show up at polling places. The poll had a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are citizens of this country. And if they are concerned about immigration or any type of federal presence at in-person voting sites, that is alarming,” said Christian Arana, who leads policy strategy for the foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If people want to vote in person, it is their fundamental right,” Arana said. “I never want us to buy into the fear that you can’t participate in democracy because immigration enforcement may show up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far in the race for Prop. 50, only 9% of registered Latino voters have returned their ballots, according to the most recent data available from Political Data Inc., compared to 19% of white voters and 13% of Black voters. California pollster Ben Tulchin, who recently surveyed Latino voters about Prop. 50, said those numbers “are not unusual” since Latino voters tend to lag other ethnic and racial groups in casting ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/anna-caballero-101330\">Sen. Anna Caballero\u003c/a>, Democrat of Merced, said U.S. citizens told her they’re afraid to go outside, especially when there have been reports of ICE sightings in the region. Many of her constituents come from mixed-status families in which some family members are citizens and others aren’t. She blames the Trump administration for terrifying those families so much that they don’t want to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/060625_ICE-Raid-DTLA_JWBH_CM_02-1024x683.jpg\" alt='A heavily armed individual in military-style gear and a gas mask stands behind yellow caution tape marked \"crime scene do not cross.\" They are holding a rifle and surrounded by others in tactical uniforms. Behind them, a crowd of onlookers gathers near a building with a sign that reads \"ambiance – not open to the public.\" The scene appears tense, unfolding in an urban area.'>\u003cfigcaption>Federal immigration authorities face off against protesters during an ICE raid at Ambiance Apparel in Downtown Los Angeles on June 6, 2025. \u003cem>(J.W. Hendricks for CalMatters)\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This idea that all you have to do is pull out your driver’s license, or pull out some kind of documentation, that’s a fantasy,” said Caballero. “U.S. citizens have been detained and taken into custody.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/immigration-dhs-american-citizens-arrested-detained-against-will\">investigation by ProPublica\u003c/a> found that at least 170 U.S. citizens have been wrongfully detained by ICE since the second Trump administration took office, prompting intense criticism from opponents. Top Democrats on the House and Senate government oversight committees, Rep. Robert Garcia of California and Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, have opened an investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/esmeralda-soria-1989\">Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria\u003c/a>, another Merced Democrat and the daughter of Mexican immigrants, said ever since the Supreme Court \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2025/09/la-immigration-sweeps-supreme-court/\">issued its racial profiling ruling\u003c/a> earlier this summer, she keeps her passport in her bag at all times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just because you may look like an immigrant — which I don’t even know what that really means — you know, I could also be targeted,” Soria said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>‘My voice will be heard’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Opponents of Newsom’s redistricting plan say the governor’s warnings about Election Day intimidation and interference from federal agents are exaggerated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People see it for what it is. It’s politics, it’s headline-grabbing,” said Hector Barajas, a spokesperson for the No on 50 campaign.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Barajas denounced Democrats for what he said was intentional disenfranchisement of nonwhite voters, since white college-educated voters are historically far more likely to turn out during off-year elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is what happens with special elections, is people don’t turn out to vote, especially Hispanics, which is a sad tragedy in itself,” Barajas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez said Democratic Party volunteers are for the first time urging voters to return their ballots early via mail or drop-off when they go door to door and handing out pamphlets with instructions for how to report any suspicious activity near polling sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The party has also trained hundreds of volunteers as poll watchers who will monitor polling sites for signs of intimidation or federal interference starting the weekend before Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arana, with the Latino Community Foundation, said he’s choosing to vote in person as an act of defiance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m seeing this as a form of a declaration that I am a Latino man in the state,” he said. “My voice will be heard on this issue, and no one is ever gonna take that right away from me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "after-criticism-newsom-urges-clearer-rules-for-trans-girls-in-sports",
"title": "After Criticism, Newsom Urges Clearer Rules for Trans Girls in Sports",
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"headTitle": "After Criticism, Newsom Urges Clearer Rules for Trans Girls in Sports | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047432/us-sues-california-over-its-refusal-to-ban-transgender-athletes-from-girls-sports\">state law needs to be changed\u003c/a> to clarify when and how transgender women and girls compete in women’s sports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s after criticism by LGBTQ+ advocates and members of his own party for comments made during a March podcast interview with Charlie Kirk, in which Newsom agreed with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055641/after-kirks-death-trump-targets-critics-in-expanding-free-speech-fight\">late conservative activist\u003c/a> that it was unfair for a trans teen girl to compete in a high school track and field competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about his stance Friday on KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061434/newsom-trump-sending-troops-to-monitor-californias-election-is-a-2026-preview\">Political Breakdown\u003c/a>, Newsom touted his record of supporting bills \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060369/tracking-newsoms-record-on-pro-lgbtq-laws-signed-and-vetoed-this-session\">protecting trans people\u003c/a>, but said he has struggled to find a way to accommodate people’s concerns on this issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I disagree with all the vitriol, but I agree on the issue of fairness in that respect, that it is unfair in these circumstances and I haven’t been able to reconcile it,” Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts have said athletic ability varies greatly across gender, based on many factors not exclusive to sex assigned at birth. And scientific reviews, including one by the \u003ca href=\"https://hal.science/hal-04477646/file/transgenderwomenathletesandelitesport-ascientificreview-e-final%20%281%29.pdf\">Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport\u003c/a>, show biomedical factors related to puberty do not predict athletic performance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom signed a bill into \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsports.com/2025/10/15/24120449/gavin-newsom-california-equity-sports-trans-athletes-commission-cif/\">law\u003c/a> Oct. 13 that requires the creation of a state commission to study inclusion in youth sports, including of trans youth. The commission has been alternately praised and criticized — while some Democrats have championed the study as a means to improve access for all children, regardless of gender identity, some advocates worry the commission could serve as a backdoor ban for trans kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For GOP legislators, the bill is seen as a means to oppose President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for a blanket ban on transgender female athletes who compete in women’s and girls’ sports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12041807\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12041807\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1251\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty-1536x961.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty-1920x1201.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A new state law creating a commission to study inclusion in youth sports has drawn Republican criticism as a challenge to President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender girls competing in women’s events. \u003ccite>(Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While Newsom has styled himself as a champion for LGBTQ+ rights, and as San Francisco mayor, engaged in civil disobedience to allow gay couples to marry at City Hall, his podcast interview with Kirk alienated many LGBTQ+ constituents, as the federal government and red states continue to chip away at hard-won progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As health and LGBTQ advocates who have been bolstered by Governor Newsom’s past support, we feel profoundly betrayed and outraged by his remarks,” Dannie Ceseña, director of the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, said in a written statement after the episode was released. “Trust has been shattered.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, months later, Newsom stood by his statements to Kirk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s some nuance here,” he told KQED. “And so I said what I thought. And you know what? I can’t tell you how many people have a similar point of view, but don’t say it publicly.”[aside postID=news_12061445 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251024-NEWSOM-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED.jpg']Sports are critical for young people, Newsom added, saying that playing baseball and basketball growing up in Marin County are the reason he got to where he is now. For trans kids, he said, there should be distinctions between competitive and recreational sports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t roll people under the bus, quite the contrary,” Newsom continued. “But when it comes to sports, that’s impacting other people’s rights.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s high school athletics governing body follows 2013 state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-law-allows-transgender-students-to-pick-bathrooms-sports-teams-they-identify-with/\">legislation\u003c/a> that explicitly allows students to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the California Interscholastic Federation \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12041770/california-tweaks-trans-athlete-rules-after-trump-threatens-to-halt-federal-funding\">altered its rules this summer\u003c/a> for the state track and field meet, after backlash from Trump and conservatives. The CIF rule allowed an additional student to compete in the events a trans girl was competing in to try to find a middle ground in the political discourse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-transgender-athletes-sports-girls-trump-3b0d39d17598ae2bd15281e56ceaf2dc\">now\u003c/a> suing the CIF and the state’s education department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom, who said he has a trans godson, said he has worked with experts to figure out a solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was an experience for me born over the actual application and responsibility as governor to try to figure this out, and I couldn’t,” he said. “And maybe other people can, but I haven’t been able to figure it out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047432/us-sues-california-over-its-refusal-to-ban-transgender-athletes-from-girls-sports\">state law needs to be changed\u003c/a> to clarify when and how transgender women and girls compete in women’s sports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s after criticism by LGBTQ+ advocates and members of his own party for comments made during a March podcast interview with Charlie Kirk, in which Newsom agreed with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055641/after-kirks-death-trump-targets-critics-in-expanding-free-speech-fight\">late conservative activist\u003c/a> that it was unfair for a trans teen girl to compete in a high school track and field competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about his stance Friday on KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061434/newsom-trump-sending-troops-to-monitor-californias-election-is-a-2026-preview\">Political Breakdown\u003c/a>, Newsom touted his record of supporting bills \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060369/tracking-newsoms-record-on-pro-lgbtq-laws-signed-and-vetoed-this-session\">protecting trans people\u003c/a>, but said he has struggled to find a way to accommodate people’s concerns on this issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I disagree with all the vitriol, but I agree on the issue of fairness in that respect, that it is unfair in these circumstances and I haven’t been able to reconcile it,” Newsom said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts have said athletic ability varies greatly across gender, based on many factors not exclusive to sex assigned at birth. And scientific reviews, including one by the \u003ca href=\"https://hal.science/hal-04477646/file/transgenderwomenathletesandelitesport-ascientificreview-e-final%20%281%29.pdf\">Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport\u003c/a>, show biomedical factors related to puberty do not predict athletic performance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom signed a bill into \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsports.com/2025/10/15/24120449/gavin-newsom-california-equity-sports-trans-athletes-commission-cif/\">law\u003c/a> Oct. 13 that requires the creation of a state commission to study inclusion in youth sports, including of trans youth. The commission has been alternately praised and criticized — while some Democrats have championed the study as a means to improve access for all children, regardless of gender identity, some advocates worry the commission could serve as a backdoor ban for trans kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For GOP legislators, the bill is seen as a means to oppose President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for a blanket ban on transgender female athletes who compete in women’s and girls’ sports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12041807\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12041807\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1251\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty-1536x961.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/TrumpTransAthletesGetty-1920x1201.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A new state law creating a commission to study inclusion in youth sports has drawn Republican criticism as a challenge to President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender girls competing in women’s events. \u003ccite>(Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While Newsom has styled himself as a champion for LGBTQ+ rights, and as San Francisco mayor, engaged in civil disobedience to allow gay couples to marry at City Hall, his podcast interview with Kirk alienated many LGBTQ+ constituents, as the federal government and red states continue to chip away at hard-won progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As health and LGBTQ advocates who have been bolstered by Governor Newsom’s past support, we feel profoundly betrayed and outraged by his remarks,” Dannie Ceseña, director of the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, said in a written statement after the episode was released. “Trust has been shattered.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, months later, Newsom stood by his statements to Kirk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s some nuance here,” he told KQED. “And so I said what I thought. And you know what? I can’t tell you how many people have a similar point of view, but don’t say it publicly.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Sports are critical for young people, Newsom added, saying that playing baseball and basketball growing up in Marin County are the reason he got to where he is now. For trans kids, he said, there should be distinctions between competitive and recreational sports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t roll people under the bus, quite the contrary,” Newsom continued. “But when it comes to sports, that’s impacting other people’s rights.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s high school athletics governing body follows 2013 state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-law-allows-transgender-students-to-pick-bathrooms-sports-teams-they-identify-with/\">legislation\u003c/a> that explicitly allows students to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the California Interscholastic Federation \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12041770/california-tweaks-trans-athlete-rules-after-trump-threatens-to-halt-federal-funding\">altered its rules this summer\u003c/a> for the state track and field meet, after backlash from Trump and conservatives. The CIF rule allowed an additional student to compete in the events a trans girl was competing in to try to find a middle ground in the political discourse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-transgender-athletes-sports-girls-trump-3b0d39d17598ae2bd15281e56ceaf2dc\">now\u003c/a> suing the CIF and the state’s education department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom, who said he has a trans godson, said he has worked with experts to figure out a solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was an experience for me born over the actual application and responsibility as governor to try to figure this out, and I couldn’t,” he said. “And maybe other people can, but I haven’t been able to figure it out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sf-supervisors-push-back-on-luries-call-to-increase-federal-law-enforcement-over-fentanyl",
"title": "SF Supervisors Push Back on Lurie’s Call to Increase Federal Law Enforcement Over Fentanyl",
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"headTitle": "SF Supervisors Push Back on Lurie’s Call to Increase Federal Law Enforcement Over Fentanyl | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Mayor Daniel Lurie took a victory lap on Thursday after successfully convincing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061209/lurie-trump-is-calling-off-plans-to-send-federal-troops-to-san-francisco\">President Donald Trump to walk back plans\u003c/a> for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061080/federal-border-agents-to-arrive-in-bay-area-as-cities-brace-for-enforcement-surge\">federal immigration enforcement surge\u003c/a> in San Francisco — with some observers praising his political acumen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But several city leaders are angered by the mayor telling the president during a late-night phone call this week that he still welcomes support from other federal law enforcement agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisors representing neighborhoods with dense immigrant populations were quick to criticize Lurie for calling for additional federal law enforcement under the Trump administration, worried such cooperation could ultimately lead to more immigration-related arrests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Jackie Fielder, whose district includes the diverse Mission District, has been particularly vocal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I take issue with the mayor meeting with Pam Bondi and his statements to welcome ATF, FBI, DEA under Trump’s leadership, because they’ve all been deputized to carry out immigration enforcement,” Fielder said. “They are looking for any reason to criminalize immigrants, and lumping them in with drug dealers is only helping them with that task of having a mass deportation machine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Lurie, who has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12023569/lurie-tiptoes-around-trump-as-sf-leaders-challenge-executive-orders\">refrained from saying Trump’s name publicly\u003c/a>, said he spoke directly to Attorney General Pam Bondi about working with agencies like the FBI, DEA and ATF on drug enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061109\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061109\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251007_Urban-Alchemy-Rally_-2_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251007_Urban-Alchemy-Rally_-2_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251007_Urban-Alchemy-Rally_-2_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251007_Urban-Alchemy-Rally_-2_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks at a rally on the steps of City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“She echoed her willingness to partner with our local law enforcement to combat fentanyl and hold drug traffickers accountable,” Lurie said in a speech announcing Trump had changed his mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The president’s swift pivot, after weeks of threatening to send in the National Guard, comes amid a backdrop of increasing arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents often directly outside San Francisco’s immigration court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moments after Lurie’s press conference on Thursday, announcing that Trump had backed off, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who represents the Tenderloin, told reporters that one of his constituents had recently been arrested by ICE outside the city’s immigration courthouse.[aside postID=news_12061545 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251023-MAYOR-LEE-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED.jpg']“A man from Pakistan, which was the home country where my family is originally from, was detained at immigration court. These tactics create trauma and erode trust in the public institutions intended to serve and protect all residents,” Mahmood said. “[Trump] may be holding back for now, but whether it’s 100 agents or one, this is unacceptable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet the mayor’s dealings with the Trump administration come as a relief to many who worried troops on the ground in San Francisco would only inspire more fear and chaos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mayor Lurie deserves credit. There’s no doubt that he initiated some of these conversations, and it seems like a deliberate strategy to enlist the support of people such as Marc Benioff, a rich businessman, that Trump might listen to,” said Jason McDaniel, a politics professor at San Francisco State University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who formerly supported Democratic candidates, came under fire for praising Trump and supporting calls to send the National Guard to San Francisco. Lurie spoke directly with Benioff, who later \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060384/salesforce-ceo-marc-benioff-walks-back-call-for-national-guard-to-san-francisco\">walked back his remarks and apologized\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As tensions this week over a potential National Guard deployment loomed, Lurie repeatedly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061106/sf-mayor-directs-police-to-protect-immigrants-protestors-ahead-of-anticipated-raids\">affirmed the city’s sanctuary status\u003c/a>, meaning local police cannot aid federal immigration enforcement. But the city also can’t interfere with these agencies operating in San Francisco, either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038606\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038606\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A San Francisco Police Department officer drives through the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco on May 2, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The city already partners with agencies like the FBI, DEA and ATF as part of a \u003ca href=\"https://omny.fm/shows/kqed-segmented-audio/hendricks-sf-fentanyl-sanctuary\">multi-agency crackdown on fentanyl dealing in the Tenderloin\u003c/a>. These agencies also assist with immigration enforcement, have the power to arrest and can turn people over to ICE for potential deportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some city leaders want to see more of that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If drug dealers are undocumented immigrants and committing a crime in our city, they should be deported,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who represents the South of Market neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. attorney general’s office has cut back on street-level drug-dealing cases, Dorsey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was disappointing … having a good, strong cooperative federal partnership could mean a big difference,” Dorsey said, applauding the mayor’s negotiation with the president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034108\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034108\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood speaks with District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey before a press conference about strategies to end open-air drug markets in San Francisco, on April 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Previous administrations have also brought in state resources like the California Highway Patrol to assist with drug trafficking. Last year, Lurie made combating outdoor drug use and dealing a key component of his mayoral campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Asking for help from federal and state governments to bring more resources to bear is certainly something that I can see being a popular position and one that is consistent with the positions that Lurie has laid out,” McDaniel said of Lurie’s messaging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drug arrests and citations have increased in San Francisco this year, according to city data, and the first-term mayor claimed that the support of federal law enforcement has been helpful in that mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have an ongoing partnership … to tackle fentanyl,” Lurie said when asked about concerns that increased law enforcement from other federal agencies could threaten immigrants. “We’ve made progress, but we still have a lot of work to do on this front. Fentanyl is a scourge in our city, and we will work with anybody that will help us end the fentanyl crisis on our streets.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061292\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061292\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_SF-CITY-HALL_HERNANDEZ-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_SF-CITY-HALL_HERNANDEZ-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_SF-CITY-HALL_HERNANDEZ-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_SF-CITY-HALL_HERNANDEZ-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds gathered on the steps of San Francisco City Hall for a press conference organized by faith, labor and immigrant rights groups opposing federal intervention and calling for community protection and solidarity on Oct 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During his address Thursday, Lurie stood flanked by the city’s public safety leaders, who supported the mayor’s calls for more cooperation with federal law enforcement agencies on drug issues. Trump also \u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115424560133045127\">posted to Truth Social, praising Lurie\u003c/a> for the city’s progress on crime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But outside City Hall, at a rally with labor unions, nurses echoed Fielder’s concerns. Many feared that immigrants with no connections to the drug trade could be targeted and racially profiled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others said increasing law enforcement to handle street-level drug challenges, including fentanyl dealing and overdoses, could have adverse public health effects.[aside postID=news_12061209 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20250428_WarrantlessSearches_GC-29_qed.jpg']“It would just exacerbate the problem,” said Amy Erb, a registered ICU nurse in San Francisco and member of the California Nurses Association board of directors. “If we need any help from the feds, it’s to help give us health care, housing and education. Things that would support this community so that those who have been displaced won’t seek to escape with drugs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after Lurie’s announcement that the National Guard was called off, Fielder and other supervisors on Thursday announced legislation to increase funding for legal aid and other services for the immigrant community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mayor can’t have it both ways,” said Supervisor Shamann Walton, echoing Fielder’s concerns. “We have a moral obligation to not allow for federal troops or anyone to come in and attack our communities. We know that the leadership of this country right now at the federal level, most certainly, wants to attack our residents here in San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McDaniel, the San Francisco State professor, said Lurie’s strategy with Trump is also enhanced by the fact that the mayor comes from a wealthy background and has strong business ties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are many leaders in our country who are not given that benefit of the doubt from Trump. People like our former mayor, London Breed, who also had some working relationships with Marc Benioff,” McDaniel said. He also warned that Trump’s good graces are often slippery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Trump is known for turning on people with the slightest provocation,” he said, “or even lack thereof.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "SF Supervisors Push Back on Lurie’s Call to Increase Federal Law Enforcement Over Fentanyl | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Mayor Daniel Lurie took a victory lap on Thursday after successfully convincing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061209/lurie-trump-is-calling-off-plans-to-send-federal-troops-to-san-francisco\">President Donald Trump to walk back plans\u003c/a> for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061080/federal-border-agents-to-arrive-in-bay-area-as-cities-brace-for-enforcement-surge\">federal immigration enforcement surge\u003c/a> in San Francisco — with some observers praising his political acumen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But several city leaders are angered by the mayor telling the president during a late-night phone call this week that he still welcomes support from other federal law enforcement agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisors representing neighborhoods with dense immigrant populations were quick to criticize Lurie for calling for additional federal law enforcement under the Trump administration, worried such cooperation could ultimately lead to more immigration-related arrests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Jackie Fielder, whose district includes the diverse Mission District, has been particularly vocal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I take issue with the mayor meeting with Pam Bondi and his statements to welcome ATF, FBI, DEA under Trump’s leadership, because they’ve all been deputized to carry out immigration enforcement,” Fielder said. “They are looking for any reason to criminalize immigrants, and lumping them in with drug dealers is only helping them with that task of having a mass deportation machine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Lurie, who has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12023569/lurie-tiptoes-around-trump-as-sf-leaders-challenge-executive-orders\">refrained from saying Trump’s name publicly\u003c/a>, said he spoke directly to Attorney General Pam Bondi about working with agencies like the FBI, DEA and ATF on drug enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061109\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061109\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251007_Urban-Alchemy-Rally_-2_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251007_Urban-Alchemy-Rally_-2_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251007_Urban-Alchemy-Rally_-2_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251007_Urban-Alchemy-Rally_-2_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks at a rally on the steps of City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 7, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“She echoed her willingness to partner with our local law enforcement to combat fentanyl and hold drug traffickers accountable,” Lurie said in a speech announcing Trump had changed his mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The president’s swift pivot, after weeks of threatening to send in the National Guard, comes amid a backdrop of increasing arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents often directly outside San Francisco’s immigration court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moments after Lurie’s press conference on Thursday, announcing that Trump had backed off, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who represents the Tenderloin, told reporters that one of his constituents had recently been arrested by ICE outside the city’s immigration courthouse.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“A man from Pakistan, which was the home country where my family is originally from, was detained at immigration court. These tactics create trauma and erode trust in the public institutions intended to serve and protect all residents,” Mahmood said. “[Trump] may be holding back for now, but whether it’s 100 agents or one, this is unacceptable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet the mayor’s dealings with the Trump administration come as a relief to many who worried troops on the ground in San Francisco would only inspire more fear and chaos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mayor Lurie deserves credit. There’s no doubt that he initiated some of these conversations, and it seems like a deliberate strategy to enlist the support of people such as Marc Benioff, a rich businessman, that Trump might listen to,” said Jason McDaniel, a politics professor at San Francisco State University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who formerly supported Democratic candidates, came under fire for praising Trump and supporting calls to send the National Guard to San Francisco. Lurie spoke directly with Benioff, who later \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060384/salesforce-ceo-marc-benioff-walks-back-call-for-national-guard-to-san-francisco\">walked back his remarks and apologized\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As tensions this week over a potential National Guard deployment loomed, Lurie repeatedly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061106/sf-mayor-directs-police-to-protect-immigrants-protestors-ahead-of-anticipated-raids\">affirmed the city’s sanctuary status\u003c/a>, meaning local police cannot aid federal immigration enforcement. But the city also can’t interfere with these agencies operating in San Francisco, either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038606\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038606\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250502-TENDERLOINTRIAGECENTER-19-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A San Francisco Police Department officer drives through the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco on May 2, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The city already partners with agencies like the FBI, DEA and ATF as part of a \u003ca href=\"https://omny.fm/shows/kqed-segmented-audio/hendricks-sf-fentanyl-sanctuary\">multi-agency crackdown on fentanyl dealing in the Tenderloin\u003c/a>. These agencies also assist with immigration enforcement, have the power to arrest and can turn people over to ICE for potential deportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some city leaders want to see more of that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If drug dealers are undocumented immigrants and committing a crime in our city, they should be deported,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who represents the South of Market neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. attorney general’s office has cut back on street-level drug-dealing cases, Dorsey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was disappointing … having a good, strong cooperative federal partnership could mean a big difference,” Dorsey said, applauding the mayor’s negotiation with the president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034108\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034108\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/240410-BilalMahmood-002-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood speaks with District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey before a press conference about strategies to end open-air drug markets in San Francisco, on April 10, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Previous administrations have also brought in state resources like the California Highway Patrol to assist with drug trafficking. Last year, Lurie made combating outdoor drug use and dealing a key component of his mayoral campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Asking for help from federal and state governments to bring more resources to bear is certainly something that I can see being a popular position and one that is consistent with the positions that Lurie has laid out,” McDaniel said of Lurie’s messaging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drug arrests and citations have increased in San Francisco this year, according to city data, and the first-term mayor claimed that the support of federal law enforcement has been helpful in that mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have an ongoing partnership … to tackle fentanyl,” Lurie said when asked about concerns that increased law enforcement from other federal agencies could threaten immigrants. “We’ve made progress, but we still have a lot of work to do on this front. Fentanyl is a scourge in our city, and we will work with anybody that will help us end the fentanyl crisis on our streets.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061292\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061292\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_SF-CITY-HALL_HERNANDEZ-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_SF-CITY-HALL_HERNANDEZ-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_SF-CITY-HALL_HERNANDEZ-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251023_SF-CITY-HALL_HERNANDEZ-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hundreds gathered on the steps of San Francisco City Hall for a press conference organized by faith, labor and immigrant rights groups opposing federal intervention and calling for community protection and solidarity on Oct 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During his address Thursday, Lurie stood flanked by the city’s public safety leaders, who supported the mayor’s calls for more cooperation with federal law enforcement agencies on drug issues. Trump also \u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115424560133045127\">posted to Truth Social, praising Lurie\u003c/a> for the city’s progress on crime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But outside City Hall, at a rally with labor unions, nurses echoed Fielder’s concerns. Many feared that immigrants with no connections to the drug trade could be targeted and racially profiled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others said increasing law enforcement to handle street-level drug challenges, including fentanyl dealing and overdoses, could have adverse public health effects.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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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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"possible": {
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"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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"radiolab": {
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"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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"soldout": {
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"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
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"info": "",
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"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
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"ted-radio-hour": {
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"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
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