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San Jose welcomes visitors for yet another big sporting event in the Bay Area.

From the very beginning, The Sims garnered a devoted queer fan base that reshaped what players expected gaming.

California, a state viewed as more receptive to the tech industry, served as an early test for how AI money will perform in primary elections nationwide.

A new study finds that annual prescribed burning could reduce smoke pollution.

Iran played New Zealand at SoFi Stadium on Monday.

Minor coastal flooding is expected along Bay Area shorelines and along the Pacific Coast, as water levels peak around 2 feet above normal. For some Marin County residents, it’s a forecast of a wetter future.

Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, June 15, 2026: The state legislature is expected to vote today on a budget plan that rejects some of the health care cuts proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom. California Democrats are urging the Trump administration to release millions in transportation funds it withheld in a dispute over … Continue reading How Iranian Americans Feel About Iran in the World Cup →

Pacifica residents reckon with the future of their coastal community in the face of coastal erosion, sea level rise, and climate change.

Many of California’s November matchups are set: Becerra faces Hilton for governor, Bass faces Raman for LA mayor.

Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.  What Do California’s Recent College Grads Think About AI? Over the past few weeks, several college commencement speakers who praised artificial intelligence were booed by graduates. As these graduates  enter an uncertain job market, they’re grappling not only with an unpredictable economy but also with the feeling that artificial intelligence is unstoppable. AI can impact whether or not you get your resume in front of a hiring manager or what career you decide to pursue. We hear from some recent California graduates and other students who talk about not whether AI will impact them, but how.    As California’s Wine Industry Struggles, Some Lodi Grape Growers Pivot to New Crops California produces 80% of all American wines. But most wine grapes aren’t grown in places like Napa or Paso Robles. Most of them actually come from vineyards around one small city in San Joaquin County, Lodi. No matter where you are in Lodi, you’re always less than a 10-minute drive from a vineyard, but it’s no longer just the land of grapes. Orchards full of pistachios, almonds and olives are popping up all over the outskirts of Lodi. As Hannah Weaver reports, that’s because new challenges in the wine industry are pushing grape growers to try other crops. For This Quartet of Fresno State Musicians, a Chance to Play in South Korea  Every summer, a prestigious international music festival highlights an instrument that may not always take center stage: the clarinet. Students from universities around the world are invited to perform at Clarinetfest, and this summer, for the first time ever, some of those students will be coming from Fresno State. KVPR’s Samantha Rangel tells us how they came together to play, and what it means to represent the Central Valley.  [ad fullwidth]

Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, June 11, 2026 This week, the FBI served a search warrant at the GKN Aerospace plant in Orange County. That’s the facility where a near-explosion triggered an evacuation of more than 50-thousand residents last month. The California Department of Fish & Wildlife is celebrating the survival of … Continue reading Former USMNT Player on How the ’94 World Cup Popularized U.S. Soccer →

As college graduates throw off their caps and move on to their next life chapter, one topic is surely on their minds: Has artificial intelligence made their skills irrelevant? And what does an entry-level job even look like anymore? Over the past month, graduates across the country have booed and jeered college commencement speakers at the very mention of AI. That’s no surprise. Recent polling suggests the technology weighs heavily on the minds of those already in the job market and those who seek to join it. Several college graduates from around the state spoke with The California Report Magazine about how they’re navigating the unpredictable economy, and how AI factors into their job search. The testimonies below have been edited for brevity and clarity. Gisselle Ulloa poses with her diploma from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Ulloa, who plans to be a teacher, said she witnessed the impact of AI on her middle-schoolers in the classroom. (Courtesy of Gisselle Ulloa) Gisselle Ulloa School: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Major: Liberal Studies What are your plans after graduation?  I plan to be a teacher in the near future. How does AI affect you?  As a recent graduate, it is intimidating to apply to jobs and fail to meet the criteria of artificial intelligence. There’ve been occasions where I feel … the employer is not even going to gaze at my resume. Of course, jobs don’t come easily, and you have to earn your position. But it’s really difficult to learn to satisfy an algorithm instead of a person. With my experience tutoring, I saw the effects of AI, social media and electronics in the classroom. I worked with middle schoolers last year. Seeing my students struggle to write paragraphs with a pencil or solve math problems [with] ChatGPT was discouraging. It put into perspective the amount of work needed from teachers and staff to get students to where they need to be. Teachers can only do so much. As an aspiring educator, [AI] is a really pivotal tool, and I’m sure it works for bigger things, [like] social media and technology. But I fear it’s going to impact classrooms negatively in the years to come. Camalah Saleh School: California State University, Fresno Major: Political Science and Communication What are your plans after graduation? I go to China at the end of August to earn a master’s in Global Affairs as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University. My goal is to connect international affairs and global affairs to immigration because I want to be an immigration attorney and work on refugee and asylum cases. Camalah Saleh smiles after graduating from California State University, Fresno. She said she initially tried to ignore ChatGPT but realized AI is not going anywhere. (Courtesy of Camalah Saleh) How does AI affect you? When ChatGPT first came out, everyone was talking about it, and I didn’t know what it was. I ignored it. I’m in a field where you need to critically write and be a critical thinker, and it can’t just do your work for you. Then, I realized [AI] is not going away. I’ve looked at the way it’s going to impact my career. To see lawyers using it is really worrisome because … there’s a lot of ethical concerns. But I need to pay attention to how it’s going to advance. And people need to be literate in AI so that they can analyze what is and is not made by AI. Michelle Yang poses with her diploma at Oracle Park in San Francisco. She said the threat of AI taking over peoples’ jobs is “pretty scary.” (Courtesy of Michelle Yang) Michelle Yang School: San Francisco State University Major: Marketing What are your plans after graduation?  I want to go into event [planning]. Hopefully, within the music industry. How does AI affect you? With most jobs that include administration and planning, AI definitely has or could have the potential to take over certain skills. But with events, it’s a very in-person, human interaction type of industry. So, that’s not something I’m worried about. Graduating college right now, it’s pretty scary with this threat of AI taking over. We spent so much time in school figuring out what we want to do after college. I can decide not to use AI within my life. But as society progresses, especially in San Francisco, AI [will] become more incorporated into society, [and] there might not be a choice. Michelle Yang is a Live Events intern at KQED.  Amelia Zai School: UCLA (incoming senior) Major: Mechanical Engineering What are your plans after graduation? I’ll probably start applying [for entry-level jobs] in the fall. I already know that even without AI, the job market is really difficult. Amelia Zai (Courtesy of Amelia Zai) How do you feel about AI? I’m the president of the AI Robotics and Ethics Society at the University of California, Los Angeles. A lot of students here are aware of how AI is reshaping the world. They see it in the news; they’re seeing it in their classes; they use AI to help them understand assignments. I do that too. During every discussion, it’s inevitable that the question of whether AI will replace roles in some field comes up. I think it’s less of a competition between AI and people, and more of a competition between people who use AI and people who don’t know how to use AI. Because I know that AI is such a powerful tool, I’m trying to use that to my advantage and integrate it into my workflow to make myself a more efficient thinker. It’s the responsibility of universities to ensure that their graduates are competitive. And one way to achieve that goal is to integrate AI. Aaron Kim School: UC Berkeley Major: Political Science Career path:  Labor/Union Organizing How does AI affect you?  Luckily, in terms of my personal career trajectory, it still feels pretty peripheral. I ended up doing a lot of stuff in the union/labor world, so AI affects me less. None of the jobs that I was looking for are AI-exposed as much. A lot of the organizations I’m interested in are concerned with progressive issues and working people. How would you feel if your union rep is ChatGPT and tries to get you to sign union cards? That’s something AI can never take away. Because so much of organizing is based on building trust, human to human. [ad floatright]

This story was originally published in the Lodi News-Sentinel and has been edited for KQED. At the Mohr-Fry Ranch, just south of the Central Valley city of Lodi, peacocks roamed through one vineyard on a blindingly sunny spring day. Mohrgan Fry strolled through her family’s ranch, pointing a manicured pink nail at rows of dark brown, gnarly vine branches that split off in all directions. “They all look like they have a story to tell, right?” she said. That includes the story of her family, who have been farming grapes in the region for six decades. For the past 13 years, they’ve been cultivating grapes exclusively. But when California’s wine industry began bottoming out over the past few years, driven by what growers say is the worst industry storm they have seen in their lifetimes, the family started looking at different options. “Where the industry is at, you have to be able to diversify and be willing to try something new,” Fry said. Grapes are everywhere in Lodi — in the city’s official logo. On murals downtown. They’re the namesake of the stadium and the annual “Lodi Grape Festival.” The city of 66,000 has about a dozen wine tasting rooms — and that’s just within the city limits. The entrance to Mohr-Fry Ranches, a six-generation family farming operation since 1855, in Lodi on June 10, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED) But it’s no longer just the land of the grape. Orchards full of pistachios, almonds and olives are popping up all over the city’s outskirts as challenges in the wine industry are pushing growers to try other crops. Wine consumption is down globally, according to reports from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine. National reports from the Napa-based Wine Market Council show baby boomers are drinking less as they age. Younger generations are drinking less too, as they become more health — and wallet — conscious. On the supply side, California grape growers are having to compete with cheaper foreign-grown grapes. Consequently, growers in Lodi and across the state are ripping vines out. About 10% of vines in the Lodi area were removed in the last year alone, according to a report from the California Association of Winegrape Growers.[aside postID=news_12077310 hero= 'https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031226_DRAGONDEN-_GH_015-KQED.jpg']About a fifth of California’s vineyard acreage has been ripped out since 2022, state data shows. Some smaller vineyards are closing shop altogether. Others are taking unique approaches, like leasing their land for use as water-recharge basins. But for grape growers who want to continue growing, there is one key to staying afloat — crop diversification. That’s especially true for larger farming operations, according to Lodi Winegrape Commission Executive Director Stuart Spencer. “We honestly think this is a good thing,” he said. “I think diversification is always good from an economic and business perspective and … ecological perspective.” As a sixth-generation farmer, it’s not surprising that Fry knows so much about grapes. She grew up around the family business and always knew she wanted to be a part of it. “I hate sitting in the office,” she said. “But I love being outside. I love being with Mother Nature.” Given the choice, she’d spend every minute in the vineyards. “You get to make decisions that are different than in an office or in a lab, because you’re out there and you’re making pruning decisions, and then you see the results within a few months,” she said. Bruce Fry, left, and his daughter Mohrgan Fry, right, examine grape vines at their ranch Mohr-Fry Ranches, a six-generation family farming operation since 1855, in Lodi on June 10, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED) After studying the business and engineering of agriculture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, she knew she wanted to bring what she’d learned back to her family’s ranch as operations manager. But when she graduated two years ago, the industry was tanking. “Ironically, I think it was actually the best time to come join the industry, I think for me, for my family,” she said. “It’s a time for us to really think about the decisions we’re making and how we can be more efficient, how we can save money, but still be able to provide for our employees and continue to farm.” The Frys are no strangers to diversification. Over the 171 years their family has been farming, they’ve grown 30 different crops. They started out in what is now Hayward, but at the time was land claimed by the Spanish. Fry’s great-great-great-grandfather left a whaling ship in the San Francisco Bay to start farming. The family didn’t start with grapes. Instead, they grew crops like tomatoes, sugar beets and wheat. As Hayward became more urban, they moved the operation to Lodi in 1965 and got into the wine business. Bottles of wine, made with Mohr-Fry Ranches’ grapes, are displayed in the ranch’s office in Lodi on June 10, 2026. Mohr-Fry Ranches is a six-generation family farming operation. (Gina Castro/KQED) It was right around that time that Mohrgan’s grandfather, Jerry Fry, took over the business. He’s seen it through labor shifts from World War II to the Bracero Program that brought workers from Mexico. A few decades later, Mohrgan’s dad, Bruce Fry, came into the business. Like Mohrgan, he’d just graduated from Cal Poly. At that time, wineries were consolidating, leaving grape growers with fewer buyers. Many of the same issues the family faced then have continued. Fewer wineries, increasing labor costs, damaging pests. And now, more foreign competition and decreasing wine consumption. Jerry said none of the previous threats have been quite like the current one. “In my perspective, this has been the most challenging of anything that I think our family has dealt with,” Jerry said. In the past, they could plant a different crop every year and rip it out if it wasn’t selling well. Now, because of the soil type and price of the land, annual crops don’t make financial sense for them. That means picking a permanent crop, one they’ll be committed to for the next two decades. For the past year or so, the family’s been weighing their options. They’ve been talking to neighbors, looking at research, setting up spreadsheets. At the moment, they’re leaning toward olives. A plaque awarding Marian’s Vineyard for the California State Fair’s “2025 Vineyard of the Year” is displayed at Mohr-Fry Ranches, a six-generation family farming operation, in Lodi on June 10, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED) And last fall, they ripped out a block of their vineyards to begin their next chapter. On another one of the Frys’ properties just north of Lodi, Mohrgan and Bruce stood on a gravel path that runs right through the past and future of their farming operation. On the south side, where there once were Chardonnay grapes, little green sprouts stick up out of the dirt, far into the distance. It’s safflower, a transitional crop. Mohrgan explained it will help add some nutrients to the soil that the vineyards had used up. “It’s really good for the soil health, for its porosity, all those other fun things,” she said. Transitioning crops is a yearslong process. After the grape harvest this past fall, they ripped out the vines. For several months, they planted safflower in its place. By this time next year, the safflower will be swapped out for the new permanent crop, likely olives. The process was made possible with the aid of a regional government initiative, the Ag Burn Alternatives Grant Program, that paid to help remove the vines in an environmentally friendly way. “I think that the program is really great because [it] saves you some money,” she said. “Getting your tax dollars back, right?” Mohrgan and her family are keenly aware of what the government is — and isn’t — doing to help farmers like them. Even as they spoke with a reporter, Bruce got an alert on his phone and pulled up a livestream of a state Assembly hearing. Bruce Fry, left, and his daughter Mohrgan Fry, right, examine grape clusters at their ranch Mohr-Fry Ranches, a six-generation family farming operation since 1855, in Lodi on June 10, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED) The hearing focused on AB 1585, a bill that would require wines to be made with 100% American grapes if vintners want to use an “American” designation on the label. The Fry family and many other growers in the state say it will stop wineries from blending in cheaper foreign grapes. They also hope it will encourage them to buy from American growers, most of which are in California. For 40 minutes, Mohrgan held the phone on the hood of her blue Chevy truck. She and her dad watched intently as assemblymembers debated the bill. Eventually, the committee members voted to move the bill along to the next stage. “Hopefully this bill keeps going, keeps rolling,” Mohrgan said. “Baby steps,” Bruce said. If the bill does pass, it might alleviate one of the industry’s challenges. But there’s a long way to go if grape growers and vintners are to fully bounce back. Yet many growers like the Frys remain optimistic. They feel connected to grapes and believe the industry could be turning the corner soon. “This is the wine grape region, [and] it’s going to stay that way, but it’s just, it’s not going to be as big as what it was before,” Bruce said. “I think change is hard, but change makes things better.” A peacock walks through a vineyard at Mohr-Fry Ranches in Lodi on June 10, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED) Mohrgan said she feels encouraged by both the older generation’s willingness to pivot and her generation’s fresh ideas. Last year, the Lodi Winegrape Commission elected its youngest leadership team ever. “There’s just a lot of knowledge to learn from, like my grandpa and my dad, and I think because of that, we’ll make it through,” Mohrgan said. “You have, I wouldn’t say it’s a weight, but … you want to make your family proud.” With generations working together, they’re hoping to make wine feel less pretentious and more approachable for consumers. If they’re successful, Lodi could remain the land of the grape for years to come. Hannah Weaver writes for the Lodi News-Sentinel as a cohort member of the California Local News Fellowship program, a multi-year, state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting in California. [ad floatright]

Before the World Cup touched down in the Bay Area, local soccer leagues have provided a rare place of solace for immigrant youth.

Two Democratic congressional candidates attempting to unseat longtime incumbents share what they think their party needs to do to win back voters.

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In a world where everything looks fake, how do we know what’s real?

The City Council approved a spending plan that fills a $50.3 million shortfall. The blow to the budget was softened by voters’ approval of the Measure A hotel tax hike.

An election integrity expert explains why California's vote counting takes so long and whether the state can do anything to improve public trust.

The White House said it will appeal a federal court decision striking down Trump's $100,000 H-1B fee as an unlawful tax. With a different court already upholding the fee and a third case pending in San Francisco, the fight is headed toward a likely Supreme Court showdown.

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KQED reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi introduces us to three different families and tells us what they’re doing to get by.

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Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast. In East Oakland, a Store Where 1 Item Is Always Free If you find yourself wandering around Oakland’s Dimond District, you might come across a rather unusual store. The space looks like a hoarder’s attic. It’s crowded with mismatched objects: glassware, old electronics, knitted hats, typewriters and rotary phones. But you don’t need money to shop here, you can actually take one item home for free. Free Oakland UP is both an art installation and mutual aid model, offering commentary on waste and reuse. KQED’s Srishti Prabha brings us the story of this space, and what it means to community members. A Basketball Trailblazer: My Mother, the WNBA Star You’ve Never Heard Of On May 8th, the WNBA will celebrate the start of its 30th season. Along with a surge in viewership and attention in recent years, players are also celebrating a new collective bargaining agreement. Athletes will receive 20% of gross league and team revenue, resulting in a big bump in salaries. This progress comes after decades of advocacy by early players who worked to carve out space for the women’s professional game. Judy Mosley McAfee was one of them. She was the sixth woman drafted into the WNBA. Last July, her daughter, reporter Audy McAfee looked back at her mom’s career. In California, Women’s Hockey Is Growing In February, the U.S. women’s hockey team took home Olympic gold. The win has inspired a new wave of players, including adults. Recently USA Hockey announced that the number of women and girls who’ve signed up to play the sport has surpassed 100,000 for the first time. In California, women’s college hockey is growing too. Much of that momentum comes from grassroots efforts by women who don’t want to hang up their skates. Reporter Susan Valot hit the ice to bring us this story from Los Angeles.  [ad fullwidth]

Emma Silvers, journalist and co-owner of COYOTE Media Collective, explains why Bay Area artists are talking about the Civic Joy Fund right now.

Prediction markets have exploded in recent years, with platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi allowing people to put real money on everything from sports outcomes to election results to armed conflicts overseas. Marisa, Scott and Guy discuss how these markets are influencing state and national politics. Then, they’re joined by Kate Knibbs, senior writer at WIRED, … Continue reading How Prediction Markets are Colliding With California and National Politics →

Many say electric motorcycles are the actual causes of the dangerous crashes.

Alameda’s bridge tenders work around the clock ensuring safe travel around the Bay Area’s island city. The job comes with some great perks and serious consequences.

Eight candidates took to the stage in Southern California to distance themselves from the crowded field.

Eva Galperin talks about how activists and researchers are fighting back against the shadowy stalkerware industry.

In this month’s edition of The Bay’s news roundup, Ericka, Alan, and KQED outdoors reporter Sarah Wright discuss a new homelessness policy in Oakland, a possible tax on billionaires, and weddings at the San Francisco Public Library.

In a federal courtroom in Oakland, attorneys for tech elites Sam Altman and Elon Musk painted very different pictures of the early years of OpenAI and its mission to benefit the common good.

California has been cracking down on hospice scams for years, but plans to implement new licensing regulations have been pushed back.

More than 60 Mountain View households remain under a do-not-drink order after cement slurry contaminated part of the city’s water system near Bonita Avenue and Cuesta Drive and tests detected bacteria.

Teachers say they find it hard to stay in the Bay Area. One solution is workforce housing.

Exactly 120 years after the 1906 earthquake, San Francisco faces ongoing seismic risk and experts warn the city is still not fully prepared for a major quake.

Following Swalwell's downfall, the remaining candidates for California governor are wasting no time pitching themselves to voters.

Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast. This week, we’re revisiting two stories from the series, California Foodways. While Oakland Sleeps, a 100-Year-Old Produce Market Bustles With Life California’s fruits and vegetables make a lot of stops on the way from the fields to your table. One of those places is the Oakland Produce Market, which supplies small markets, restaurants and other food providers with the freshest foods. You don’t have to work for a grocery store or run a restaurant to shop here, as long as you buy in bulk. For her series, California Foodways, Lisa Morehouse got up in the middle of the night to meet some of the people who keep the Oakland Produce Market humming.  The Crucial Job That Keeps Central Valley Water Flowing  In California farm country, you often see signs  that say “Food Grows Where Water Flows.” The system of canals and reservoirs that feeds farmland in the Central Valley is one of the biggest in the world. But irrigation canals are also places where people dump unwanted objects, like toilets, furniture or shopping carts. It’s Big Valley Divers’ job to clean and maintain the canals and the dams that send water to farms. For her series California Foodways, Lisa Morehouse spent a day in Colusa County to learn all about the unusual job that keeps the water flowing.  [ad fullwidth]

Starting your own garden doesn’t have to cost much. Find out what you need to grow grocery staples.

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Politics and earthquakes have shaped this key Bay Area thoroughfare, a geography professor at San Francisco State University says ahead of this weekend’s big closure.

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