Author: KQED

There’s no question that today, the nine-county Bay Area votes solidly blue. But it hasn’t always been this way. One of the most conservative Republican candidates ever picked, Barry Goldwater, was nominated right here in 1964. So, how did the Bay Area become a bastion of blue?

Additional Reading:

• When and Why the Bay Area Became So Liberal
• Political Breakdown Podcast
• Prop Fest Series
• KQED's 2022 Voter Guide
• Read a transcript of this episode

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

This story was reported by Scott Shafer. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

Scott has lived all over the Bay Area and he still can't get over how different the weather can be from one place to another. He wants to know why the Bay Area has so many microclimates and where they are. And, as a bonus, we ask people in the know if the heat island affect is at play in Bay Area cities.

Additional Reading:

• Why Does the Bay Area Have So Many Microclimates?
• Why San Francisco Is So Windy and Foggy in the Summer
• Find a transcript of the episode here

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

This story was reported by Daniel Potter. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

Prop Fest 2022 breaks down all the statewide propositions on your ballot. Proposition 31 is a referendum on a law California legislators passed in 2020 that would ban the sale of favored tobacco products in retail outlets.

Additional Reading:

• KQED Voter Guide
• Find a transcript of the episode here

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

This story was reported by Leslie McClurg. Prop Fest is made by the Bay Curious team, Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard, in collaboration with The Bay team, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, and Maria Esquinca. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

Prop Fest 2022 breaks down all the statewide propositions on your ballot. Proposition 30 is a climate measure meant to reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions and fight air pollution. It would do that by taxing people who earn more than $2 million per year and using the revenue for electric vehicle rebates, charging infrastructure and wildfire prevention and suppression programs.

Additional Reading:

• KQED Voter Guide
• Read a transcript of this episode here

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

This story was reported by Kevin Stark. Prop Fest is made by the Bay Curious team, Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard, in collaboration with The Bay team, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, and Maria Esquinca. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

Prop Fest 2022 breaks down all the statewide propositions on your ballot. Proposition 29 would require onsite licensed medical professional at kidney dialysis clinics and establishes other state requirements. Proponents say it's aimed at improving care. Opponents say it's an unnecessary and expensive regulation.

Additional Reading:

• KQED Voter Guide
• You can find a transcript of this episode here

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

This story was reported by Kevin Stark. Prop Fest is made by the Bay Curious team, Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard, in collaboration with The Bay team, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, and Maria Esquinca. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Christopher Beale, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

Prop Fest 2022 breaks down all the statewide propositions on your ballot. Proposition 28 would guarantee a set amount of funding from the general fund goes to arts education.

Additional Reading:

• KQED Voter Guide
• Find a transcript of this episode here
• Sacramento Bee interview with Austin Beutner

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

This story was reported by Julia McEvoy. Prop Fest is made by the Bay Curious team, Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard, in collaboration with The Bay team, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, and Maria Esquinca. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Christiopher Beale, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

Prop Fest 2022 breaks down all the statewide propositions on your ballot. We're tackling Propositions 26 and 27 in one episode because they overlap in some ways. Propositions 26 and 27 will affect the way sports betting, and some other forms of gambling, are handled in the state of California.

Additional Reading:

• KQED Voter Guide
• Get a transcript of the episode here

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

This story was reported by Guy Marzorati. Prop Fest is made by the Bay Curious team, Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard, in collaboration with The Bay team, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, and Maria Esquinca. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

Prop Fest 2022 breaks down all the statewide propositions on your ballot. Proposition 1 would solidify abortion and reproductive rights into the state constitution. If you thought abortion was already protected in California, you’re not wrong. But today we’ll learn why the California lawmakers who placed this on our ballot want to take things a step further, and we’ll dig into the details that have opponents concerned.

Additional Reading:

• KQED Voter Guide
• Read episode transcript here

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

This story was reported by April Dembosky. Prop Fest is made by the Bay Curious team, Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard, in collaboration with The Bay team, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, and Maria Esquinca. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

Bay Curious listener Katie Talda recently visited San Francisco's only indoor skating rink, the Church of 8 Wheels. The novelty of skating inside an old Catholic church left her wondering how the building went from house of worship to roller disco. We dig into a bit of San Francisco's skating history, and meet the man behind the Church of 8 Wheels, who's known by many as the 'Godfather of Skate.'

Additional Reading:

• Wanna Try Roller Skating in San Francisco? Better Head to Church
• Read the transcript here
• Want more answers to your questions? Sign up for our monthly newsletter!

This story was reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, and Brendan Willard. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.

This week we remember two amusement parks that have etched themselves into the imaginations of generations of Bay Area residents: Idora Park in Oakland and San Francisco's Playland at the Beach.

Additional Reading:

• Idora Park and Playland-at-the-Beach: Bay Area Amusement Parks of a Bygone Era
• Read the transcript here
• Want more answers to your questions? Sign up for our monthly newsletter!

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, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.