Civic

After at least 19 women in San Francisco’s county jail alleged they were subjected to a mass strip search while deputies recorded on body-worn cameras, advocates, attorneys and city officials demanded answers. This investigative documentary examines what women say happened inside the jail’s B-pod — and the broader conditions women describe inside the facility, including prolonged lockdowns, overcrowding, lack of sunlight and untreated trauma. Through public hearings, legal records, interviews with formerly incarcerated women and advocates, and statements made by sheriff’s officials during oversight hearings, the story traces how a jail intended for temporary detention became a place where many women spend months or years awaiting trial.

Read the story in The San Francisco Public Press. 

About the panelists Diana Greene Foster is a demographer and professor at the University of California, San Francisco. She studies the causes and consequences of unwanted pregnancy and is part of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health — commonly known as ANSIRH — which is a research program at UCSF. Foster was named a 2023 MacArthur Fellow and is the author of the 2020 book “The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women and the Consequences of Having — or Being Denied — an Abortion.” She has recently published a study updating her earlier research. Mariana Horne is the Outreach and Education Coordinator at ACCESS Reproductive Justice, California’s statewide abortion fund. Her work has been recognized by large institutions for its impact in reproductive health education. As part of the movement-building team, Horne works at the intersection of community education and direct service support, removing barriers to abortion care and advancing reproductive justice teachings across California and nationwide.

In this episode of Civic, reporter Sylvie Sturm examines how federal policy — through executive orders, funding threats and regulatory pressure — is reshaping access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth across the United States. The debate is unfolding even though no new federal law has passed and no final rules have taken effect. Yet hospitals, clinics and families are already making decisions in response to the possibility of federal penalties. Through the story of Eric, a 15-year-old high school student in Oakland, we follow how those policy battles land in real life. The episode also explores the broader policy fight: • Federal officials who argue the treatments are unsafe and should be restricted • Medical associations and clinicians who say the care can be life-saving when carefully managed • Lawyers challenging whether federal agencies even have the authority to impose such limits We hear from community health leaders, legal experts, and families navigating the uncertainty, including Dr. Tatyana Moaton Santiago of the San Francisco Community Health Center, who warns that policy threats alone can make providers afraid to offer care. Subscribe to Civic from the San Francisco Public Press for investigative reporting on the policies shaping life in San Francisco and beyond.

What’s on the ballot this coming June and November? The San Francisco Public Press and The Frisc hosted a panel discussion to discuss the key issues. These included:the “Overpaid CEO Act,” which would modify and boost the top executive pay taxa major charter reform measure that would restructure city governmentthe family zoning plan, which encourages more housingand the race to win the Congressional seat being vacated by Speaker Emeritus Nancy PelosiThe panelists were Jason McDaniel, associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University; Jeremy Lee, president of the Rose Pak Asian American Club; and Sin Wang, vice president of the San Francisco Entertainment Commission and founding board member of the West Side Family Democratic Club. 

Formerly Incarcerated Perform at Berkeley Rep  

This episode traces the path from the days when homosexuality was labeled a mental illness, to bans on harmful therapy meant to turn LGBTQ minors straight, to a Supreme Court showdown that could roll back those protections. Featuring voices from survivors, scientists and advocates, the story unpacks how California became home to the earliest “ex-gay” movement only to face pushback with a first-in-the-nation ban on conversion therapy — and why its fate now hangs in the balance. Dr. Hooker audio excerpts courtesy of Making Gay History. Find the Making Gay History podcast on all major podcast platforms and at makinggayhistory.org. Special thanks to our underwriting sponsor: University of San Francisco MFA in Writing program.

As part of an effort to meet state mandated housing requirements, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has introduced a "Family Zoning Plan" that would increase building height limitations along transit corridors. Supervisors have introduced amendments to the legislation which is being voted on December 2nd, 2025. SF Public Press Executive Director Lila LaHood and KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny moderated a town hall conversation bringing together stakeholders with different ideas of how to move forward. Panelists include: Brianna Morales, the Community Organizer at the Housing Action Coalition (HAC), a member-supported advocacy organization dedicated to expanding housing opportunities for people of all income levels. Sharon Ng, a community planner representing REP-SF, the Race & Equity in All Planning Coalition. Jane Natoli, the San Francisco Organizing Director at Yimby Action. Fred Sherburn-Zimmer, an economic justice organizer. They are the Campaigns and Policy Director at Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco. The panel was recorded at KALW on 220 Montgomery Street in San Francisco.

Stuart Schuffman, aka Broke-Ass Stuart, started with a homemade zine, listing cheap eats, drinks and events. Along the way he became a TV travel host, publisher and mayoral candidate. He became an influencer offline before social media made influencer viable a career choice.

“No Place to Grow Old”San Francisco Public Press

When federal science budgets are gutted, the fallout reaches far beyond labs. From Alzheimer’s trials at the University of California San Francisco to cancer studies at the Veterans Administration, critical research is stalling, science students are losing opportunities to train and launch careers, and veterans are left without lifesaving care. Hear how universities, courts, and Congress are scrambling to protect the future of science as we unpack the political fight behind the cuts — and what’s at stake for you. We also explore how veterans are pushing back. To learn more, go to commondefense.us.

President Trump calls it “One Big Beautiful Bill,” but critics say the latest federal budget will slash more than a trillion dollars from Medicaid over the next decade — cutting coverage for an estimated 12 million people. In San Francisco, more than 250,000 residents rely on Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, along with tens of thousands of caregivers who support them. This episode of Civic from the San Francisco Public Press examines how the bill could affect local patients, long-term care workers, and the city’s healthcare safety net — with voices from those fighting to protect services that are essential to survival. 

If you’ve experienced issues with Social Security — missed checks, delayed responses, or inaccessible services — you can file a complaint with the California Department of Justice at oag.ca.gov/socialsecurity.APPEARING IN THIS EPISODE:Kelly Dearman – Executive Director, San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging ServicesPaul Aguilar – Social Security disability beneficiary, long-term HIV survivorDr. Monica Gandhi – Professor of Medicine, UCSF; HIV/AIDS specialistJoanna Parnes – Managing Attorney, Bay Area Legal AidLaura Chiera – Director of Legal Services, Legal Assistance to the Elderly, San FranciscoJacqueline Hopkins – Claims Specialist, Social Security Administration, Richmond office; union representativeSylvia Norman – President, AFGE Local 3172, SSA workers union, Northern and Central California

About the ‘Silent Killer’ SeriesThe San Francisco Public Press examined recent efforts to step up diagnosis, vaccination and treatment for hepatitis B. Chronic hepatitis B affects an estimated 305,000 people in California, with the vast majority of cases affecting people in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Deep racial and cultural disparities in illness caused by the hepatitis B virus have persisted for decades. A cure is in trials, but those inequities, along with federal funding cuts, could hamper its rollout.

This reporting was supported with a California Health Equity Fellowship from the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism and a grant from the Pulitzer Center.PART 1: Poorly Tracked Virus Is a ‘Silent Killer’ Affecting Asian Americans MostPART 2: Stigma, Insufficient Screening Keep Hepatitis B in the ShadowsPART 3: Researchers Seek Hepatitis B Cure as Trump Slashes Health Agency Funding------------Hep B Free

Veterans and advocates are sounding the alarm as massive federal job cuts and plans to eliminate 83,000 positions at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — championed as “efficiency reforms” by the Trump administration — threaten to strip away critical services. In this episode, we take an in-depth look at the human toll of sweeping layoffs and the privatization push at the VA. And we spotlight community resilience, with programs like Vets in Tech, co-founded by Craig Newmark, helping veterans transition into Silicon Valley careers—without tapping into their VA benefits. Learn more: vetsintech.co

The San Francisco Public Press on April 30, 2025, hosted a fireside chat recorded for this “Civic” episode about attacks on diversity, democracy and media with Ricardo Sandoval-Palos, the public editor at PBS, and Lila LaHood, executive director of the San Francisco Public Press. In addition to discussing how journalists can do better covering issues their audiences care about in a political environment that is fraught with conflict, how PBS engages with listeners and viewers about their critiques and concerns, and why public media newsrooms aim to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, Sandoval-Palos and LaHood talked about what might happen if the federal government were to cut funding to PBS and NPR, which receive a portion of their funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The next day, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to do just that.

San Francisco's mayor and police department are facing praise and scorn for cracking down on homelessness and visible substance use amidst shelter and treatment bed shortages and jail overcrowding. 

Join the San Francisco Public Press for a screening of “Stripped for Parts” in San Francisco on Thursday, March 13. Details and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-stripped-for-parts-american-journalism-on-the-brink-tickets-1250795746749Website for the film: https://strippedforpartsfilm.com/Rick Goldsmith’s production company: https://kovnocommunications.org/

San Francisco's immigrant communities are facing a crisis as the Trump administration threatens mass deportations. For four decades, San Francisco has been a refuge for immigrants seeking a better life and a battleground for justice when federal policies target vulnerable communities. Today, legal aid networks, rapid response teams, and mass protests are showing that the city will not stand by while so many of its residents are at risk. In this episode, we’ll hear from people affected by mass deportation efforts. We’ll also hear from experts with a historical perspective, and resistance movement organizers.

This week marks three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the conflict shows no signs of ending. On the eve of this grim anniversary, Russia launched its largest drone attack yet, causing widespread destruction and civilian casualties. Days later, the U.S. voted against a U.N. resolution calling for Russia’s withdrawal. In this episode, we revisit conversations first aired on April 7, 2022 — just six weeks after the invasion began — as San Francisco residents with deep ties to Ukraine were fearing for loved ones and desperately trying to help. From sending vital medical supplies to welcoming refugees into the Bay Area, their stories remain powerful and urgent as the crisis continues.

Ever since the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, emboldened anti-abortion activists have used increasingly aggressive efforts to shut down abortion access in San Francisco. In October, an anti-abortion crusader entered the local Planned Parenthood brandishing a gun. And a new anti-abortion movement that launched in San Francisco is gaining popularity through TikTok posts of members performing clinic invasions. City officials stepped up abortion protections with new legislation and Proposition O — a ballot measure to support women seeking abortions, which passed with 84% of the vote. That’s in keeping with a long San Francisco tradition of fighting for abortion access going back to the mid-1960s when a trial widely known as the San Francisco Nine sparked a nationwide movement that led to loosened restrictions. In this episode, we take a look at San Francisco’s 60-year history in the battle for reproductive rights, a new increasingly aggressive anti-abortion movement, and what reproductive justice activists are doing to keep up the fight.

Thank you for listening. To support this work, visit: https://www.sfpublicpress.org/donate/

LGBTQ Latin Americans come to San Francisco seeking relief from oppression and hostility. But when they join substance use disorder support groups, many encounter scorn — especially if they’re transgender. When one San Francisco couple heard that transgender Latin Americans were facing hostility in peer support groups, they formed their own. Now LGBTQ people in addiction recovery across the U.S. and Latin America are turning to their group as a welcoming place to heal.Find out how to connect by emailing [email protected].

The Navy conducted radiation experiments on humans at San Francisco's Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, turning hundreds of servicemen and shipyard workers into unwitting “volunteers” for Cold War scientists’ biology and safety research.Check out the full series at https://sfpublicpress.org/exposed

Decades after the Navy closed a Cold War radiation research lab at San Francisco's Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, the mess isn't completely cleaned up. Neighbors in Bayview-Hunters Point are demanding accountability for the toxic legacy amid charges of environmental racism.Check out the full series at https://sfpublicpress.org/exposed

Watch for a special investigative 2 episode podcast dropping Monday, November 25th.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco’s Latinx residents experienced higher rates of infection and deaths, and greater losses of income and homes compared with other ethnic groups. Widespread depression and anxiety resulting from the trauma led to a grassroots effort to heal the community. That’s when a UCSF psychiatrist asked them to test a new therapy that combines an app with trained coaches chosen from amongst members of their community. Now locals are envisioning a brighter future, and the project is getting kudos from the White House. 

San Francisco’s proposition K is the most heated issue in this year’s local election. It asks whether the city should close a segment of the Great Highway, a coastal thoroughfare, to car traffic, so it could later become a park. Residents are divided: some welcome the idea of a park for families and community gatherings, while others worry that it will make north-south travel on the west side more difficult, making it harder to connect with their families and communities. In this episode, we hear from residents about why this space matters to them—whether as a road or as a park.Check the San Francisco Public Press voter guide

Affordable housing is too expensive for many in San Francisco, leaving people in untenable living situations: rentals they can’t afford, overcrowded single room occupancy hotels, or tents on the street. Proposition G tries to combat that issue by proposing the creation of a fund to subsidize 550 to 600 units of affordable housing for extremely low income seniors, people with disabilities and families in San Francisco. We speak with an older adult about her precarious housing situation, as well as local organizations that work with vulnerable populations to understand why affordable housing is so costly in the first place, and how this measure would affect groups living on fixed incomes if it passes. Check out our nonpartisan election guide.

In the November, 2024 election San Francisco voters are being asked to decide whether to approve a wide range of issues in the form of 15 local ballot propositions, including ones on a major overhaul of the city’s commission system, bond measures and other program funding, changes to the business tax system, and incentives to bolster the ranks of police, fire and other emergency services employees. San Francisco’s list of ballot measures is long and complex. Here are Propositions A through O as explained by our reporting staff. You can find more detailed information on our November, 2024 Election Guide.

San Francisco commission reform is on the November 2024 ballot. If either Proposition D or E passes, they will change the city’s commissions in different ways, which have had a vital role in how the combined city and county of San Francisco has been governed since 1898. Civic speaks to John Monson, the co-author of a civil grand jury report “Commission Impossible.” To create this report, the jury carried out an extensive examination of the commissions system before Proposition D or E made it to the ballot. Find the Civil Grand Jury report here: https://www.sf.gov/sites/default/files/2024-06/Commissions%20Impossible%20Report.pdf

There’s a glimmer of hope in San Francisco’s overdose crisis as the rate at which people are dying appears to be slowing down. But the city’s health director warned the public that the death rate may not have peaked yet. Meanwhile, health and city officials who once advocated for a place where people could safely consume substances in case of overdose have gone silent on the topic. So we provide a reminder of what overdose prevention centers can achieve by revisiting New York City’s OnPoint, which is saving lives and cleaning up its surrounding neighborhood.

Decisions by local and state governments have major impacts on our daily lives. But as transparency about those decisions decreases, and underfunded newsrooms struggle to get answers, many affected citizens are taking matters into their own hands.San Francisco Public Press Executive Director Lila LaHood spoke with award-winning journalist Miranda Spivack, author of the forthcoming book, “Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms Our Communities — and the Local Heroes Fighting Back.” She shared what she has learned about keeping governments accountable.As mentioned at the end of the episode:How California Utilities Commission Undermines the Public Records ActWeb of corruption: Explore the cronyism, lies, and federal crimes at the heart of San Francisco’s government

Increases in the number of migrants arriving in San Francisco have stress-tested the city’s shelter system, revealing the dire need for more housing and support for families. We talk to migrant parents driven out of their homes by violence and political upheaval about navigating San Francisco’s homeless response system and its impacts on their families’ health and wellbeing as they fight for a better future. A housing provider shares the limitations of the city’s data on family homelessness, and an immigration attorney tells us how a stable living situation helps migrant families with their court cases. 

The impact of the COVID 19 pandemic led to a rise in fatal overdoses among the tens of thousands of Indigenous Maya living in the Bay area. That alarmed Latinx advocates and officials at the Mexican consulate in San Francisco. Indigenous Latin Americans are categorized as Latinx even though many speak limited Spanish. That means vital information, like drug awareness campaigns and the dangers of fentanyl, may not be reaching the Maya-speaking community. And service providers say culturally-sensitive treatment programs are crucial for healing but are nearly non-existent for the Indigenous population. We discuss the push for change in San Francisco with advocates and health professionals.

The first years of the COVID-19 pandemic are behind us and it’s time for an early reckoning of our successes and failures. An epidemiologist shares how a lack of public trust led to unnecessary deaths. AIDS activists discuss the importance of facing trauma and a woman who lost her father to COVID is fighting for a memorial for those who died. 

Three years ago, when violence against Asian Americans spiked, local organizations took action to improve public safety. One group, the Coalition for Community Safety and Justice in San Francisco, is still doing that work. In this episode, we join them for one of their recurring community visits in the Richmond District. Outreach workers share how they connect with business owners and residents and help them feel safe.

Lila LaHood, publisher of the San Francisco Public Press, talks with Nuala Bishari from the San Francisco Chronicle, Sydney Johnson from KQED, and Sylvie Sturm from “Civic” and the San Francisco Public Press about their reporting on drug use, public policy and and substance use disorder treatment in San Francisco. They discuss the harm reduction philosophy and practice, San Francisco’s inconsistent stance on overdose prevention centers, public safety perceptions, Proposition F, and what other cities are doing to address drug use, sales and treatment in their communities.

Election Special: Voters in San Francisco registered with the Peace & Freedom, Green, Republican or Democratic parties have extra choices in the March 5th election that only come around once every four years — the party county central committees. We talk to a political strategist to discuss the power dynamics of these committees in San Francisco and find out what voters are tasked to choose. We also hear from representatives of each of these parties to learn a bit more about how they operate.Democratic County Central Committee: https://www.sfdemocrats.org/our-party/the-dcccRepublican Party of San Francisco: https://www.sfgop.org/aboutGreen Party of San Francisco: https://www.sfgreenparty.org/about-usPeace and Freedom Party of California: https://www.peaceandfreedom.us/index.php/about-us/about-peace-and-freedomSan Francisco Public Press March 2024 SF Election Guide: https://www.sfpublicpress.org/march-2024-sf-election-guide/

March 2024 Election Special: Mayor London Breed is facing one of the most pivotal moments of her political career as she campaigns for reelection amidst a dual crisis of addiction and homelessness. Her solution is a ballot measure that would compel welfare recipients to submit to drug addiction screening and treatment in order to get cash benefits. We explore the fierce debate that has rippled across San Francisco and beyond, and a very similar measure that catapulted a former San Francisco supervisor onto the national stage and political stardom — Gavin Newsom.

March 2024 Election Special: Why are San Francisco residents being asked to vote on County Superior Court Judges? We talk to University of San Francisco professor of politics Keally McBride about the slate of candidates, how the process works, and what people should be thinking about when considering their vote.

*Audio fixed - Previously uploaded episode was the wrong audio and has been fixed*Fentanyl-related deaths among teens more than tripled across the U.S. from 2019 to 2021. And the CDC reports that two thirds of teens who died had someone nearby who didn’t provide an overdose response. Now San Francisco high school students are signing up for training sessions on how to recognize drug abuse and reverse overdoses. And it’s not just teens who want to help. City residents are carrying overdose reversal nasal spray in case they come across someone in need of rescuing. But reversing an overdose isn’t quite as simple as it might sound. In this sixth and final episode of our series on San Francisco and the overdose crisis, we hear about an organization dedicated to training people on how to reverse overdoses, and we drop in on a session to find out how it’s done.

Fentanyl-related deaths among teens more than tripled across the U.S. from 2019 to 2021. And the CDC reports that two thirds of teens who died had someone nearby who didn’t provide an overdose response. Now San Francisco high school students are signing up for training sessions on how to recognize drug abuse and reverse overdoses. And it’s not just teens who want to help. City residents are carrying overdose reversal nasal spray in case they come across someone in need of rescuing. But reversing an overdose isn’t quite as simple as it might sound. In this sixth and final episode of our series on San Francisco and the overdose crisis, we hear about an organization dedicated to training people on how to reverse overdoses, and we drop in on a session to find out how it’s done.Narcan resources mentioned in the episode:San Francisco residents can get Narcan from the Community Behavioral Health Services Pharmacy at 1380 Howard Street. Detailed instructions on how to administer Narcan can be found on the DOPE website at harmreduction.org and on YouTube "How to Use Narcan with the DOPE Project."The DOPE Project conducts Narcan distribution and in person trainings at the 6th Street Harm Reduction Center at 117 6th Street, during operating hours, Tuesday to Friday 11 am to 5 pm. 

The Fight for Safe Consumption Sites: San Francisco and the Overdose Crisis Part 5As overdose fatalities reach two to three deaths a day in San Francisco, demands for supervised consumption sites are getting more urgent. But city leaders are increasingly reluctant. And health officials who once campaigned for them are now conspicuously silent. We investigate San Francisco’s long fight for safe consumption sites and what changed. And we visit an overdose prevention center in New York City that’s having a real impact on the neighborhood and people’s lives. 

The War on Drugs Revisited: San Francisco and the Overdose CrisisSome San Francisco city officials are advocating jail for unhoused people who use drugs and murder charges for people who sell drugs. Critics say their approach mirrors the abysmal failure of the 50-year-old war on drugs. In the fourth episode of our series on San Francisco and the overdose crisis, we take a historical look at the justice system’s approach to drugs, its racial inequities, what has changed, and what may be making a comeback.

San Francisco and the Overdose Crisis Part 3*Content Warning: Explicit language and a description of an overdose experience.* San Francisco city officials have decided that arresting unhoused people for using drugs is the way to get them into treatment programs. Critics say jails are no place to get clean. And besides, forcing people into rehab doesn’t work. Based on the rate of treatment refusal by those arrested, the critics have a point. In the third episode of our series on San Francisco and the overdose crisis, we take a historical look at policing drug use and the massive hurdles that are getting in the way.

Civic Presents: San Francisco and the Overdose Crisis Part 2While San Francisco is on track to break records for the highest number of fatal overdoses in one year, health experts say the city is failing when it comes to one surefire way to save lives: housing. San Francisco’s history has made housing a huge challenge. In this second episode of our series, we take a historical look at the city’s homelessness crisis, how it worsens addiction and drug-related fatalities, and how the city is responding.

Civic Presents: San Francisco and the Overdose CrisisSan Francisco is experiencing its worst rate of drug-related fatalities ever, and as city officials impose increasingly punitive measures against people who use and sell drugs, the problem only seems to be getting worse. In this first episode of our series on San Francisco’s overdose crisis, we take a historical look at opioid addiction, and we assess the damage of stigma on the city’s most vulnerable residents.

Seven months after being violently removed from their grandmother’s Santa Cruz home and taken to reunification therapy, Maya and Sebastian take to social media to announce that they have escaped. We touch base with Maya and get an update on the push for reforms.The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides confidential assistance to anyone affected by domestic violence through a live chat and a free 24-hour hotline at 800-799-7233.  

San Francisco is considering reparations for Black San Franciscans. To understand why advocates are pushing for reparations in the city, we dive deep into the history of redlining, urban renewal, and other discriminatory housing policies, as well as their impact on two historically Black neighborhoods: the Fillmore and Bayview Hunters Point. The final plan, created by the African American Reparations Advisory Committee, outlines recommendations to address mass incarceration, the war on drugs, disparities in health and education and more. The plan is due June 30th to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors. Go to sfpublicpress.org for the companion piece with a link to the draft plan.