The Bay

Making New Friends Here: Easy or Hard?

We're working on an episode about making friends in the Bay Area. And we want your help. What's it been like for you to make friends here? How'd you do it? Is there anything about life in the Bay that makes it easier or harder to meet people? Let us know your thoughts. You can do that in one of two ways: Leave us a voicemail at 415-710-9223 Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to thebay@kqed.org We might just reach back out for an upcoming episode. We can't wait to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keeping Venezuelan Culture Alive Through Dance

The Venezuelan diaspora in the Bay Area is relatively small. Of the estimated 770,000 Venezuelan natives living in the United States in 2024, only about 23,000 — or 3% — are in California, according to the Migration Policy Institute. But as the country’s political turmoil continues to make headlines, a nonprofit called Dulce Tricolor Venezolano is committed to keeping their culture alive and building community through teaching traditional dance. Links: Venezuelan Dance Group in the Bay Area Keeps Culture Alive for a New Generation Subscribe to KQED’s K Onda newsletter Dulce Tricolor Venezolano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SF Public School Teachers Go On Strike

On Monday, teachers at San Francisco Unified School District went on strike for the first time since 1979. The district and the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) remain apart on issues like wage increases and family health care. We talk with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Jill Tucker about the impact on families, and why teacher strikes seem to be spreading across California. Links: San Francisco Teachers Strike: What Should Families Know? | KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San José Mayor Matt Mahan Wants to Be Governor. Here’s A Look Into His Signature Homelessness Program

Since San José Mayor Matt Mahan took office in 2023, the city has dramatically shifted the city’s approach to homelessness from building permanent affordable housing to building more temporary shelters, with the goal of getting people off the street faster. Now, as he eyes the governor's office, we look into how his signature homelessness program is going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl: Fans Feel Pride, But Also Fears of ICE

The Bay Area is gearing up for ‘Benito Bowl,’ AKA Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show performance, with watch parties planned across the Bay. But his performance comes at a time when fans in immigrant communities are worried about immigration enforcement actions around the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, despite reassurances from the NFL and local police. Links: ICE at the Super Bowl: What We Know Right Now How’s Bad Bunny Left His Mark on the Bay Area? Let Us Count the Ways As Bay Area Gears Up to Host Super Bowl LX and Bad Bunny Halftime Show, Fears of ICE Loom | KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices