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"content": "\u003cp>Forecasters expect summerlike heat to sizzle the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/bay-area-weather\">Bay Area\u003c/a> with temperatures 15 to 20 degrees above average by the end of the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After some rain across the region earlier this week, a growing ridge of high pressure will cause the warm-up by pushing cooler ocean air farther out over the Pacific. As a result, temperatures along the Central Coast and parts of the East Bay, South Bay and North Bay could teeter close to 100 degrees by Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco could reach into the 80s by Monday, which is about 15 degrees above normal for the time of year, said Joe Merchant, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s basically a little more gradual through the end of the workweek, [then] a bigger jump through the weekend and into the beginning of next week,” Merchant said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday and Friday will be marked by windy conditions, especially in the North Bay, allowing the weak ridge to develop further and drive “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11682057/how-the-bay-areas-fog-came-to-be-named-karl\">Karl the Fog\u003c/a>” out of many parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’ll stay warm to hot, especially inland away from the influence of the marine layer, into the beginning of next week,” Merchant said.[aside postID=news_12076857 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/HeatWaveGetty1.jpg']The service expects a minor heat risk for people sensitive to hotter temperatures through Saturday, and a moderate heat risk Sunday into Monday, especially for inland areas. At this time, Merchant said, his office has not issued a heat advisory, but “it’s possible by the beginning of next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you have any outdoor plans, be prepared with sunscreen and take breaks in the shade or get into air conditioning,” Merchant said. “Also, people going to the beach for relief from the heat should anticipate cold water. Just because the air is warming up doesn’t mean the water is warming up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some areas could get close to setting daily record highs early next week. Merchant said the NWS is expecting above-normal temperatures at least through the middle of the month, before a potential minor cooldown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Monday is going to be the hottest day,” Merchant said. “We will have a nice drop by the middle of next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Forecasters expect summerlike heat to sizzle the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/bay-area-weather\">Bay Area\u003c/a> with temperatures 15 to 20 degrees above average by the end of the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After some rain across the region earlier this week, a growing ridge of high pressure will cause the warm-up by pushing cooler ocean air farther out over the Pacific. As a result, temperatures along the Central Coast and parts of the East Bay, South Bay and North Bay could teeter close to 100 degrees by Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco could reach into the 80s by Monday, which is about 15 degrees above normal for the time of year, said Joe Merchant, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s basically a little more gradual through the end of the workweek, [then] a bigger jump through the weekend and into the beginning of next week,” Merchant said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday and Friday will be marked by windy conditions, especially in the North Bay, allowing the weak ridge to develop further and drive “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11682057/how-the-bay-areas-fog-came-to-be-named-karl\">Karl the Fog\u003c/a>” out of many parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’ll stay warm to hot, especially inland away from the influence of the marine layer, into the beginning of next week,” Merchant said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The service expects a minor heat risk for people sensitive to hotter temperatures through Saturday, and a moderate heat risk Sunday into Monday, especially for inland areas. At this time, Merchant said, his office has not issued a heat advisory, but “it’s possible by the beginning of next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you have any outdoor plans, be prepared with sunscreen and take breaks in the shade or get into air conditioning,” Merchant said. “Also, people going to the beach for relief from the heat should anticipate cold water. Just because the air is warming up doesn’t mean the water is warming up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some areas could get close to setting daily record highs early next week. Merchant said the NWS is expecting above-normal temperatures at least through the middle of the month, before a potential minor cooldown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Monday is going to be the hottest day,” Merchant said. “We will have a nice drop by the middle of next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-view-inside-californias-last-nuclear-power-plant",
"title": "A Rare Look Inside California’s Last Nuclear Power Plant",
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"headTitle": "A Rare Look Inside California’s Last Nuclear Power Plant | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most striking view off one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080669/should-california-keep-its-last-nuclear-power-plant-running\">San Luis Obispo County\u003c/a>’s winding coastal roads is not the lashing ocean waves of the Pacific Ocean or cows plodding out from the shade of a California live oak tree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is two enormous concrete domes that come into focus along a final climb that began 7 miles back at Avila Beach. The land sinks away, and what looks like a small town emerges, showcased in a palette of grays, whites and terracotta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is Diablo Canyon, California’s last operating nuclear power plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just years ago, the plant was slated to close, and employees worked to decommission it, until a \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB846\">2022\u003c/a> about-face by Gov. Gavin Newsom led the state to extend its operations to 2030. Now lawmakers in Sacramento are talking about allowing it to operate even longer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000605/the-debate-for-keeping-diablo-canyon-open-past-2030-is-on-what-could-it-mean-for-your-bills\">potentially to 2045\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But local groups, some of whom have protested the plant \u003ca href=\"https://www.foundsf.org/The_Diablo_Canyon_Blockade_1981\">since its construction\u003c/a>, are banging the drum ever louder about their concerns for \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/2025-reports-on-the-health-impacts-of-living-near-diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant/\">safety\u003c/a> or a catastrophic \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/campaign-to-stop-diablo/\">meltdown\u003c/a>, as well as the danger posed by spent nuclear waste at a site near several seismic faultlines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_790877\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1910px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-790877\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1910\" height=\"1271\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791.jpg 1910w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-400x266.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-1440x958.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-1180x785.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-960x639.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1910px) 100vw, 1910px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aerial view of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PG&E)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, academics are furiously analyzing how much keeping Diablo Canyon open would \u003ca href=\"https://ceepr.mit.edu/workingpaper/the-economics-of-continued-operation-of-the-diablo-canyon-nuclear-power-plant-2030-2045/\">cost\u003c/a> and if it would support or hinder the state’s clean energy transition. And business groups are lining up in \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyon2045.com/\">support\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So when PG&E offered press tours earlier this year, KQED accepted. The nuclear power plant has not garnered this much attention in years, but now, once again, all eyes are on Diablo Canyon. What does it look like inside?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Out on the water\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant tour started on a boat in a protected marina just south of the reactors. This, and another cove just outside the breakwaters, are the site of a key piece of the plant’s cooling system — and a major concern for environmentalists, who argue it hoovers up and kills marine life and have \u003ca href=\"https://theotterproject.org/blog/diablo-canyon-power-plants-marine-life-destruction-will-continue-without-intervention\">called it\u003c/a> “the most destructive facility” along California’s coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dipping a hand in Diablo Cove, the water is lukewarm, not the frosty standard for the ocean in these parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000152\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Jones, a regulatory and environmental senior director at PG&E, pilots a boat near the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That’s because Diablo Canyon draws 2 billion-2.5 billion gallons of ocean water daily — enough to fill more than 3,000 Olympic-size swimming pools — into the plant to cool equipment, and discharges the water back into the ocean typically 16 to 17 degrees hotter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warmer water makes it feel as if a chunk of Southern California’s coast has been lobbed off and transferred north.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Out on the water, there was a hotbed of animal activity: a floating sea otter and chubby seals sunning themselves on rocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000844\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000844\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There were other species too — sea bass, stingrays, and California’s state fish, the garibaldi, which typically live farther south along California’s coast, but have moved here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diablo Canyon staff said the warm water leads to essentially no change to the environment. Because fishing and other activities are not allowed within 2,000 yards of the plant, it’s a “de facto marine sanctuary,” said Tom Jones, a senior director in charge of future planning for Diablo Canyon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the California Coastal Commission, the state agency tasked with protecting the coastline and its natural resources, reported in 2025 that the plant’s cooling system kills almost two billion larval fish annually, plus other organisms that aren’t measured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000151\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lion Rock, home to hundreds of California sea lions, harbor seals, and seabirds, near the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo, on Feb. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While adult populations may be abundant in Diablo Cove, the commission wrote that adults often appear far from where they spawn, and their presence here may be the result of productive marine habitats nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The commission also warned that removing eggs and larvae near Diablo Canyon leads to “a significant reduction” of species dozens of miles from the plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These planktonic organisms,” wrote the commission, “constitute the base of the food web in California’s coastal waters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>To the turbine deck\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We donned hard hats and safety equipment and passed through heavy security to enter the “protected area,” which consists of spaces closer to the nuclear reactors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We entered the turbine deck, an industrial building the size of two-and-a-half football fields. It was hot and loud on the deck, with a slight vibration underfoot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000153\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The turbine deck at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The steam-driven turbine inside is an enormous semi-cylinder that looks like a horizontal steel pipe cut in half, and spins a generator to produce electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The PG&E guide pointed out the window at a containment dome, where uranium atoms are split apart, releasing huge amounts of heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of a reactor containment building from the turbine building at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A cascade of effects follows: the heat warms water and creates steam, the steam travels through pipes to turn the turbine, the turbine connects to a generator, which makes electricity that’s then sent across the grid and delivered to about three million Californians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nuclear generates nearly\u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\"> 9%\u003c/a> of the state’s energy supply, part of an energy mix that includes gas, hydroelectric, solar, wind, geothermal and even small amounts of coal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000854\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1172px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000854\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1172\" height=\"727\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic.jpg 1172w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic-768x476.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1172px) 100vw, 1172px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Power generation at Diablo Canyon. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PG&E)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While California’s demand for electricity has been flat for years, it’s now growing with the adoption of electric vehicles, people swapping gas appliances for electric ones, and data centers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate to keep Diablo Canyon open is spurred, in part, by this uptick in demand. Maureen Zawalick, senior vice president and chief risk officer at PG&E, said stepping into the turbine deck reminds her of the end uses of all this power: “safety in hospitals, kidney dialysis, stop lights and everything else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is walking its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">economy across a tightrope.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s growth in the 20th century was built on a foundation of fossil fuels, but leaders see its future as being powered by the buildout of renewables like solar and wind, along with batteries to store excess power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When heat waves strained California’s power grid and caused rolling blackouts in 2020, state lawmakers and Newsom voted to extend Diablo Canyon’s operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, as electricity bills continue to rise and demand is forecast to grow, proponents argue that keeping the plant open even longer can help California wobble across the precarious middle of the tightrope.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The simulator\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We shed our safety gear and headed to the training building, with classrooms and an exact replica of the control room, called the simulator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was cool and quiet again as employees completed a training exercise, manipulating switches, lights and screens on a semicircle of vertical boards. Zawalick said the simulator’s seafoam green walls are meant to inspire calm, but its very existence is due to nuclear disasters that have occurred elsewhere in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000156\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000156\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A training facility at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Simulators became a requirement for all nuclear power plants in 1979 after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in Pennsylvania. The partial meltdown was the most serious nuclear accident in U.S. history and was caused by both human and equipment failure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Practicing in a replica of Diablo Canyon’s actual control room is meant to train workers with the muscle memory to handle a variety of emergencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Employees spend 20% of their time in the Diablo Canyon simulator training for everything from planned refueling to routine maintenance to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcisc.org/download/library/annual-reports/35th-annual-report-93.pdf\">major emergencies\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Spent nuclear fuel\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To finish the tour, we drove uphill and farther from the ocean to find dozens of hulking concrete cylinders that contain spent fuel, called “dry casks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nuclear material is the concern of resident groups who fear an earthquake or terrorist attack could destabilize the storage and spew radioactive waste into the ocean or nearby communities. People living nearby are mailed annual emergency \u003ca href=\"https://www.prepareslo.org/en/emergency-planning-zone-information.aspx\">preparedness\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/assets/pge/docs/about/pge-systems/emergency-planning-brochure.pdf\">documents\u003c/a> and have access to a free dose of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prepareslo.org/en/potassium-iodide-information.aspx\">potassium iodide\u003c/a>, which protects the thyroid gland against radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spent nuclear fuel in dry storage behind a raw water reservoir with desalinated ocean water at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Linda Seeley has rallied against Diablo Canyon for decades as a member of the anti-nuclear nonprofit Mothers for Peace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As much as I would love it if nuclear waste were not toxic and lethal to a thousand generations in the future, that’s not the fact. The fact is that it is toxic,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once fuel has been used inside the plant, radiation levels are dangerously high and have the potential to kill an exposed person \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">in minutes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000157\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000157\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A raw water reservoir with desalinated ocean water at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The spent fuel spends 7 to 10 years next to the reactors in “wet storage,” a large pool of water treated with chemicals. The liquid absorbs heat and decays of the uranium, which has high levels of radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nuclear material is then packed into the double-lined, stainless steel and reinforced dry casks, roughly 20 feet tall. Each is bolted to a 7.5-foot-thick, steel-reinforced concrete pad designed to withstand earthquakes. The fuel requires special handling for \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">tens of thousands of years\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diablo Canyon is located roughly 3.5 miles from the Hosgri fault, which presents the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ml1633/ML16334A406.pdf\">main seismic risk\u003c/a> to the plant. Another fault, the Shoreline, is closer to the plant, but smaller. Some seismologists are concerned that a quake along the faults could cause a \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/may-15-2025-top-seismologist-urges-immediate-shutdown-of-diablo-canyon-nuclear-reactor-citing-unacceptable-risk-of-an-earthquake-triggered-meltdown/\">meltdown\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. government is legally \u003ca href=\"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/chapter-III/part-961\">obligated\u003c/a> to take ownership of all commercially spent nuclear fuel, but because the government has not yet built a permanent place to put it, the fuel is stored at the power plant.[aside postID=science_2000695 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-08-KQED-1020x680.jpg']Current solutions like Diablo Canyon’s dry storage casks, while they may be thorough, are only licensed until 2064 by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zawalick said PG&E is confident in the storage of Diablo Canyon’s spent fuel, though. She pointed out that nuclear power is “the only energy source that knows exactly where every ounce of our waste is.” The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and PG&E monitor the spent fuel on a \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">daily\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/oversight\">annual basis\u003c/a>. “It’s secured, it’s inspected, it’s audited, it’s sampled. I’m a fan of all energy sources, but I don’t know where solar panels are sent when they’re done, and batteries, and all of that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zawalick pointed to the powerful transmission lines carrying energy created here out to millions of Californians: to illuminate rooms for special and mundane occasions, preserve food in refrigerators, run air conditioners, and warm their shower water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Order and safety come up frequently on the Diablo Canyon Power Plant tour: background checks, armed guards, seismic protective measures, reminders to hold on to handrails when on steps. The result is a calm and kempt environment, situated on a hillside overlooking the Pacific.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But underneath the serenity lie the inherent risks of nuclear power, especially when sited near seismic faultlines. Diablo Canyon has been the source of passionate debate as long as the idea of it has existed. And any effort to keep it operating longer will be no different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with that, the tour was over, and the guides returned to their work. A cow made its way slowly across the access road, with no idea of its contentious neighbor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most striking view off one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080669/should-california-keep-its-last-nuclear-power-plant-running\">San Luis Obispo County\u003c/a>’s winding coastal roads is not the lashing ocean waves of the Pacific Ocean or cows plodding out from the shade of a California live oak tree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is two enormous concrete domes that come into focus along a final climb that began 7 miles back at Avila Beach. The land sinks away, and what looks like a small town emerges, showcased in a palette of grays, whites and terracotta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is Diablo Canyon, California’s last operating nuclear power plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just years ago, the plant was slated to close, and employees worked to decommission it, until a \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB846\">2022\u003c/a> about-face by Gov. Gavin Newsom led the state to extend its operations to 2030. Now lawmakers in Sacramento are talking about allowing it to operate even longer, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000605/the-debate-for-keeping-diablo-canyon-open-past-2030-is-on-what-could-it-mean-for-your-bills\">potentially to 2045\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But local groups, some of whom have protested the plant \u003ca href=\"https://www.foundsf.org/The_Diablo_Canyon_Blockade_1981\">since its construction\u003c/a>, are banging the drum ever louder about their concerns for \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/2025-reports-on-the-health-impacts-of-living-near-diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant/\">safety\u003c/a> or a catastrophic \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/campaign-to-stop-diablo/\">meltdown\u003c/a>, as well as the danger posed by spent nuclear waste at a site near several seismic faultlines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_790877\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1910px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-790877\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1910\" height=\"1271\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791.jpg 1910w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-400x266.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-1440x958.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-1180x785.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/Diablo-Canyon-Panorama-e1466523869791-960x639.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1910px) 100vw, 1910px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aerial view of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PG&E)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, academics are furiously analyzing how much keeping Diablo Canyon open would \u003ca href=\"https://ceepr.mit.edu/workingpaper/the-economics-of-continued-operation-of-the-diablo-canyon-nuclear-power-plant-2030-2045/\">cost\u003c/a> and if it would support or hinder the state’s clean energy transition. And business groups are lining up in \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyon2045.com/\">support\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So when PG&E offered press tours earlier this year, KQED accepted. The nuclear power plant has not garnered this much attention in years, but now, once again, all eyes are on Diablo Canyon. What does it look like inside?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Out on the water\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant tour started on a boat in a protected marina just south of the reactors. This, and another cove just outside the breakwaters, are the site of a key piece of the plant’s cooling system — and a major concern for environmentalists, who argue it hoovers up and kills marine life and have \u003ca href=\"https://theotterproject.org/blog/diablo-canyon-power-plants-marine-life-destruction-will-continue-without-intervention\">called it\u003c/a> “the most destructive facility” along California’s coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dipping a hand in Diablo Cove, the water is lukewarm, not the frosty standard for the ocean in these parts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000152\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Jones, a regulatory and environmental senior director at PG&E, pilots a boat near the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That’s because Diablo Canyon draws 2 billion-2.5 billion gallons of ocean water daily — enough to fill more than 3,000 Olympic-size swimming pools — into the plant to cool equipment, and discharges the water back into the ocean typically 16 to 17 degrees hotter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The warmer water makes it feel as if a chunk of Southern California’s coast has been lobbed off and transferred north.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Out on the water, there was a hotbed of animal activity: a floating sea otter and chubby seals sunning themselves on rocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000844\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000844\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-23-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There were other species too — sea bass, stingrays, and California’s state fish, the garibaldi, which typically live farther south along California’s coast, but have moved here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diablo Canyon staff said the warm water leads to essentially no change to the environment. Because fishing and other activities are not allowed within 2,000 yards of the plant, it’s a “de facto marine sanctuary,” said Tom Jones, a senior director in charge of future planning for Diablo Canyon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the California Coastal Commission, the state agency tasked with protecting the coastline and its natural resources, reported in 2025 that the plant’s cooling system kills almost two billion larval fish annually, plus other organisms that aren’t measured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000151\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lion Rock, home to hundreds of California sea lions, harbor seals, and seabirds, near the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo, on Feb. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While adult populations may be abundant in Diablo Cove, the commission wrote that adults often appear far from where they spawn, and their presence here may be the result of productive marine habitats nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The commission also warned that removing eggs and larvae near Diablo Canyon leads to “a significant reduction” of species dozens of miles from the plant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These planktonic organisms,” wrote the commission, “constitute the base of the food web in California’s coastal waters.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>To the turbine deck\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We donned hard hats and safety equipment and passed through heavy security to enter the “protected area,” which consists of spaces closer to the nuclear reactors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We entered the turbine deck, an industrial building the size of two-and-a-half football fields. It was hot and loud on the deck, with a slight vibration underfoot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000153\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-35-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The turbine deck at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The steam-driven turbine inside is an enormous semi-cylinder that looks like a horizontal steel pipe cut in half, and spins a generator to produce electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The PG&E guide pointed out the window at a containment dome, where uranium atoms are split apart, releasing huge amounts of heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-40-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of a reactor containment building from the turbine building at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A cascade of effects follows: the heat warms water and creates steam, the steam travels through pipes to turn the turbine, the turbine connects to a generator, which makes electricity that’s then sent across the grid and delivered to about three million Californians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nuclear generates nearly\u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\"> 9%\u003c/a> of the state’s energy supply, part of an energy mix that includes gas, hydroelectric, solar, wind, geothermal and even small amounts of coal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000854\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1172px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000854\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1172\" height=\"727\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic.jpg 1172w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/PGE-Graphic-768x476.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1172px) 100vw, 1172px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Power generation at Diablo Canyon. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PG&E)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While California’s demand for electricity has been flat for years, it’s now growing with the adoption of electric vehicles, people swapping gas appliances for electric ones, and data centers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate to keep Diablo Canyon open is spurred, in part, by this uptick in demand. Maureen Zawalick, senior vice president and chief risk officer at PG&E, said stepping into the turbine deck reminds her of the end uses of all this power: “safety in hospitals, kidney dialysis, stop lights and everything else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California is walking its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">economy across a tightrope.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s growth in the 20th century was built on a foundation of fossil fuels, but leaders see its future as being powered by the buildout of renewables like solar and wind, along with batteries to store excess power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When heat waves strained California’s power grid and caused rolling blackouts in 2020, state lawmakers and Newsom voted to extend Diablo Canyon’s operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, as electricity bills continue to rise and demand is forecast to grow, proponents argue that keeping the plant open even longer can help California wobble across the precarious middle of the tightrope.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The simulator\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We shed our safety gear and headed to the training building, with classrooms and an exact replica of the control room, called the simulator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was cool and quiet again as employees completed a training exercise, manipulating switches, lights and screens on a semicircle of vertical boards. Zawalick said the simulator’s seafoam green walls are meant to inspire calm, but its very existence is due to nuclear disasters that have occurred elsewhere in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000156\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000156\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-52-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A training facility at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Simulators became a requirement for all nuclear power plants in 1979 after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in Pennsylvania. The partial meltdown was the most serious nuclear accident in U.S. history and was caused by both human and equipment failure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Practicing in a replica of Diablo Canyon’s actual control room is meant to train workers with the muscle memory to handle a variety of emergencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Employees spend 20% of their time in the Diablo Canyon simulator training for everything from planned refueling to routine maintenance to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcisc.org/download/library/annual-reports/35th-annual-report-93.pdf\">major emergencies\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Spent nuclear fuel\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To finish the tour, we drove uphill and farther from the ocean to find dozens of hulking concrete cylinders that contain spent fuel, called “dry casks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nuclear material is the concern of resident groups who fear an earthquake or terrorist attack could destabilize the storage and spew radioactive waste into the ocean or nearby communities. People living nearby are mailed annual emergency \u003ca href=\"https://www.prepareslo.org/en/emergency-planning-zone-information.aspx\">preparedness\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/assets/pge/docs/about/pge-systems/emergency-planning-brochure.pdf\">documents\u003c/a> and have access to a free dose of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prepareslo.org/en/potassium-iodide-information.aspx\">potassium iodide\u003c/a>, which protects the thyroid gland against radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260213-DiabloCanyonNuclearPowerPlant-60-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spent nuclear fuel in dry storage behind a raw water reservoir with desalinated ocean water at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Linda Seeley has rallied against Diablo Canyon for decades as a member of the anti-nuclear nonprofit Mothers for Peace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As much as I would love it if nuclear waste were not toxic and lethal to a thousand generations in the future, that’s not the fact. The fact is that it is toxic,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once fuel has been used inside the plant, radiation levels are dangerously high and have the potential to kill an exposed person \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">in minutes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000157\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000157\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/260213-DIABLOCANYONNUCLEARPOWERPLANT-59-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A raw water reservoir with desalinated ocean water at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 13, 2026, the state’s only active nuclear power plant. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The spent fuel spends 7 to 10 years next to the reactors in “wet storage,” a large pool of water treated with chemicals. The liquid absorbs heat and decays of the uranium, which has high levels of radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nuclear material is then packed into the double-lined, stainless steel and reinforced dry casks, roughly 20 feet tall. Each is bolted to a 7.5-foot-thick, steel-reinforced concrete pad designed to withstand earthquakes. The fuel requires special handling for \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">tens of thousands of years\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diablo Canyon is located roughly 3.5 miles from the Hosgri fault, which presents the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ml1633/ML16334A406.pdf\">main seismic risk\u003c/a> to the plant. Another fault, the Shoreline, is closer to the plant, but smaller. Some seismologists are concerned that a quake along the faults could cause a \u003ca href=\"https://mothersforpeace.org/may-15-2025-top-seismologist-urges-immediate-shutdown-of-diablo-canyon-nuclear-reactor-citing-unacceptable-risk-of-an-earthquake-triggered-meltdown/\">meltdown\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. government is legally \u003ca href=\"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/chapter-III/part-961\">obligated\u003c/a> to take ownership of all commercially spent nuclear fuel, but because the government has not yet built a permanent place to put it, the fuel is stored at the power plant.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Current solutions like Diablo Canyon’s dry storage casks, while they may be thorough, are only licensed until 2064 by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zawalick said PG&E is confident in the storage of Diablo Canyon’s spent fuel, though. She pointed out that nuclear power is “the only energy source that knows exactly where every ounce of our waste is.” The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and PG&E monitor the spent fuel on a \u003ca href=\"https://diablocanyonpanel.org/decom-topics/spent-fuel-management/\">daily\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/oversight\">annual basis\u003c/a>. “It’s secured, it’s inspected, it’s audited, it’s sampled. I’m a fan of all energy sources, but I don’t know where solar panels are sent when they’re done, and batteries, and all of that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zawalick pointed to the powerful transmission lines carrying energy created here out to millions of Californians: to illuminate rooms for special and mundane occasions, preserve food in refrigerators, run air conditioners, and warm their shower water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Order and safety come up frequently on the Diablo Canyon Power Plant tour: background checks, armed guards, seismic protective measures, reminders to hold on to handrails when on steps. The result is a calm and kempt environment, situated on a hillside overlooking the Pacific.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But underneath the serenity lie the inherent risks of nuclear power, especially when sited near seismic faultlines. Diablo Canyon has been the source of passionate debate as long as the idea of it has existed. And any effort to keep it operating longer will be no different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with that, the tour was over, and the guides returned to their work. A cow made its way slowly across the access road, with no idea of its contentious neighbor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Bay Area Beaches Are Chock-Full of Mysterious Blue Creatures Again. Here’s How to See Them",
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"content": "\u003cp>They’re an otherworldly sight: blue and iridescent. They have no clear eyes, mouths or body parts analogous to our own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And rising from one side — is it their back; hard to tell — is a transparent sail, which these little seafarers use to catch the wind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sightings of \u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em>, also known as “by-the-wind sailors,” have proliferated along the Bay Area coastline this week, captivating beachgoers and drawing the attention of the climate- and ocean-curious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1996552/thousands-mysterious-blue-creatures-bay-area-beaches-san-francisco\">These compelling creatures visited our shores last year, too\u003c/a>. But this year they seem especially abundant — to the extent that “beaches in this area appear blue from a distance because of the numbers of \u003cem>Velella \u003c/em>right now,” according to Jackie Sones, research coordinator at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Reserve in Bodega Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What \u003cem>are \u003c/em>these things?\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em> are best described as colonies of cells, living and working together. They’re classified as hydrozoans, related to jellyfish and sea anemones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every specimen has a gas-filled “float” or raft, with a mantle surrounding it, tentacles dangling below to catch prey and a mouth at the center of its underside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/hinzebruce/status/2048962245716251125?s=46&t=PMxn5DJx4Cr-fWgaQBUvVA\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also have reproductive structures that bud off tiny, jellyfish-like offspring and a sail that rises from the top of the raft to catch the prevailing wind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These sailors eat plankton and are eaten by larger animals, including ocean sunfish (aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1938601/strangest-fish-ive-ever-seen-scientists-shocked-by-rare-giant-sunfish-in-california\">\u003cem>Mola mola\u003c/em>\u003c/a>) — itself one of evolution’s strangest and most delightful concoctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where can I see \u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em> in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>They’ve been reported in San Francisco — at Baker Beach, Crissy Field and Ocean Beach — as well as along Santa Cruz, Pescadero and in Bodega Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Head to your local stretch of coast, and there’s a chance you’ll spot them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>For how much longer will I be able to see them?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>How long they’ll stick around depends on the wind. Velella velella often appear in spring or early summer in Northern California, when upwelling and winds align to help them proliferate and be pushed ashore. The good news, though: Sightings tend to last days to weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because of springtime \u003ca href=\"https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/upwelling.html\">“upwelling” \u003c/a>in the ocean: When deep and cold water rises toward the surface. “Upwelling brings lots of nutrients, and lots of nutrients bring phytoplankton and zooplankton,” Raphael Kudela, professor of ocean science at UC Santa Cruz, told KQED in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000932\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000932\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/250403-BlueJellies-08-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/250403-BlueJellies-08-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/250403-BlueJellies-08-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/250403-BlueJellies-08-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/250403-BlueJellies-08-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thousands of Velella velella, blue jellyfish-like creatures, are scattered along the beach at Aquatic Park in San Francisco on April 3, 2025, after washing up on shore. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This year, they could persist longer. Velella numbers are linked to warm water, and the Pacific Ocean is experiencing a marine heat wave, with the possibility of a strong El Niño system developing. If that happens — and if prevailing winds keep pushing them onshore — we could continue to see by-the-wind sailors through the summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I touch \u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em>?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes, cautiously. Handling \u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em> doesn’t pose much risk, especially if they’re dead and dried out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be warned, though: Living Velella do have stinging tentacles, like their Portuguese man o’ war cousins. A child or dog putting one in their mouth could get hurt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1996556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1996556\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thousands of Velella velella are scattered along the beach at Aquatic Park in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Are they here because of global warming?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Maybe — but not necessarily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While their appearance is fairly typical this time of year, climate change is nonetheless expected to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1982750/blue-jellyfish-like-creatures-ride-california-waves-a-climate-change-indicator\">increase the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves\u003c/a>, likely leading to more abundant and frequent sightings of \u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/smohamad\">\u003cem>Sarah Mohamad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed reporting to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>They’re an otherworldly sight: blue and iridescent. They have no clear eyes, mouths or body parts analogous to our own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And rising from one side — is it their back; hard to tell — is a transparent sail, which these little seafarers use to catch the wind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sightings of \u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em>, also known as “by-the-wind sailors,” have proliferated along the Bay Area coastline this week, captivating beachgoers and drawing the attention of the climate- and ocean-curious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1996552/thousands-mysterious-blue-creatures-bay-area-beaches-san-francisco\">These compelling creatures visited our shores last year, too\u003c/a>. But this year they seem especially abundant — to the extent that “beaches in this area appear blue from a distance because of the numbers of \u003cem>Velella \u003c/em>right now,” according to Jackie Sones, research coordinator at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Reserve in Bodega Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What \u003cem>are \u003c/em>these things?\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em> are best described as colonies of cells, living and working together. They’re classified as hydrozoans, related to jellyfish and sea anemones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every specimen has a gas-filled “float” or raft, with a mantle surrounding it, tentacles dangling below to catch prey and a mouth at the center of its underside.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>They also have reproductive structures that bud off tiny, jellyfish-like offspring and a sail that rises from the top of the raft to catch the prevailing wind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These sailors eat plankton and are eaten by larger animals, including ocean sunfish (aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1938601/strangest-fish-ive-ever-seen-scientists-shocked-by-rare-giant-sunfish-in-california\">\u003cem>Mola mola\u003c/em>\u003c/a>) — itself one of evolution’s strangest and most delightful concoctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where can I see \u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em> in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>They’ve been reported in San Francisco — at Baker Beach, Crissy Field and Ocean Beach — as well as along Santa Cruz, Pescadero and in Bodega Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Head to your local stretch of coast, and there’s a chance you’ll spot them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>For how much longer will I be able to see them?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>How long they’ll stick around depends on the wind. Velella velella often appear in spring or early summer in Northern California, when upwelling and winds align to help them proliferate and be pushed ashore. The good news, though: Sightings tend to last days to weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because of springtime \u003ca href=\"https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/upwelling.html\">“upwelling” \u003c/a>in the ocean: When deep and cold water rises toward the surface. “Upwelling brings lots of nutrients, and lots of nutrients bring phytoplankton and zooplankton,” Raphael Kudela, professor of ocean science at UC Santa Cruz, told KQED in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000932\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000932\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/250403-BlueJellies-08-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/250403-BlueJellies-08-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/250403-BlueJellies-08-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/250403-BlueJellies-08-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/250403-BlueJellies-08-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thousands of Velella velella, blue jellyfish-like creatures, are scattered along the beach at Aquatic Park in San Francisco on April 3, 2025, after washing up on shore. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This year, they could persist longer. Velella numbers are linked to warm water, and the Pacific Ocean is experiencing a marine heat wave, with the possibility of a strong El Niño system developing. If that happens — and if prevailing winds keep pushing them onshore — we could continue to see by-the-wind sailors through the summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I touch \u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em>?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes, cautiously. Handling \u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em> doesn’t pose much risk, especially if they’re dead and dried out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be warned, though: Living Velella do have stinging tentacles, like their Portuguese man o’ war cousins. A child or dog putting one in their mouth could get hurt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1996556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1996556\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/04/250403-BLUEJELLIES-16-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thousands of Velella velella are scattered along the beach at Aquatic Park in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Are they here because of global warming?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Maybe — but not necessarily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While their appearance is fairly typical this time of year, climate change is nonetheless expected to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1982750/blue-jellyfish-like-creatures-ride-california-waves-a-climate-change-indicator\">increase the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves\u003c/a>, likely leading to more abundant and frequent sightings of \u003cem>Velella velella\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/smohamad\">\u003cem>Sarah Mohamad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed reporting to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy",
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"content": "\u003cp>In the city of Benicia on the bank of the Carquinez Strait, the view has fundamentally changed: smoke, steam, and black soot no longer spiral from the stacks of the Valero refinery, which stopped refining crude oil in April. So why are residents holding their breath?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the shuttering of the refinery, Benicia became the latest test case for California’s promise of a “just transition” from fossil fuels to renewable energy that protects workers’wages and livelihoods, invests in economically disadvantaged communities and reduces pollution impacts on the most vulnerable communities. Many Benicians are optimistic they have the assets and the know-how to succeed. But in a politically charged environment where gasoline prices are spiraling higher, California’s shifting interests threaten to delay any rebirth of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than half a century, Benicia’s economy and identity have depended on oil production. Valero’s 400-plus employees, a quarter of whom lived in town, spent some of their paychecks at First Street’s bars and restaurants, which also served hundreds more workers contracted for maintenance each year. Local businesses provided equipment, parts and services to Valero and must find a new market — or pivot to make a new product. Benicia businesses expect the ripple effects of the refinery closure to devastate livelihoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The closure was expected. California established its goal to completely phase out fossil fuels to combat global warming more than a decade ago. But Benicia is losing its largest taxpayer much sooner than the city can afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero’s refinery shutdown will cost Benicia an estimated $10.8 million annually in tax revenues, about 13% of the city’s general fund budget. The city manager reassured residents at a packed February town hall that they could still count on city services funded by $3 million in cash reserves. The city planned to sell water that Valero used, half the city’s supply, to other businesses, and applied for millions of dollars worth of community grants from the Bay Area Air District to sustain staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000867\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000867\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Martinez Refining Company is seen across the Carquinez Strait from Benicia, on April 13, 2026, as regional refining operations face uncertainty amid California’s transition away from fossil fuels. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the long term, Benecia’s leaders are banking on redevelopment of Valero’s 900 acres to bring new tax revenue and vitalize the local economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 500 of those acres were a buffer to mitigate risks of explosions, fires, emissions and other pollution. The land could be developed sooner than the land under the refinery itself, which state regulators expect could take ten years to clean up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanna see dismantling and movement into our future,” said Kari Birdseye, a Benicia city council member, “I’m not sure that’s the vision that the state has right now because of the precarious nature of our petroleum situation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California state leaders have primarily focused on stabilizing fuel supply and keeping gas prices from spiraling out of control.[aside postID=news_12036695 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01_qed-1020x680.jpg']On April 16, 2025, Valero announced it planned to idle, restructure, or cease refining operations in Benicia. This came six months after Phillips 66 declared its plans to stop refining in Wilmington, Los Angeles, by the year’s end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, these facilities comprised nearly 20% of California’s refining capacity. The closures threatened to push oil prices higher — a political and economic disaster in a state where gasoline historically costs $0.90 more per gallon than the national average, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65184#:~:text=Data%20source:%20AAA,all%20states%20is%20%240.28/gal.\">U.S. Energy and Information Administration\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to Valero’s announcement with a letter dated April 21 to the California Energy Commission, directing the state agency responsible for sustaining fuel supply to “redouble its efforts” with “high-level immediate engagement, to help ensure that Californians continue to have access to a safe, affordable, and reliable supply of transportation fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A month later, Siva Gunda, vice chair of the energy commission, recommended easing regulations to increase fuel imports and local production. Many of the suggestions were enacted with the passage of SB 237 in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmentalists criticized the legislative changes as an oil industry wish list. They waived California’s requirement to switch to a lower emission fuel in summer months, exempted some oil and gas well permits from final environmental review, and paused penalties on excessive oil profits that lawmakers created to prevent price gouging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the changes persuaded Valero to keep refining in Benicia. However, in January, the company agreed to import gasoline to meet its obligations to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000874\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Benicia officials said they have not been in negotiations between the state and Valero. But Lauren Bird, the facilities general manager, told the Citizens’ Advisory Panel on April 17 that the refinery will import, store and transport gas and diesel for about two years, though it will no longer import jet fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using Valero’s facility for imports provides little economic benefit to Benicia and delays redevelopment of 900 acres of prime real estate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It basically eliminates our ability to have any new development on the property,” said Christina Gilpin-Hayes, a resident who serves on with the city’s planning commission. “Nobody’s gonna want it. Even the land that’s the buffer acres, nobody’s gonna want to develop there if [Valero] is still using it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An energy commission spokesperson could not discuss the talks due to industry confidentiality rules, but said in an email that the agency is working with Benicia and stakeholders on alternatives for the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000871\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicting historic downtown Benicia is seen along First Street on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some residents have called it a back-door deal and said they worry imported gasoline is a fire safety risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What is the state gonna do for us given that they’re imposing this?” said Marilyn Bardet, a member of the community advisory panel, at the February town hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda declined KQED’s request for an interview. But said at a state Senate committee hearing on Feb. 18 that much of the energy commission’s work in the last year was aimed at keeping gasoline costs from rising above $5 a gallon, which worked until the U.S. war with Iran pushed up prices globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda urged lawmakers to turn to mitigating the economic impacts of refinery closures.[aside postID=news_12059271 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/250509-BeniciaRefinery-32-BL_qed-1.jpg']“These unplanned, disruptive closures could have incredible impacts on the workers and the communities,” Gunda said. “It’s really important … to make sure we have the policies in place to support the transition in a way that we protect Californians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ I’d like to think that some of these strategies are forthcoming,” said \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/people/josh-sonnenfeld/\">Josh Sonnenfeld\u003c/a>, a senior researcher at UC Berkeley Labor Center. “Given this is the sixth refinery closure or conversion [in six years], I think we need to pick up our pace here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld previously worked for the Blue Green Alliance, which helped Contra Costa County mitigate the 2020 conversion of the Marathon Refinery to renewable diesel. That change cost 700 refinery workers well-paid union jobs. In response, state lawmakers established the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund to help pay for training and job searches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Workforce Development Board of Solano County received $3 million from the fund last year to help laid-off Valero workers, and is offering up to $25,000 in \u003ca href=\"https://solanoemployment.org/funding/\">grants\u003c/a> to small businesses affected by the closure. Advocates have lobbied to extend and expand the fund, as its authorization sunsets in 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnefeld thinks California leaders should look to other states as examples. For instance, New York created a tax stabilization fund for refinery towns and cities to make up for the sudden loss of refinery dollars, while \u003ca href=\"https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/economic-transition\">Michigan \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/energy-transition/\">Minnesota\u003c/a> each established a community transition office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t set up that infrastructure yet in California around whose job is it to make sure that workers and communities are successfully transitioning,” Sonnenfeld said. “In California, we don’t want to acknowledge that they’re actually folks that are being hurt by the energy transition.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000872\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000872 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A visitor walks along First Street near the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld said regional governments have shouldered more of the responsibility for mitigating the impact of refinery closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District launched a first-of-a-kind program this year where regulatory fines against polluters will be passed on to affected communities in the form of grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air regulator issued $82 million in fines against Valero in 2024 for over a decade of excess emissions at the Benicia refinery, which will provide some $60 million in funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia plans to seek up to $43 million of the grants, which are also open to local businesses. \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/en/community-health/community-investments-office\">Applications are due in May\u003c/a>, and the awards are expected to be announced in September. That’s the same month that Signature Development, the company Valero hired to manage the sale of refinery land, is expected to present plans to repurpose the property to the city council for approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000875\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The waterfront in Benicia on April 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Until then, Benicia is on a white-knuckle transition trying to jumpstart a new, green economy without knowing when Valero will leave, or how long it will take to decontaminate and repurpose the refinery site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state legislature is considering a bill to help California’s eight remaining refinery towns plan better. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1259\">SB 1259\u003c/a> would require refineries to plan for decommissioning and estimate the costs and timeline for cleaning up after a closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said the legislation wouldn’t benefit Benicia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re in a very precarious moment,” Birdseye said. “ But I’m filled with hope because of what we have here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000866\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kari Birdseye, a Benicia City Council member, stands overlooking Benicia’s marine oil terminal near the site of the Benicia Clocktower, on April 13, 2026, in Benicia, as the city prepares for the closure of the Valero refinery and the loss of roughly 10 percent of its annual tax revenue. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said businesses have inquired about moving to Benicia for its central location between two interstate highways, with a rail line and port.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the city’s old clock tower, Birdseye gestured to a berth below, where Valero had exported petroleum coke, a black dust that’s a refining byproduct and a health hazard. She said a federal agency, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, has identified the port as a possible supply chain and manufacturing site for the nascent offshore wind industry in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can put these large pieces of equipment on ships that go out the Golden Gate and either go down to the Port of Long Beach, Morro Bay or up to Humboldt, where they can be assembled into wind turbines,” Birdseye said. “That’s the perfect scenario for a just transition away from fossil fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent afternoon at Benicia’s waterfront, resident Stephen Golub said one thing lost in the economic discussions about Valero’s departure is the gains in environmental and public health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000868\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Golub, a Benicia resident, poses for a portrait along the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They were polluting our air again and again, sometimes secretly, sometimes more openly,” Golub said. “They were poisoning our politics by pouring massive funds into political campaigns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Golub said without a refinery, it’s easier to enjoy all that Benicia has to offer, including 28 public parks, stable political leadership, a vibrant art scene, good schools and safe streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Down the line, maybe 10 or 20 years, people will talk about this thriving community with all it has to offer, and they’ll say, ‘Hey, did you know that there was once a refinery here?’” Golub said.“I really think that’s what’s in the city’s future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.",
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"title": "California’s Fuel Fears Threaten Benicia’s ‘Just Transition’ to Green Economy | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the city of Benicia on the bank of the Carquinez Strait, the view has fundamentally changed: smoke, steam, and black soot no longer spiral from the stacks of the Valero refinery, which stopped refining crude oil in April. So why are residents holding their breath?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the shuttering of the refinery, Benicia became the latest test case for California’s promise of a “just transition” from fossil fuels to renewable energy that protects workers’wages and livelihoods, invests in economically disadvantaged communities and reduces pollution impacts on the most vulnerable communities. Many Benicians are optimistic they have the assets and the know-how to succeed. But in a politically charged environment where gasoline prices are spiraling higher, California’s shifting interests threaten to delay any rebirth of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State leaders negotiated an agreement with Valero this year to use its idled Benicia facility to store and transport imported fuel, which brings little economic activity while freezing redevelopment plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than half a century, Benicia’s economy and identity have depended on oil production. Valero’s 400-plus employees, a quarter of whom lived in town, spent some of their paychecks at First Street’s bars and restaurants, which also served hundreds more workers contracted for maintenance each year. Local businesses provided equipment, parts and services to Valero and must find a new market — or pivot to make a new product. Benicia businesses expect the ripple effects of the refinery closure to devastate livelihoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The closure was expected. California established its goal to completely phase out fossil fuels to combat global warming more than a decade ago. But Benicia is losing its largest taxpayer much sooner than the city can afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valero’s refinery shutdown will cost Benicia an estimated $10.8 million annually in tax revenues, about 13% of the city’s general fund budget. The city manager reassured residents at a packed February town hall that they could still count on city services funded by $3 million in cash reserves. The city planned to sell water that Valero used, half the city’s supply, to other businesses, and applied for millions of dollars worth of community grants from the Bay Area Air District to sustain staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000867\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000867\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Martinez Refining Company is seen across the Carquinez Strait from Benicia, on April 13, 2026, as regional refining operations face uncertainty amid California’s transition away from fossil fuels. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the long term, Benecia’s leaders are banking on redevelopment of Valero’s 900 acres to bring new tax revenue and vitalize the local economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 500 of those acres were a buffer to mitigate risks of explosions, fires, emissions and other pollution. The land could be developed sooner than the land under the refinery itself, which state regulators expect could take ten years to clean up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanna see dismantling and movement into our future,” said Kari Birdseye, a Benicia city council member, “I’m not sure that’s the vision that the state has right now because of the precarious nature of our petroleum situation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California state leaders have primarily focused on stabilizing fuel supply and keeping gas prices from spiraling out of control.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On April 16, 2025, Valero announced it planned to idle, restructure, or cease refining operations in Benicia. This came six months after Phillips 66 declared its plans to stop refining in Wilmington, Los Angeles, by the year’s end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, these facilities comprised nearly 20% of California’s refining capacity. The closures threatened to push oil prices higher — a political and economic disaster in a state where gasoline historically costs $0.90 more per gallon than the national average, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65184#:~:text=Data%20source:%20AAA,all%20states%20is%20%240.28/gal.\">U.S. Energy and Information Administration\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to Valero’s announcement with a letter dated April 21 to the California Energy Commission, directing the state agency responsible for sustaining fuel supply to “redouble its efforts” with “high-level immediate engagement, to help ensure that Californians continue to have access to a safe, affordable, and reliable supply of transportation fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A month later, Siva Gunda, vice chair of the energy commission, recommended easing regulations to increase fuel imports and local production. Many of the suggestions were enacted with the passage of SB 237 in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmentalists criticized the legislative changes as an oil industry wish list. They waived California’s requirement to switch to a lower emission fuel in summer months, exempted some oil and gas well permits from final environmental review, and paused penalties on excessive oil profits that lawmakers created to prevent price gouging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the changes persuaded Valero to keep refining in Benicia. However, in January, the company agreed to import gasoline to meet its obligations to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000874\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Benicia officials said they have not been in negotiations between the state and Valero. But Lauren Bird, the facilities general manager, told the Citizens’ Advisory Panel on April 17 that the refinery will import, store and transport gas and diesel for about two years, though it will no longer import jet fuel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using Valero’s facility for imports provides little economic benefit to Benicia and delays redevelopment of 900 acres of prime real estate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It basically eliminates our ability to have any new development on the property,” said Christina Gilpin-Hayes, a resident who serves on with the city’s planning commission. “Nobody’s gonna want it. Even the land that’s the buffer acres, nobody’s gonna want to develop there if [Valero] is still using it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An energy commission spokesperson could not discuss the talks due to industry confidentiality rules, but said in an email that the agency is working with Benicia and stakeholders on alternatives for the facility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000871\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000871\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicting historic downtown Benicia is seen along First Street on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some residents have called it a back-door deal and said they worry imported gasoline is a fire safety risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What is the state gonna do for us given that they’re imposing this?” said Marilyn Bardet, a member of the community advisory panel, at the February town hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda declined KQED’s request for an interview. But said at a state Senate committee hearing on Feb. 18 that much of the energy commission’s work in the last year was aimed at keeping gasoline costs from rising above $5 a gallon, which worked until the U.S. war with Iran pushed up prices globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda urged lawmakers to turn to mitigating the economic impacts of refinery closures.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“These unplanned, disruptive closures could have incredible impacts on the workers and the communities,” Gunda said. “It’s really important … to make sure we have the policies in place to support the transition in a way that we protect Californians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ I’d like to think that some of these strategies are forthcoming,” said \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/people/josh-sonnenfeld/\">Josh Sonnenfeld\u003c/a>, a senior researcher at UC Berkeley Labor Center. “Given this is the sixth refinery closure or conversion [in six years], I think we need to pick up our pace here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld previously worked for the Blue Green Alliance, which helped Contra Costa County mitigate the 2020 conversion of the Marathon Refinery to renewable diesel. That change cost 700 refinery workers well-paid union jobs. In response, state lawmakers established the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund to help pay for training and job searches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Workforce Development Board of Solano County received $3 million from the fund last year to help laid-off Valero workers, and is offering up to $25,000 in \u003ca href=\"https://solanoemployment.org/funding/\">grants\u003c/a> to small businesses affected by the closure. Advocates have lobbied to extend and expand the fund, as its authorization sunsets in 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sonnefeld thinks California leaders should look to other states as examples. For instance, New York created a tax stabilization fund for refinery towns and cities to make up for the sudden loss of refinery dollars, while \u003ca href=\"https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/economic-transition\">Michigan \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/energy-transition/\">Minnesota\u003c/a> each established a community transition office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t set up that infrastructure yet in California around whose job is it to make sure that workers and communities are successfully transitioning,” Sonnenfeld said. “In California, we don’t want to acknowledge that they’re actually folks that are being hurt by the energy transition.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000872\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000872 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_018-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A visitor walks along First Street near the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sonnenfeld said regional governments have shouldered more of the responsibility for mitigating the impact of refinery closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area Air District launched a first-of-a-kind program this year where regulatory fines against polluters will be passed on to affected communities in the form of grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The air regulator issued $82 million in fines against Valero in 2024 for over a decade of excess emissions at the Benicia refinery, which will provide some $60 million in funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benicia plans to seek up to $43 million of the grants, which are also open to local businesses. \u003ca href=\"https://www.baaqmd.gov/en/community-health/community-investments-office\">Applications are due in May\u003c/a>, and the awards are expected to be announced in September. That’s the same month that Signature Development, the company Valero hired to manage the sale of refinery land, is expected to present plans to repurpose the property to the city council for approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000875\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260424-BENICIA-DRONE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The waterfront in Benicia on April 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Until then, Benicia is on a white-knuckle transition trying to jumpstart a new, green economy without knowing when Valero will leave, or how long it will take to decontaminate and repurpose the refinery site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state legislature is considering a bill to help California’s eight remaining refinery towns plan better. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1259\">SB 1259\u003c/a> would require refineries to plan for decommissioning and estimate the costs and timeline for cleaning up after a closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said the legislation wouldn’t benefit Benicia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re in a very precarious moment,” Birdseye said. “ But I’m filled with hope because of what we have here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000866\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/041326BENICIAVALERO_GH_001-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kari Birdseye, a Benicia City Council member, stands overlooking Benicia’s marine oil terminal near the site of the Benicia Clocktower, on April 13, 2026, in Benicia, as the city prepares for the closure of the Valero refinery and the loss of roughly 10 percent of its annual tax revenue. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Birdseye said businesses have inquired about moving to Benicia for its central location between two interstate highways, with a rail line and port.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the city’s old clock tower, Birdseye gestured to a berth below, where Valero had exported petroleum coke, a black dust that’s a refining byproduct and a health hazard. She said a federal agency, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, has identified the port as a possible supply chain and manufacturing site for the nascent offshore wind industry in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can put these large pieces of equipment on ships that go out the Golden Gate and either go down to the Port of Long Beach, Morro Bay or up to Humboldt, where they can be assembled into wind turbines,” Birdseye said. “That’s the perfect scenario for a just transition away from fossil fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent afternoon at Benicia’s waterfront, resident Stephen Golub said one thing lost in the economic discussions about Valero’s departure is the gains in environmental and public health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000868\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000868\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/042806BENICIA-AFTER-VALERO-PT.-2_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stephen Golub, a Benicia resident, poses for a portrait along the waterfront on April 28, 2026, in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They were polluting our air again and again, sometimes secretly, sometimes more openly,” Golub said. “They were poisoning our politics by pouring massive funds into political campaigns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Golub said without a refinery, it’s easier to enjoy all that Benicia has to offer, including 28 public parks, stable political leadership, a vibrant art scene, good schools and safe streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Down the line, maybe 10 or 20 years, people will talk about this thriving community with all it has to offer, and they’ll say, ‘Hey, did you know that there was once a refinery here?’” Golub said.“I really think that’s what’s in the city’s future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "‘Chop From the Top’: California Academy of Sciences Union Pushes Back on Layoffs",
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"content": "\u003cp>Union leaders at the California Academy of Sciences criticized a new round of layoffs affecting 53 workers, saying management failed to consider alternatives before cutting nearly 10% of the staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Academy leadership said the cuts are aimed at addressing a projected deficit exceeding $8 million this fiscal year, following a $7.3 million shortfall the year before. Officials cited rising operational costs, declining tourism to San Francisco, and changes in visitor behavior as key drivers of the financial strain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The layoffs affect 37 union-represented workers and nonunion staff. An additional 32 employees will be reassigned or have their hours reduced. Leadership said the cuts were made with a focus on preserving core priorities such as visitor experience, education, and scientific research, even as some programs are scaled back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But union representatives said the process has been abrupt and vague.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marie Angel is a curatorial assistant in the geology department at CalAcademy and chapter secretary at CalAcademy Workers United, a union that was formed in 2023 before a reduction in workforce the following year. She said workers were given little advance notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They did not meet with us to discuss alternatives to layoffs, even though they said that they had exhausted every option,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000904\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">After the San Francisco museum announced layoffs affecting 53 employees, union leaders are calling for greater transparency in decision-making and considering executive pay cuts as an alternative. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Gayle Laird via California Academy of Sciences)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Teddy Vollman, enhanced experience facilitator at the Academy and the president of the union, described how some employees first learned about the layoffs through news reports. “It was a very disconcerting thing to have happen to people,” Vollman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both Angel and Vollman shared that they are among those slated for layoffs. As of now, they have only been notified verbally and have not received formal written communication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders argue that alternatives such as executive pay cuts, job sharing, or tapping into institutional funds were not seriously considered.[aside postID=news_12068674 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Claude1.jpg']“We have a very large endowment and campaign fund. Those options were not looked into,” Angel said. She pointed to leadership compensation as an area for potential savings, noting that senior leaders collectively earn millions annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are about 15 people on our senior leadership team, and their combined income is about $5 million a year,” she said. “Our top priority is saving as many jobs as possible. Our main message is to chop from the top.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The layoffs come just two years after a similar round of workforce reductions in 2024, raising concerns among staff. Vollman said the repeated cuts risk undermining both employee morale and the institution’s mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our workforce continues to shrink,” they said, adding that morale is already low and trust in leadership has eroded. “We really want to push for transparency to rebuild that trust.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For visitors, the changes are expected to be noticeable, though leadership maintains that core experiences will remain intact. According to the Academy, program cuts will be “targeted,” with an emphasis on maintaining popular offerings and revenue-generating activities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union members, however, warn that the impact could be broader. Vollman said fewer staff will likely mean fewer public-facing programs and experiences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000906\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000906 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Academy leadership said the cuts are aimed at addressing a projected deficit exceeding $8 million this fiscal year, following a $7.3 million shortfall the year before. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Gayle Laird via California Academy of Sciences)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There will still be programs on the public floor, but there will be fewer of them,” they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Angel added that reductions across departments, from public programs to planetarium production, could ripple through the institution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We won’t be able to serve guests. We won’t be able to continue public programs or the scientific research that this institution is world-renowned for,” she said. “These layoffs are going to deeply affect every aspect of our institution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Academy said the cuts are necessary to stabilize finances and ensure long-term sustainability. About 70% of its operating budget goes toward salaries and benefits, making staffing reductions one of the most immediate ways to reduce expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000908\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000908\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The exterior of the California Academy of Sciences building. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of California Academy of Sciences)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Reducing staff is always a last resort. Our dedicated staff members are the lifeblood of the Academy and are instrumental in propelling our mission forward,” said Scott Sampson, executive director at the Academy, in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, union leaders say the next few weeks will be critical as they negotiate with management over the impacts of the layoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re really committed to finding all possible solutions so that as few people are affected as possible,” Angel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "‘Chop From the Top’: California Academy of Sciences Union Pushes Back on Layoffs | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Union leaders at the California Academy of Sciences criticized a new round of layoffs affecting 53 workers, saying management failed to consider alternatives before cutting nearly 10% of the staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Academy leadership said the cuts are aimed at addressing a projected deficit exceeding $8 million this fiscal year, following a $7.3 million shortfall the year before. Officials cited rising operational costs, declining tourism to San Francisco, and changes in visitor behavior as key drivers of the financial strain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The layoffs affect 37 union-represented workers and nonunion staff. An additional 32 employees will be reassigned or have their hours reduced. Leadership said the cuts were made with a focus on preserving core priorities such as visitor experience, education, and scientific research, even as some programs are scaled back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But union representatives said the process has been abrupt and vague.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marie Angel is a curatorial assistant in the geology department at CalAcademy and chapter secretary at CalAcademy Workers United, a union that was formed in 2023 before a reduction in workforce the following year. She said workers were given little advance notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They did not meet with us to discuss alternatives to layoffs, even though they said that they had exhausted every option,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000904\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">After the San Francisco museum announced layoffs affecting 53 employees, union leaders are calling for greater transparency in decision-making and considering executive pay cuts as an alternative. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Gayle Laird via California Academy of Sciences)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Teddy Vollman, enhanced experience facilitator at the Academy and the president of the union, described how some employees first learned about the layoffs through news reports. “It was a very disconcerting thing to have happen to people,” Vollman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both Angel and Vollman shared that they are among those slated for layoffs. As of now, they have only been notified verbally and have not received formal written communication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders argue that alternatives such as executive pay cuts, job sharing, or tapping into institutional funds were not seriously considered.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We have a very large endowment and campaign fund. Those options were not looked into,” Angel said. She pointed to leadership compensation as an area for potential savings, noting that senior leaders collectively earn millions annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are about 15 people on our senior leadership team, and their combined income is about $5 million a year,” she said. “Our top priority is saving as many jobs as possible. Our main message is to chop from the top.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The layoffs come just two years after a similar round of workforce reductions in 2024, raising concerns among staff. Vollman said the repeated cuts risk undermining both employee morale and the institution’s mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our workforce continues to shrink,” they said, adding that morale is already low and trust in leadership has eroded. “We really want to push for transparency to rebuild that trust.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For visitors, the changes are expected to be noticeable, though leadership maintains that core experiences will remain intact. According to the Academy, program cuts will be “targeted,” with an emphasis on maintaining popular offerings and revenue-generating activities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union members, however, warn that the impact could be broader. Vollman said fewer staff will likely mean fewer public-facing programs and experiences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000906\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000906 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Academy leadership said the cuts are aimed at addressing a projected deficit exceeding $8 million this fiscal year, following a $7.3 million shortfall the year before. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Gayle Laird via California Academy of Sciences)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There will still be programs on the public floor, but there will be fewer of them,” they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Angel added that reductions across departments, from public programs to planetarium production, could ripple through the institution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We won’t be able to serve guests. We won’t be able to continue public programs or the scientific research that this institution is world-renowned for,” she said. “These layoffs are going to deeply affect every aspect of our institution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Academy said the cuts are necessary to stabilize finances and ensure long-term sustainability. About 70% of its operating budget goes toward salaries and benefits, making staffing reductions one of the most immediate ways to reduce expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000908\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000908\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/CalAcademyofSciences3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The exterior of the California Academy of Sciences building. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of California Academy of Sciences)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Reducing staff is always a last resort. Our dedicated staff members are the lifeblood of the Academy and are instrumental in propelling our mission forward,” said Scott Sampson, executive director at the Academy, in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, union leaders say the next few weeks will be critical as they negotiate with management over the impacts of the layoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re really committed to finding all possible solutions so that as few people are affected as possible,” Angel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "amid-ice-fears-mental-health-workers-report-drop-in-immigrants-seeking-treatment",
"title": "Amid ICE Fears, Mental Health Workers Report Drop in Immigrants Seeking Treatment",
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"headTitle": "Amid ICE Fears, Mental Health Workers Report Drop in Immigrants Seeking Treatment | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>On the outskirts of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> at Fowler Creek Park, rolling grassy hillsides stretch out towards the east, dotted with leafy shrubs and grazing cows. It’s a peaceful spot, where social worker Ruby Lopez-Flores used to love taking her clients to get fresh air, many of them the children of immigrant families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They sometimes don’t have the best home environment, and they just need to get out of the house for a second,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in recent months, Lopez-Flores has been unable to hold her sessions at the park, as many of her clients have started avoiding public spaces out of fear of being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Social workers in the Bay Area and Central Coast told KQED they’ve seen a drop in people accessing mental health support as the Trump administration has ramped up its deportation agenda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Lopez-Flores, a member of SEIU 521, which represents thousands of public and nonprofit workers, this has meant making more home visits and even holding sessions in her car to accommodate her clients’ growing fear of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of them fear coming home, and their parents won’t be there,” she said. “I do have clients that have already had encounters with ICE.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000703\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260417-ICEANXIETY-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260417-ICEANXIETY-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260417-ICEANXIETY-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260417-ICEANXIETY-08-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260417-ICEANXIETY-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fowler Creek Park in San José on April 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The mounting anxiety comes as President Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement a key priority in his second term, taking actions like \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-mass-deportation-campaign-first-year\">ramping up mass deportations\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/ice-arrested-more-than-800-people-after-tips-us-airport-security-agency-2026-04-07/\">deploying ICE at airports throughout the country\u003c/a>, and even \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/01/nx-s1-5732437/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-trump\">challenging birthright citizenship\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also comes as the agency has been the subject of intense criticism following violent encounters between its officers and protesters, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-second-u-s-citizen-was-killed-by-federal-forces-in-minneapolis-heres-what-we-know\">the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a result, immigrant communities around the Bay and Central Coast have stopped reaching out to mental health services out of fear of detainment.[aside postID=news_12079829 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/ImmigrantTaxes-GilsTaxServices.jpg']“They’re scared to come into our building,” said Yvette Carreon, who chairs the SEIU 521 Monterey County Committee on Political Education. “They’re scared to leave their houses. Children are not going to school.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For communities like Salinas and Pajaro, \u003ca href=\"https://www.salinas.gov/files/sharedassets/city/v/2/community-development/housing-documents/2018-regional-farm-worker-study.pdf\">collectively home to an estimated 91,000 farmworkers\u003c/a>, Carreon said the fear of encountering immigration agents has led to missed work and lost wages for a population that already \u003ca href=\"https://transform.ucsc.edu/publication/dignity-in-the-fields/\">faces severe housing insecurity and high rent\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When they’re not working, they’re now starving,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One \u003ca href=\"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03787\">study that looked at the impact of ICE raids\u003c/a> in the Southern California community of Oxnard last summer estimated the city’s agricultural workforce had shrunk by 20 to 40% in the aftermath of the raids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The impact of increased immigration enforcement on mental health is studied by researchers, who warn that the effects are likely to be the most pronounced in children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://tom-dee.github.io/files/dee-2025-immigration-PNAS.pdf\">Stanford study\u003c/a> published in October found that immigration raids in the Central Valley early on in Trump’s second term coincided with a 22% increase in daily student absences. Researchers said that the absenteeism could indicate developmentally harmful stress, potentially setting students back in their education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000760\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000760 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/051_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/051_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/051_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/051_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/051_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fields in Salinas, California, on April 13, 2011. \u003ccite>(Deborah Svoboda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dr. Kathleen Roche, a George Washington University professor who researches the effect of immigration policies on Latino families, said that negative effects on youth are long-lasting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and a team of researchers \u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2818679\">studied a group of more than 500 Latino adolescents over four years\u003c/a>. They looked at the effects of immigration related stressors, like a parent’s worries about work issues or avoiding medical care, on their child’s mental health. Families with someone who was detained or deported were more likely to experience heightened anxiety over separation and negative mental states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It certainly takes a tremendous amount of mental health intervention to help mitigate some of those harms,” Roche said, adding that there are likely to be long-term economic effects from the increased stress, as affected children are less likely to be prepared for school and jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000769\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000769\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-010_qed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-010_qed-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-010_qed-2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-010_qed-2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-010_qed-2-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A walkway at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in East San José on Feb. 17, 2023. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Carreon and Lopez-Flores, those are the kinds of outcomes they want to prevent. Both reported that the children they work with are missing class and dealing with heightened, ongoing stress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, Carreon said, the stakes are high any time there are barriers to care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What happens when [our clients] crash, when they hit that rock bottom,” she asked. “Then sometimes it’s too late to intervene.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "In parts of the Bay Area and Central Coast, some practitioners are increasing home visits, and even meeting clients in their cars, to ease fears of a run-in with ICE.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On the outskirts of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> at Fowler Creek Park, rolling grassy hillsides stretch out towards the east, dotted with leafy shrubs and grazing cows. It’s a peaceful spot, where social worker Ruby Lopez-Flores used to love taking her clients to get fresh air, many of them the children of immigrant families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They sometimes don’t have the best home environment, and they just need to get out of the house for a second,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in recent months, Lopez-Flores has been unable to hold her sessions at the park, as many of her clients have started avoiding public spaces out of fear of being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Social workers in the Bay Area and Central Coast told KQED they’ve seen a drop in people accessing mental health support as the Trump administration has ramped up its deportation agenda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Lopez-Flores, a member of SEIU 521, which represents thousands of public and nonprofit workers, this has meant making more home visits and even holding sessions in her car to accommodate her clients’ growing fear of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of them fear coming home, and their parents won’t be there,” she said. “I do have clients that have already had encounters with ICE.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000703\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260417-ICEANXIETY-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260417-ICEANXIETY-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260417-ICEANXIETY-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260417-ICEANXIETY-08-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260417-ICEANXIETY-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fowler Creek Park in San José on April 17, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The mounting anxiety comes as President Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement a key priority in his second term, taking actions like \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-mass-deportation-campaign-first-year\">ramping up mass deportations\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/ice-arrested-more-than-800-people-after-tips-us-airport-security-agency-2026-04-07/\">deploying ICE at airports throughout the country\u003c/a>, and even \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/01/nx-s1-5732437/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-trump\">challenging birthright citizenship\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also comes as the agency has been the subject of intense criticism following violent encounters between its officers and protesters, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-second-u-s-citizen-was-killed-by-federal-forces-in-minneapolis-heres-what-we-know\">the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a result, immigrant communities around the Bay and Central Coast have stopped reaching out to mental health services out of fear of detainment.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“They’re scared to come into our building,” said Yvette Carreon, who chairs the SEIU 521 Monterey County Committee on Political Education. “They’re scared to leave their houses. Children are not going to school.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For communities like Salinas and Pajaro, \u003ca href=\"https://www.salinas.gov/files/sharedassets/city/v/2/community-development/housing-documents/2018-regional-farm-worker-study.pdf\">collectively home to an estimated 91,000 farmworkers\u003c/a>, Carreon said the fear of encountering immigration agents has led to missed work and lost wages for a population that already \u003ca href=\"https://transform.ucsc.edu/publication/dignity-in-the-fields/\">faces severe housing insecurity and high rent\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When they’re not working, they’re now starving,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One \u003ca href=\"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03787\">study that looked at the impact of ICE raids\u003c/a> in the Southern California community of Oxnard last summer estimated the city’s agricultural workforce had shrunk by 20 to 40% in the aftermath of the raids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The impact of increased immigration enforcement on mental health is studied by researchers, who warn that the effects are likely to be the most pronounced in children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://tom-dee.github.io/files/dee-2025-immigration-PNAS.pdf\">Stanford study\u003c/a> published in October found that immigration raids in the Central Valley early on in Trump’s second term coincided with a 22% increase in daily student absences. Researchers said that the absenteeism could indicate developmentally harmful stress, potentially setting students back in their education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000760\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2000760 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/051_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/051_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/051_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/051_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/051_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fields in Salinas, California, on April 13, 2011. \u003ccite>(Deborah Svoboda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dr. Kathleen Roche, a George Washington University professor who researches the effect of immigration policies on Latino families, said that negative effects on youth are long-lasting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and a team of researchers \u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2818679\">studied a group of more than 500 Latino adolescents over four years\u003c/a>. They looked at the effects of immigration related stressors, like a parent’s worries about work issues or avoiding medical care, on their child’s mental health. Families with someone who was detained or deported were more likely to experience heightened anxiety over separation and negative mental states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It certainly takes a tremendous amount of mental health intervention to help mitigate some of those harms,” Roche said, adding that there are likely to be long-term economic effects from the increased stress, as affected children are less likely to be prepared for school and jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000769\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000769\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-010_qed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-010_qed-2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-010_qed-2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-010_qed-2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-010_qed-2-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A walkway at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in East San José on Feb. 17, 2023. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Carreon and Lopez-Flores, those are the kinds of outcomes they want to prevent. Both reported that the children they work with are missing class and dealing with heightened, ongoing stress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, Carreon said, the stakes are high any time there are barriers to care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What happens when [our clients] crash, when they hit that rock bottom,” she asked. “Then sometimes it’s too late to intervene.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "In June, San Francisco Will Vote on a $535M Earthquake Bond. Here’s What’s in It",
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"headTitle": "In June, San Francisco Will Vote on a $535M Earthquake Bond. Here’s What’s in It | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Experts have long agreed that San Francisco is due for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080455/san-franciscos-skyline-shines-but-earthquake-risk-remains-120-years-after-1906\">big earthquake\u003c/a> at any moment on any day. But the city isn’t quite ready for a massive shaking, like the 1989 Loma Prieta or the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983182/stunning-archival-photos-of-the-1906-earthquake-and-fire\">1906 earthquake\u003c/a> that leveled much of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City leaders have asked residents to approve a \u003ca href=\"https://sfpublicworks.org/eser-2026\">$535 million \u003c/a>earthquake bond in June, which would fund major seismic upgrades to public infrastructure. The goal is to improve the city’s capacity to respond quickly after a major earthquake and to aid in the aftermath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal seismologists said back in 2014 that there’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-probability-earthquake-will-occur-los-angeles-area-san-francisco-bay-area#:~:text=San%20Francisco%20Bay%20area%3A,an%20earthquake%20measuring%20magnitude%207.5\">nearly a three-in-four chance\u003c/a> of a 6.7-magnitude quake by 2044, and we’re already more than a decade into that timeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By passing this bond, we are taking steps to keep San Francisco safe by giving our neighborhoods the tools they need to withstand emergency events and ensuring our city is ready to respond quickly when disaster strikes,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-and-president-mandelman-announce-2026-earthquake-safety-and-emergency-response-bond-to-modernize-infrastructure-and-support-public-safety\">press release\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The entire Bay Area rests on multiple faultlines — including the San Andreas and the Hayward faults. Earthquake impacts could “cascade across shared infrastructure, housing, and lifelines” throughout San Francisco, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/publications/policy-brief/2026-04-09/120-years-after-1906\">recent report\u003c/a> from the nonprofit think tank SPUR. The report concludes that large portions of the city are potentially ill-prepared for a major earthquake. Namely, some 3,700 concrete buildings that could potentially pancake in a tremor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks to the press after giving a State of the City address at Rossi Park Ball Field in the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco on Jan. 15, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Brian Strong, the city’s chief resilience officer, said San Francisco spent more than $20 billion on seismic upgrades over the past several decades, but more needs to be done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve touched every neighborhood in the city, and we still have a lot of work to do, which is why another bond is coming up,” Strong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters approved similar bonds in 2010, 2014, and 2020 as part of a so-called phased approach in shoring up the city’s seismic risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, said the bond would pay for “big ticket items” that need updating. That includes making the city’s 911 call center “secure from a seismic perspective, so we’re functioning after an emergency,” Carroll said.[aside postID=news_12080455 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260415-SPUREARTHQUAKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg']The bond will focus on five areas: renovating the city’s aging emergency firefighting water system, potentially repairing five unsafe fire stations, updating police stations and support facilities and updating public safety buildings\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At $200 million, the largest pot of funds would go to retrofitting and replacing Muni’s more-than-a-century-old Potrero Bus Yard with a seismically safe facility. Some \u003ca href=\"https://westsideobserver.com/26/4-prop-a-eser-bond-slush-fund-no-vote-george-wooding.php\">criticized\u003c/a> the move as a transportation spending item. But city officials said Potrero Yard is important for “enabling evacuation services following an earthquake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Potrero Yard is at serious risk in a major earthquake,” said Julie Kirschbaum, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency director of transportation, in a release. “We have to protect our buses and, more importantly, the lives of the staff who maintain and operate them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second-highest dollar amount is $130 million to expand the city’s emergency firefighting water system “into underserved areas on the west side,” which, city officials said, “lack adequate firefighting water infrastructure.” The updates could include extending high-pressure water pipelines, adding fire hydrants, and other infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people have \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/forum/expand-the-city-s-emergency-water-system-before-its-too-late/article_19b70ccb-99e6-4dac-928d-297996a80939.html\">suggested\u003c/a> that relying on the Pacific Ocean’s copious water would be a better use of the funds. The plan would also update infrastructure at Fort Mason to pump water from the bay during an event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many west side facilities, including fire stations, the Taraval Police Station, and our emergency water system, are older and more vulnerable in a major quake,” District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong said in a release. “This bond is an important step toward making sure the Sunset is not an afterthought and that our communities have the infrastructure they need to stay safe and recover.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Experts have long agreed that San Francisco is due for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080455/san-franciscos-skyline-shines-but-earthquake-risk-remains-120-years-after-1906\">big earthquake\u003c/a> at any moment on any day. But the city isn’t quite ready for a massive shaking, like the 1989 Loma Prieta or the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983182/stunning-archival-photos-of-the-1906-earthquake-and-fire\">1906 earthquake\u003c/a> that leveled much of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City leaders have asked residents to approve a \u003ca href=\"https://sfpublicworks.org/eser-2026\">$535 million \u003c/a>earthquake bond in June, which would fund major seismic upgrades to public infrastructure. The goal is to improve the city’s capacity to respond quickly after a major earthquake and to aid in the aftermath.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal seismologists said back in 2014 that there’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-probability-earthquake-will-occur-los-angeles-area-san-francisco-bay-area#:~:text=San%20Francisco%20Bay%20area%3A,an%20earthquake%20measuring%20magnitude%207.5\">nearly a three-in-four chance\u003c/a> of a 6.7-magnitude quake by 2044, and we’re already more than a decade into that timeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By passing this bond, we are taking steps to keep San Francisco safe by giving our neighborhoods the tools they need to withstand emergency events and ensuring our city is ready to respond quickly when disaster strikes,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-and-president-mandelman-announce-2026-earthquake-safety-and-emergency-response-bond-to-modernize-infrastructure-and-support-public-safety\">press release\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The entire Bay Area rests on multiple faultlines — including the San Andreas and the Hayward faults. Earthquake impacts could “cascade across shared infrastructure, housing, and lifelines” throughout San Francisco, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/publications/policy-brief/2026-04-09/120-years-after-1906\">recent report\u003c/a> from the nonprofit think tank SPUR. The report concludes that large portions of the city are potentially ill-prepared for a major earthquake. Namely, some 3,700 concrete buildings that could potentially pancake in a tremor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260115-SOTC-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks to the press after giving a State of the City address at Rossi Park Ball Field in the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco on Jan. 15, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Brian Strong, the city’s chief resilience officer, said San Francisco spent more than $20 billion on seismic upgrades over the past several decades, but more needs to be done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve touched every neighborhood in the city, and we still have a lot of work to do, which is why another bond is coming up,” Strong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters approved similar bonds in 2010, 2014, and 2020 as part of a so-called phased approach in shoring up the city’s seismic risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, said the bond would pay for “big ticket items” that need updating. That includes making the city’s 911 call center “secure from a seismic perspective, so we’re functioning after an emergency,” Carroll said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The bond will focus on five areas: renovating the city’s aging emergency firefighting water system, potentially repairing five unsafe fire stations, updating police stations and support facilities and updating public safety buildings\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At $200 million, the largest pot of funds would go to retrofitting and replacing Muni’s more-than-a-century-old Potrero Bus Yard with a seismically safe facility. Some \u003ca href=\"https://westsideobserver.com/26/4-prop-a-eser-bond-slush-fund-no-vote-george-wooding.php\">criticized\u003c/a> the move as a transportation spending item. But city officials said Potrero Yard is important for “enabling evacuation services following an earthquake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Potrero Yard is at serious risk in a major earthquake,” said Julie Kirschbaum, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency director of transportation, in a release. “We have to protect our buses and, more importantly, the lives of the staff who maintain and operate them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second-highest dollar amount is $130 million to expand the city’s emergency firefighting water system “into underserved areas on the west side,” which, city officials said, “lack adequate firefighting water infrastructure.” The updates could include extending high-pressure water pipelines, adding fire hydrants, and other infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people have \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/forum/expand-the-city-s-emergency-water-system-before-its-too-late/article_19b70ccb-99e6-4dac-928d-297996a80939.html\">suggested\u003c/a> that relying on the Pacific Ocean’s copious water would be a better use of the funds. The plan would also update infrastructure at Fort Mason to pump water from the bay during an event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many west side facilities, including fire stations, the Taraval Police Station, and our emergency water system, are older and more vulnerable in a major quake,” District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong said in a release. “This bond is an important step toward making sure the Sunset is not an afterthought and that our communities have the infrastructure they need to stay safe and recover.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Whales traveling along the coast of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> are about to get a break. Or, more literally, the ships sharing space with whales will be asked to put on the brakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1998038/in-a-deadly-year-for-whales-ca-considers-statewide-program-to-slow-ships\">a long-awaited program\u003c/a> to incentivize large ships to slow to 10 knots or less — a whale-safe speed — goes into effect all along the state’s coastline.\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB14\"> \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, South Bay Rep. Sam Liccardo is also introducing federal legislation on Wednesday with parallel goals. His Save Willy Act would establish a “whale desk” at San Francisco’s Coast Guard station, creating a centralized place for whale sightings to be reported and mariners to be alerted, helping large ships avoid collisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ship strikes are a leading cause of death for whales. Last year was especially deadly for whales in and around the San Francisco Bay, with more ship-killed whales than usual being found. Also, last year, U.S. government scientists reported gray whale numbers were \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/eastern-north-pacific-gray-whales-continue-decline-after-downturn-during-unusual\">not bouncing back\u003c/a> from recent die-offs, and fewer calves were born than typical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s statewide rollout of the Blue Whales Blue Skies program has been more than a decade in the making, culminating in October’s signing of \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB14\">AB 14\u003c/a>, a bill authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart, D-Santa Barbara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a really big and positive step forward in maximizing whale protection in California,” said Jessica Morten, director of marine resource protection at the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, who has worked on the program for the last 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It started in 2014 as a voluntary trial for vessels to reduce their speed in the Santa Barbara Channel off Southern California. It has grown to encompass more areas that are hot spots for both ship traffic and whales, including the San Francisco Bay region. Researchers estimate it has reduced the risk of death by ship strike for whales in the area by 40%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000813\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000813\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/004_KQED_CargoShipSFBay_03082022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/004_KQED_CargoShipSFBay_03082022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/004_KQED_CargoShipSFBay_03082022_qed-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/004_KQED_CargoShipSFBay_03082022_qed-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/004_KQED_CargoShipSFBay_03082022_qed-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Maersk Line cargo ship sits idle in the San Francisco Bay on March 8, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s been really exciting to see the conservation wins we’ve been able to achieve in specific areas,” Morten said\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, Morten said, studying the problem of whale-ship collisions also highlighted that “the way we had the zones implemented in the past, we’re not covering all of the important whale habitat that exists off of California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That, she said, is why Wednesday’s expansion of the program is so important.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much like school zones, where cars must slow down to protect children, slowing a ship down can make high-traffic areas safer for whales. It’s easier for a whale to move out of the way and avoid slower-traveling ships, or for a ship’s captain to avoid a whale. And whales have a better chance of surviving a slower-moving crash.[aside postID=news_12044187 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/A.-Grey-whale_necropsy-at-Angel-Island-State-Park_Credit-Cara-Field-%C2%A9-The-Marine-Mammal-Center-1020x765.jpg']A less speedy boat is also a cleaner-burning boat — a parallel goal of the program is to get ships to produce less pollution. Dirty air created by burning fuel on the water can blow onshore. In some areas of California, marine shipping is the biggest source of nitrogen oxides, such as in Santa Barbara County (73%) and Ventura County (54%). Nitrogen oxides are a precursor to smog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Morten describes industry reaction to the statewide expansion of Blue Whales Blue Skies as “mixed.” While some shipping lines have expressed concern about being able to achieve high compliance, more lines have signed up for the program this year — 52, compared to 44 last year. She’s seen compliance grow over time as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in 2015, the program had about a 20% cooperation level. Last year, it was about 70%. Shipping lines that are good at complying receive honors in a yearly awards program, and an additional ambassador program allows brands and cargo owners to sign on to motivate shipping lines to prioritize whale safety and air quality. Current ambassadors include Patagonia, Sonos and the makers of Uggs, Hokas and Tevas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has both some of the best whale-watching opportunities in the world and some critically endangered populations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s basically nowhere else on Earth where you can almost guarantee that if you’re out on a boat regularly during certain times of the year, you can actually see a large aggregation of [blue whales] — incredibly large, amazing animals,” Morten said. “We have that right off of our coastline, right in our ocean backyard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But blue whales are also critically endangered, and they rely on the California coast as their main foraging habitat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000825\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Gray-Whale-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Gray-Whale-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Gray-Whale-Getty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Gray-Whale-Getty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Gray-Whale-Getty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A gray whale in Magdalena Bay, in Baja California. \u003ccite>(Mark Conlin/VW PICS/UIG via Getty Image)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gray whales are also experiencing extreme difficulties. \u003ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1775666/full\">Recent research\u003c/a> out of Sonoma State University and the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito estimates that 1 in 5 gray whales entering the San Francisco Bay dies there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration believe changes in gray whale feeding grounds in the Arctic — accelerated by climate change — are changing whale behavior, driving them into San Francisco Bay as they search for food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation introduced Wednesday by Sam Liccardo would seek to help whales by directing the Coast Guard to collect reports about their locations and alert vessel operators to their presence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Researchers track these whales daily, but we can scale their impact by crowd-sourcing data from the many more numerous commercial and recreational boats, and building a centralized alert system,” Liccardo said in a statement. “A whale desk will protect these magnificent creatures and help mariners avoid costly, harrowing collisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Whales traveling along the coast of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> are about to get a break. Or, more literally, the ships sharing space with whales will be asked to put on the brakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1998038/in-a-deadly-year-for-whales-ca-considers-statewide-program-to-slow-ships\">a long-awaited program\u003c/a> to incentivize large ships to slow to 10 knots or less — a whale-safe speed — goes into effect all along the state’s coastline.\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB14\"> \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, South Bay Rep. Sam Liccardo is also introducing federal legislation on Wednesday with parallel goals. His Save Willy Act would establish a “whale desk” at San Francisco’s Coast Guard station, creating a centralized place for whale sightings to be reported and mariners to be alerted, helping large ships avoid collisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ship strikes are a leading cause of death for whales. Last year was especially deadly for whales in and around the San Francisco Bay, with more ship-killed whales than usual being found. Also, last year, U.S. government scientists reported gray whale numbers were \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/eastern-north-pacific-gray-whales-continue-decline-after-downturn-during-unusual\">not bouncing back\u003c/a> from recent die-offs, and fewer calves were born than typical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s statewide rollout of the Blue Whales Blue Skies program has been more than a decade in the making, culminating in October’s signing of \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB14\">AB 14\u003c/a>, a bill authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart, D-Santa Barbara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a really big and positive step forward in maximizing whale protection in California,” said Jessica Morten, director of marine resource protection at the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, who has worked on the program for the last 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It started in 2014 as a voluntary trial for vessels to reduce their speed in the Santa Barbara Channel off Southern California. It has grown to encompass more areas that are hot spots for both ship traffic and whales, including the San Francisco Bay region. Researchers estimate it has reduced the risk of death by ship strike for whales in the area by 40%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000813\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000813\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/004_KQED_CargoShipSFBay_03082022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/004_KQED_CargoShipSFBay_03082022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/004_KQED_CargoShipSFBay_03082022_qed-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/004_KQED_CargoShipSFBay_03082022_qed-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/004_KQED_CargoShipSFBay_03082022_qed-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Maersk Line cargo ship sits idle in the San Francisco Bay on March 8, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s been really exciting to see the conservation wins we’ve been able to achieve in specific areas,” Morten said\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, Morten said, studying the problem of whale-ship collisions also highlighted that “the way we had the zones implemented in the past, we’re not covering all of the important whale habitat that exists off of California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That, she said, is why Wednesday’s expansion of the program is so important.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much like school zones, where cars must slow down to protect children, slowing a ship down can make high-traffic areas safer for whales. It’s easier for a whale to move out of the way and avoid slower-traveling ships, or for a ship’s captain to avoid a whale. And whales have a better chance of surviving a slower-moving crash.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>A less speedy boat is also a cleaner-burning boat — a parallel goal of the program is to get ships to produce less pollution. Dirty air created by burning fuel on the water can blow onshore. In some areas of California, marine shipping is the biggest source of nitrogen oxides, such as in Santa Barbara County (73%) and Ventura County (54%). Nitrogen oxides are a precursor to smog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Morten describes industry reaction to the statewide expansion of Blue Whales Blue Skies as “mixed.” While some shipping lines have expressed concern about being able to achieve high compliance, more lines have signed up for the program this year — 52, compared to 44 last year. She’s seen compliance grow over time as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in 2015, the program had about a 20% cooperation level. Last year, it was about 70%. Shipping lines that are good at complying receive honors in a yearly awards program, and an additional ambassador program allows brands and cargo owners to sign on to motivate shipping lines to prioritize whale safety and air quality. Current ambassadors include Patagonia, Sonos and the makers of Uggs, Hokas and Tevas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has both some of the best whale-watching opportunities in the world and some critically endangered populations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s basically nowhere else on Earth where you can almost guarantee that if you’re out on a boat regularly during certain times of the year, you can actually see a large aggregation of [blue whales] — incredibly large, amazing animals,” Morten said. “We have that right off of our coastline, right in our ocean backyard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But blue whales are also critically endangered, and they rely on the California coast as their main foraging habitat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000825\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Gray-Whale-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Gray-Whale-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Gray-Whale-Getty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Gray-Whale-Getty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/Gray-Whale-Getty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A gray whale in Magdalena Bay, in Baja California. \u003ccite>(Mark Conlin/VW PICS/UIG via Getty Image)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gray whales are also experiencing extreme difficulties. \u003ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1775666/full\">Recent research\u003c/a> out of Sonoma State University and the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito estimates that 1 in 5 gray whales entering the San Francisco Bay dies there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration believe changes in gray whale feeding grounds in the Arctic — accelerated by climate change — are changing whale behavior, driving them into San Francisco Bay as they search for food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation introduced Wednesday by Sam Liccardo would seek to help whales by directing the Coast Guard to collect reports about their locations and alert vessel operators to their presence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Researchers track these whales daily, but we can scale their impact by crowd-sourcing data from the many more numerous commercial and recreational boats, and building a centralized alert system,” Liccardo said in a statement. “A whale desk will protect these magnificent creatures and help mariners avoid costly, harrowing collisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>AlmaRosa Alarcon expected a routine delivery. She was 27 years old, healthy, and determined to give birth without an epidural. But when the doctor held up her daughter, Caterina, moments after she was born, he revealed tiny twisted feet, a condition known as clubfoot. Paramedics airlifted the newborn to a larger hospital, while Alarcon stayed behind, stunned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I didn’t think it was real,” she said. “I was in shock. I only spent like 20 minutes with her. It was one of the roughest days of my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doctors diagnosed the baby with a birth defect known as “spina bifida” that can cause lifelong complications, including nerve damage, mobility challenges and hydrocephalus — a buildup of fluid in the brain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was living in darkness,” Alarcon said. “It was so horrible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Caterina spent her first weeks in the hospital. Medical appointments defined the years that followed — sometimes three a week, more than an hour from home. Alarcon, a single mother, had to leave her factory job to care for her daughter full time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/birth-defects/about/neural-tube-defects.html\">Research\u003c/a> has linked spina bifida and other neural tube defects — serious conditions affecting the brain and spine — to women with low levels of folic acid during their pregnancy, Alarcon learned later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, California became the first state in the country to require folic acid in corn masa flour — the base for tortillas, tamales and other staples in many Latino households. Public health experts said the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/AB1830FAQ.aspx\">new law\u003c/a> could help prevent serious birth defects, which occur at \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4515959/\">higher rates\u003c/a> among Hispanic families. Other states are considering similar laws. But the move has also drawn pushback from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others, who argue that adding vitamins to food, what’s known as fortification, is government overreach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000744\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000744\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-04-KQED.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-04-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-04-KQED-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-04-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caterina Alarcon’s hand and footprints at 1 month old on Dec. 28 2013. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of AlmaRosa Alarcon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Globally, there’s a massive amount of evidence that mandatory fortification of commonly consumed foods reduces neural tube defects,” said Sharon Bustrak with Food Fortification Initiative, a global nonprofit that advocates for adding vitamins and minerals to staple foods. “That evidence is very, very clear. There’s been some modeling to suggest that if nationally we fortified corn masa products, we could probably reduce between 100 and 200 birth defects per year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That need is especially visible at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, down California’s Central Coast, where many patients are farmworkers and immigrants from Mexico, or Indigenous communities from Oaxaca and Guerrero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As many as 80%-90% are Spanish-speaking. And in that population, neural tube defects show up more often than in the general population. Some years, Dr. Daniele Feldman, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, treats as many as eight cases a year at the hospital.[aside postID=news_12079852 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/IMG_1441-1-2000x1500.jpg']“It can be really devastating,” she said. “And it’s always a really difficult conversation, because patients will inevitably ask … what could I have done differently?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neural tube defects develop very early in pregnancy — often before someone even knows they’re pregnant. The neural tube, which becomes the brain and spinal cord, is supposed to close within the first few weeks. Without enough folic acid, a B vitamin, that process can fail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Folic acid is really important in DNA synthesis and cell division,” said Dr. Shilpa Mathew, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Sacramento. “It’s really important to have that vitamin right at the beginning of pregnancy, when there’s tissue formation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1998, \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/04/15/2016-08792/food-additives-permitted-for-direct-\">the federal government required folic acid\u003c/a> in enriched grains like bread, cereal and pasta. Public health experts say the policy was a success, reducing neural tube defects in the United States by \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12115778/\">more than 30%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the benefits were not evenly distributed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rule did not include corn masa flour. Over time, a persistent disparity remained: Hispanic families continued to experience \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4151938/\">higher rates of birth defects\u003c/a>. In California, those rates are roughly double that of white or Black women, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CFH/DGDS/Pages/cbdmp/Neural-Tube-Defects.aspx\">state data\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000743\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 900px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000743\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-03-KQED.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-03-KQED-160x284.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-03-KQED-768x1365.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-03-KQED-864x1536.jpg 864w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caterina Alarcon (L), AlmaRosa Alarcon (M), and Anne Marie Alarcon (R) on Easter Sunday at their home in Albertville, Alabama, on April 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of AlmaRosa Alarcon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There are lots of reasons someone might not be taking folic acid,” Feldman said. Some people don’t know they should. Others aren’t planning to get pregnant. Cost can be a barrier. And for some, diet alone doesn’t provide enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the new law, manufacturers must add a small, standardized amount of folic acid, about 0.7 milligrams per pound, to corn masa flour, and disclose it on nutrition labels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is once again leading the nation in protecting mothers and infants from preterm birth defects,” said Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, the bill’s sponsor, in a statement. “I’m grateful that this legislation will provide a culturally appropriate way to address disparities to help prevent birth defects across our state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics argue that large-scale fortification is unnecessary for most people and could limit their choices. Some also argue that adding folic acid to foods like tortillas and tamales changes traditional recipes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Social media is also rife with people who claim certain gene variants can’t properly process the vitamin, although medical experts said the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/folic-acid/data-research/mthfr/index.html\">science doesn’t back that up\u003c/a>. Kennedy criticized California’s new law in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/2004972985246212176\">post on the social media platform X,\u003c/a> calling it “insanity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final version includes exemptions for small-scale producers and snack foods like tortilla chips, amendments that came after industry pushback.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>2,000 miles away, Alarcon is watching closely as Alabama prepares to follow California’s lead this summer. She and Caterina, now 12, live in the city of Albertville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After years of surgeries and treatment, Caterina’s condition is stable, but she has to wear leg braces and sometimes relies on a wheelchair. She struggles with migraines and incontinence. But Caterina is also a strong student who loves reading and anime — and is already imagining her future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m actually becoming a public speaker,” she said, lighting up as she described a podcast project. She plans to become a media consultant focused on making sure people with disabilities are represented accurately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I deeply support these new laws,” she said. “I wouldn’t wish my body on my worst enemy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>AlmaRosa Alarcon expected a routine delivery. She was 27 years old, healthy, and determined to give birth without an epidural. But when the doctor held up her daughter, Caterina, moments after she was born, he revealed tiny twisted feet, a condition known as clubfoot. Paramedics airlifted the newborn to a larger hospital, while Alarcon stayed behind, stunned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I didn’t think it was real,” she said. “I was in shock. I only spent like 20 minutes with her. It was one of the roughest days of my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Doctors diagnosed the baby with a birth defect known as “spina bifida” that can cause lifelong complications, including nerve damage, mobility challenges and hydrocephalus — a buildup of fluid in the brain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was living in darkness,” Alarcon said. “It was so horrible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Caterina spent her first weeks in the hospital. Medical appointments defined the years that followed — sometimes three a week, more than an hour from home. Alarcon, a single mother, had to leave her factory job to care for her daughter full time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/birth-defects/about/neural-tube-defects.html\">Research\u003c/a> has linked spina bifida and other neural tube defects — serious conditions affecting the brain and spine — to women with low levels of folic acid during their pregnancy, Alarcon learned later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, California became the first state in the country to require folic acid in corn masa flour — the base for tortillas, tamales and other staples in many Latino households. Public health experts said the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/AB1830FAQ.aspx\">new law\u003c/a> could help prevent serious birth defects, which occur at \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4515959/\">higher rates\u003c/a> among Hispanic families. Other states are considering similar laws. But the move has also drawn pushback from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others, who argue that adding vitamins to food, what’s known as fortification, is government overreach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000744\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000744\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-04-KQED.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-04-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-04-KQED-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-04-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caterina Alarcon’s hand and footprints at 1 month old on Dec. 28 2013. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of AlmaRosa Alarcon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Globally, there’s a massive amount of evidence that mandatory fortification of commonly consumed foods reduces neural tube defects,” said Sharon Bustrak with Food Fortification Initiative, a global nonprofit that advocates for adding vitamins and minerals to staple foods. “That evidence is very, very clear. There’s been some modeling to suggest that if nationally we fortified corn masa products, we could probably reduce between 100 and 200 birth defects per year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That need is especially visible at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, down California’s Central Coast, where many patients are farmworkers and immigrants from Mexico, or Indigenous communities from Oaxaca and Guerrero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As many as 80%-90% are Spanish-speaking. And in that population, neural tube defects show up more often than in the general population. Some years, Dr. Daniele Feldman, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, treats as many as eight cases a year at the hospital.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It can be really devastating,” she said. “And it’s always a really difficult conversation, because patients will inevitably ask … what could I have done differently?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neural tube defects develop very early in pregnancy — often before someone even knows they’re pregnant. The neural tube, which becomes the brain and spinal cord, is supposed to close within the first few weeks. Without enough folic acid, a B vitamin, that process can fail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Folic acid is really important in DNA synthesis and cell division,” said Dr. Shilpa Mathew, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Sacramento. “It’s really important to have that vitamin right at the beginning of pregnancy, when there’s tissue formation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1998, \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/04/15/2016-08792/food-additives-permitted-for-direct-\">the federal government required folic acid\u003c/a> in enriched grains like bread, cereal and pasta. Public health experts say the policy was a success, reducing neural tube defects in the United States by \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12115778/\">more than 30%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the benefits were not evenly distributed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rule did not include corn masa flour. Over time, a persistent disparity remained: Hispanic families continued to experience \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4151938/\">higher rates of birth defects\u003c/a>. In California, those rates are roughly double that of white or Black women, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CFH/DGDS/Pages/cbdmp/Neural-Tube-Defects.aspx\">state data\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2000743\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 900px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000743\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-03-KQED.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-03-KQED-160x284.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-03-KQED-768x1365.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/260416-FOLIC-ACID-03-KQED-864x1536.jpg 864w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caterina Alarcon (L), AlmaRosa Alarcon (M), and Anne Marie Alarcon (R) on Easter Sunday at their home in Albertville, Alabama, on April 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of AlmaRosa Alarcon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There are lots of reasons someone might not be taking folic acid,” Feldman said. Some people don’t know they should. Others aren’t planning to get pregnant. Cost can be a barrier. And for some, diet alone doesn’t provide enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the new law, manufacturers must add a small, standardized amount of folic acid, about 0.7 milligrams per pound, to corn masa flour, and disclose it on nutrition labels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is once again leading the nation in protecting mothers and infants from preterm birth defects,” said Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, the bill’s sponsor, in a statement. “I’m grateful that this legislation will provide a culturally appropriate way to address disparities to help prevent birth defects across our state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics argue that large-scale fortification is unnecessary for most people and could limit their choices. Some also argue that adding folic acid to foods like tortillas and tamales changes traditional recipes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Social media is also rife with people who claim certain gene variants can’t properly process the vitamin, although medical experts said the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/folic-acid/data-research/mthfr/index.html\">science doesn’t back that up\u003c/a>. Kennedy criticized California’s new law in a \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/2004972985246212176\">post on the social media platform X,\u003c/a> calling it “insanity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final version includes exemptions for small-scale producers and snack foods like tortilla chips, amendments that came after industry pushback.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>2,000 miles away, Alarcon is watching closely as Alabama prepares to follow California’s lead this summer. She and Caterina, now 12, live in the city of Albertville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After years of surgeries and treatment, Caterina’s condition is stable, but she has to wear leg braces and sometimes relies on a wheelchair. She struggles with migraines and incontinence. But Caterina is also a strong student who loves reading and anime — and is already imagining her future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m actually becoming a public speaker,” she said, lighting up as she described a podcast project. She plans to become a media consultant focused on making sure people with disabilities are represented accurately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I deeply support these new laws,” she said. “I wouldn’t wish my body on my worst enemy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\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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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"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": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
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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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"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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