Steven Birenbaum: Old Men and the Three | KQED
"We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing."
KQED
KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California.
Featured Writers
Kelly Nguyen
I'm a constantly curious writer and storyteller focused on centering the diverse voices that make up our world.
View Portfolio
Joan Greve
Hi! My name's Joan Greve, and I am a political journalist with nearly a decade of experience covering the White House, Capitol Hill and campaigns.
View Portfolio
Mohar Chatterjee
I'm a journalist and an engineer. I report stories that combine innovative software skills and traditional investigative techniques.
View Portfolio
Sarah Stierch
I'm a journalist, opinionist, photographer and polymath based in northern California. I am currently seeking freelance opportunities in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake Counties in Northern California. I am currently …
View PortfolioLatest Articles
As Ukraine War Nears 2-Year Mark, Funding Stalls in Congress
As the war between Russia and Ukraine drags on without any clear momentum on either side, Republicans in Congress are balking at more U.S. aid to defeat Putin, while the Biden Administration pursues a deal that would include tougher border enforcement. We’ll discuss the standoff over Ukraine funding in Congress …
Family Of Farmworker Killed By Police Call For Accountability
New Carbon Capture Funding Could Help California Meet Climate Goals The Department of Energy has announced $100 million in funding for 19 carbon capture projects nationwide. One of those projects is destined for the Kern County foothills, near Taft. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR Santa Rosa Vigil Marks One Year Since …
This 30-Mile East Bay Trail Has Roots on the Railroad
That last question goes back further in Au’s own life. She grew up in Walnut Creek, where for a long time an old railroad depot housed a steak restaurant. “I grew up passing by looking at it thinking, ‘Oh, what a cool building,’” she said. “And then (feeling) kind of …
At Kiss My Boba, Tongan Specialty Helps San Bruno Shop Stand Out
The ubiquity of boba drink shops in the Bay Area did not discourage Willy and Chelsea Tatola from pursuing their dream of opening one. Instead, it challenged the husband-and-wife team to offer something new and different. “We tried to come up with a unique name that, once you came to …
Bay Area Chicana Blues Singer's New Album Is a Celebration of Spanish — a Language She Fought to Learn
But it was expensive to hire a teacher, and Crouse’s family couldn’t afford to help support her education. Crouse, who grew up in a lower-income, single-parent home, needed financial security, and wasn’t sure her love of music would translate into a true career. Still, after college, graduate school, and a …
California's Working-Age Latinos Are Disproportionately Dying of COVID-19
On Dec. 20, as many Bay Area families prepared to celebrate an unusual pandemic Christmas, Maribel Alvarado’s family confronted some shocking news. The vibrant 38-year-old had died suddenly from COVID-19 that day, at a Kaiser Hospital in San Jose. Alvarado had started feeling symptoms less than a week before, and …
How We Analyzed Death Records and Found Overdoses Rising
While reporting on infectious disease deaths is normally considered the purview of the medical examiner or coroner, most counties in California assigned the tracking and reporting of COVID-19-related deaths to local health departments. In Santa Clara County, all COVID-19 deaths were reported to, and reviewed by, the Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office, …
Fentanyl Is Killing More People During the Pandemic. In Santa Clara County, Victims Are Getting Younger
In April, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office filed murder charges against one of those alleged dealers for selling fake pills that killed an 18-year-old woman. Grace Bhardwaj and her 17-year-old boyfriend had purchased what they thought were Percocet pills on Snapchat on April 5, according to the county's …
More Whales Are Washing Up Dead on Bay Area Beaches. Why?
Five-year-old Caleb Whan is very interested in whales. He asked Bay Curious a bevy of questions about what they eat and where they live, which is how he ended up trudging across a windy Sausalito beach with a veterinary pathologist, his dad and me.
Rising R&B Artist Thuy Sings to Heal Her Past
Thuy is rewriting the rules of her universe. Hailing from the East Bay town of Newark, the up-and-coming singer is carving out new paths, bringing light and vulnerability into her galaxy of sound. It’s music she’s spent her whole life wanting to make. Now, she’s found her voice, and is …
Youth Takeover: Thrift Shopping Has Become More Popular — and Controversial
The garment industry is a major global polluter and a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. With the rise of social apps like TikTok, fashion trends come and go in a flash, and the fast-fashion industry is expanding to keep up. In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, many …
The North Bay Journalist Providing Vital Fire Information for Her Neighbors
North Bay journalist Sarah Stierch has become a resource for locals looking for critical fire information, down to their specific block. That’s because when the North Bay was burning in 2017, she knew the streets and roads and homes intimately enough to gain the trust of her neighbors seeking information. …
Wildfires Sweep through Wine Country, Forcing Thousands to Evacuate
Thousands of Northern California residents awoke to flames on Monday, as dry conditions and high winds caused multiple fires to explode in size overnight. The Glass Fire - after merging with the Boysen Fire in St. Helena and Shady Fire near Santa Rosa - scorched an estimated 11,000 acres in …
How One Kid Helped Take on Big Oil
The story of one teenager from South Los Angeles who, at 14, sued Los Angeles for environmental racism in the way the city granted permits for oil drilling.
Sonoma's Popular Fremont Diner is Officially Closed
“While we’re closing the diner doors today, the oven is still hot. We have plans to sit down with new ideas and reopen the space with a fresh food concept that will allow us to bring people together, live life to the fullest and do both over a really good …
Homeless Cleared from Oakland's Mosswood Park Ahead of Burger Boogaloo
Oakland police officers cleared out homeless camps at Oakland's Mosswood Park Tuesday, days before the popular punk festival Burger Boogaloo.
Kelly Johnson, Former Berkeley Symphony Director, Chooses to End Life
When he felt ready, Johnson went home to his apartment. There, he listened Chopin before taking the legally prescribed drugs to end his life, which he chased with some tequila. He then fell asleep. Not long after, he passed on. "It was a peaceful and impeccable death, every detail exactly …
Kamaiyah Arrested at Airport Over Refusal to Remove Head Cover
State troopers arrested Oakland rapper Kamaiyah at a Connecticut airport Friday morning after she refused to remove her head cover, according to reports.
KPIX Anchor-Turned-Sculptor Contributes Piece to Lynching Memorial
Dana King says she's visited the new National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Ala. five times in three days, and each time she's seen it, she's cried.
Apple Cracks Down on Drones Filming Construction of Apple Park
A local drone pilot says Apple security has prevented him from filming the construction of the company's new Apple Park headquarters.
Need a Giant Hamster Wheel? Kink.Com Auctions Off Unique Items at SF Armory
This week, Kink.com is moving out of the San Francisco Armory. And because it can't take everything, the company is holding a four-day auction, April 6-9, with the kind of items one might expect from a fetish pornography site.
Next Book in 'Rad Women' Series Coming this Summer
The Bay Area-based duo behind the New York Times best-selling Rad Women books have announced the third installment in the series, Rad Girls Can, coming this summer. The new illustrated book from author Kate Schatz and artist Miriam Klein Stahl continues the theme of the series' previous titles: telling inspiring …
Remembering Annie Southworth, Booster for San Francisco's Rock Scene
Annie Southworth, a beloved local music promoter and tireless advocate for the Bay Area's artistic underground, died last week after a long, public bout with breast cancer. She was 48.
SF Street With Racist Connotations to be Renamed Frida Kahlo Way [UPDATE]
A street in San Francisco named after a controversial figure could become Frida Kahlo Way by next year. Phelan Avenue, which shares its namesake with former San Francisco Mayor James D. Phelan, will be renamed in the next two weeks due to the efforts of Supervisor Norman Yee, the City …
27 New or Soon-to-Open Restaurants, Wineries, Breweries & Hotels in Sonoma County
New businesses are popping up around Sonoma County like flowers in spring. As we speak, 27 new businesses are either open or getting ready to open their doors. From wineries and breweries to French bakeries and luxury hotels – and more Mexican food than you can shake a stick at …