Author: KQED

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Bay Curious - Dialing POP-CORN

For decades there was a phone service in Northern California that would read you the time and date if you dialed POP-CORN, the letters that represented 767-2676. That service went dark back in 2007, and Bay Curious listener George wants to know why. In this nostalgic episode, we take a romp through the innovative technlology that powered time-and-date services, and meet the beloved voice behind POP-CORN, Joanne Daniels.

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Reported by Christopher Beale. This episode was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Christopher Beale and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the entire KQED Family.

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Bay Curious - How Italians Were Treated As ‘Enemy Aliens’ During WWII

During World War II, 10,000 Italian citizens living in California were forced to leave their homes as part of security measures meant to protect the West Coast from enemy invasion. Others were forced to register as enemy aliens, and were subject to property seizures, curfews and travel restrictions. On this week’s show, Pauline Bartolone investigates what West Coast Italians faced during WWII, how it was different from what Italians experience elsewhere, and why many people — including Italians – don’t know this history.


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This story was reported by Pauline Bartolone. Special thanks to Historian Stephen Fox and to James King for writing in to Bay Curious with the question. 

This episode of Bay Curious was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Christopher Beale and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett, Bianca Taylor, Holly Kernan and the entire KQED family.


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Bay Curious - How Anchor Brewing Started the Craft Beer Craze

In the 1960s and 70s, American beer drinkers didn't have many options. Large brewers were pumping out beer that was bland, tasteless and characterless. But in San Francisco, one small brewer was doing it differently. Their methods weren't new — they were making beer the old fashioned way — but their brew stood out as robust and flavorful among the sea of lackluster options. Their beer garnered a lot of attention — and helped launch a craft brewing revolution. This week on the show, producer Amanda Font explores craft beer's history in San Francisco, and visits a successful brewery who is carrying on the creative torch.

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED Family.

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Bay Curious - The Future of Fog

Foggy days are a fact of life in the Bay Area, but climate change could lead to fewer of them in the coming years. While that might be welcome news to some, the truth is fog is an important weather phenomenon for all kinds of reasons. This week, reporter Dana Cronin demystifies the mist and finds out what we might expect for the future of fog.

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Dana Cronin. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - Rethinking San Jose’s Urban Sprawl

San Jose is the most populated Bay Area city with a million residents. Yet, for a city its size, it feels pretty spread out. And that's not great for climate change or population growth. This week we're sharing an episode of the podcast Sold Out from our colleagues at KQED. Reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi takes stock of why San Jose is a so characterized by urban sprawl, and how the city is looking at ways to build for a denser, greener future.

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. The Sold Out team also includes Erin Baldassari, Erika Kelly, Kevin Stark, Jen Chien and Brendan Willard.

Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - The Poster Queen of the Fillmore

The Fillmore Auditorium is so chock full of musical history, it feels like the building itself has a soul. Nowhere is that better on display than in the theater's iconic poster room, filled with colorful framed signs for hundreds of shows through the decades. Since 1985, concertgoers have gotten their own free copies of the posters as they leave the theater. But who is the person behind these awesome keepsakes? Reporter Bianca Taylor introduces us to Arlene Owseichik, the creative director responsible for more than 2,000 of them.

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Bianca Taylor. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - The Marijuana Minister of the Castro

During the height of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, in a small church a few blocks from the heart of the Castro, one pastor changed the experience of communion and committed felonies to comfort his flock. Reporter Christopher Beale brings us this story, which he originally produced for his podcast "Stereotypes: Straight Talk from Queer Voices," and later aired on The California Report Magazine.

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Christopher Beale. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - The Demon of the Belfry

One hundred twenty-eight years ago, San Francisco was haunted by a bizarre, brutal murder case. And in terms of macabre ingredients, this story truly had it all. In the final episode of our Boo Curious series, reporter Carly Severn digs into the story of Theo Durrant, and the subsequent media frenzy around this case that draws parallels with our modern-day obsession with 'true crime.'

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan

One chapter in the Bay Area's long tradition of local subcultures is often overlooked: America’s first official satanic church was started right here in San Francisco. In the third installment in our Boo Curious series, producer Amanda Font finds the devil in the details of The Church of Satan's larger-than-life founder, Anton LaVey, and the Black House where it all started. It's a story filled with lust, intrigue and a fair amount of theatrics.

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Victoria Mauleon, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Maha Sanad, Matthew Green and Holly Kernan.

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Bay Curious - A Spooky Mansion & The Notorious Lone Tree

This is the second episode in our month-long BOO Curious series! Today we've got a double feature. First, we look at how 19th century estate in Oakland became the undisputed star of spooky films dating back to the 1970s. Then, we head a little south to Hayward, where the centuries-old Legend of the Lone Tree inspires intrigue with its story of love, betrayal ... and gruesome murder.

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts


These stories were reported by Rachael Myrow and Pauline Bartolone. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Pauline Bartolone, Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.