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Governor Announces "Emergency Brake" Regional Stay-at-Home Order to Curb Covid-19 Dec 04, 2020

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On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a regional stay-at-home order to curb rising Covid-19 infections. The order divides the state into five regions and will go into effect when ICU bed capacity in a region drops below 15%. While no region currently meets that threshold, experts predict that most of California will be impacted soon. Under the order, essential businesses and schools may remain open, but indoor dining at restaurants, bars, hair salons, among other businesses will be closed for at least three weeks.

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With Payments Soon to Resume, Demands Grow for Student Loan Cancellation Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

Federal student loan relief is set to expire at the end of the year, burdening many -- who are already struggling amid the pandemic -- with another monthly payment to consider. President-elect Biden has committed to cancelling $10,000 in student debt for all borrowers. Other Democratic leaders, such as Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren, are calling for up to $50,000 in forgiveness. Critics say loan cancellation is regressive, since those with college degrees typically earn more, and that it doesn’t address the underlying issues with student debt. We’ll discuss what will happen if federal student loan relief expires, growing demands for student debt cancellation, and how student loans have burdened people of color particularly heavily.

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SFMTA Budget Shortfall Could Lead to Massive Layoffs Dec 03, 2020

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As many as 22% of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency personnel could be laid off over the next year as the transit agency faces a massive budget shortfall of $68 million this fiscal year and a projected $168 million deficit next year. The agency, which operates Muni and the city's taxis and street parking has been hard hit by sharp declines in fare revenue and parking fees. We'll hear about the massive budget crisis and what it may mean for the agency's essential workers.

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Allegations of Corruption and Bad Decisions Rock SF City Hall Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

San Francisco’s City Administrator took a leave of absence Wednesday after federal prosecutors charged her husband, former San Francisco Public Utilities Commission chief Harlan Kelley with accepting bribes earlier this week. Naomi Kelly is the fifth city department head to step down since federal authorities launched a wide ranging corruption investigation. We’ll discuss the scandal and the criticisms lobbed at mayor London Breed for attending a party at the French Laundry restaurant in Napa as COVID-19 cases surge.

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California Weighs New Stay-at-Home Order As It Prepares to Distribute First Vaccine Doses Dec 02, 2020

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As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge across California and much of the nation, Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering a second stay-at-home order on top of the nightly curfew for nearly all of the state’s residents. If projections hold, the state’s intensive care units could be overloaded by mid-December and hospitals could be dangerously full by Christmas. The sobering projections come as the state is set to receive 327,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine this month, but questions remain about who gets the vaccine first, and when.

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Erik Larson’s ‘The Splendid and the Vile’ Mixes Myth and Reality to Portray Churchill and the Blitz Dec 02, 2020

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In his most recent book "The Splendid and the Vile," author Erik Larson portrays Winston Churchill — and the family members and advisors around him — during his first year as prime minister of the United Kingdom. Larson, a bestselling nonfiction writer and author of "Devil in the White City," joins us to talk about Churchill’s leadership, from his taking office on the day Germany invaded Holland and Belgium to the way he’s remembered today.

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California Prisons Contend with Another Surge in Coronavirus Infections Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

COVID-19 cases are rising again in California's state prisons with over 3,600 active cases reported as of Sunday. Early releases, done to ease crowding, have slowed and prisons remain overcrowded systemwide. Positive cases among prison staff are also of concern and some staff are failing to comply with personal protective equipment protocols. Meanwhile, county jails continue to struggle with a backlog of inmates awaiting transfers to state prisons. This latest surge prompted California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials to again stop transfers as of last Thursday. After coming under fire for the poor handling of previous outbreaks, critics now say CDCR has been too slow to learn from past mistakes. We'll discuss the latest news.

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Rents Fall in Parts of California, But Housing Insecurity Still High Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

As pandemic-induced remote work frees up some employees to live anywhere they have Internet access, vacancy rates are rising in parts of California. That's putting some renters in the driver's seat in pricey coastal cities like San Francisco -- where rents have dropped nearly 22% since January -- and Los Angeles. But rents in traditionally more affordable inland and suburban areas are increasing, prompting concerns about gentrification and displacement, especially as so many Californians remain unemployed during the pandemic. We'll talk about the state of California's rental market.

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How the Bay Area’s Live Music Venues Are Fighting to Survive the Pandemic Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

The last few weeks have brought welcome news of promising vaccines, and at least a faint light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. But for many of the Bay Area’s struggling music venues, the end of restrictions might not come soon enough. Those clubs and theaters say they desperately need government help -- or will go out of business permanently. We’ll check in on the local music scene and find out about efforts to help venues and artists.

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Incoming Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón Promises Criminal Justice Reform Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

Nearly 20 years ago George Gascón was the assistant chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. This month he was elected as the city’s new district attorney overcoming fierce opposition from law enforcement groups. Gascón, the former district attorney and police chief of San Francisco, campaigned on a platform of criminal justice reform, including a promise to stop prosecuting children as adults, not seeking the death penalty and possibly reopening investigations into fatal shootings by police officers. We’ll talk to Gascón about his ideas for reform and his close election, defeating LA’s first Black district attorney partly by galvanizing the support of Black Lives Matter activists.

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