Author Archives: Public Press staff

By Jon Brooks, KQED News Fix I get all my prescriptions at Walgreens. When late last year it started slipping in with my meds these little notices urging me to call Anthem Blue Cross because of some pricing dispute, along with sending me warning letters that I’d better switch all my prescriptions to a non-Walgreens […]

By Vivian Po and  Summer Chiang, New America Media  Ed Lee’s inauguration Sunday morning marked a historic moment for San Francisco, which now has its first-ever elected Chinese American mayor. But unlike when he was first appointed a year ago by then-outgoing Mayor Gavin Newsom, Sunday’s ceremony saw an affable Lee downplaying his background in […]

By Rene Ciria-Cruz,  New America Media Worried about the potential erosion of political leverage, leaders from San Francisco’s Filipino community have been meeting to solidify their response to the upcoming redrawing of the city’s voting districts. At stake is the electoral strength of the community, particularly in two areas—District 11 and District 6—where most of […]

By Lauren Sommer, KQED News Fix Researchers at San Francisco State University have found a potential new threat facing honeybees in the Bay Area. It’s a fly parasite that preys on native bees and paper wasps, but for the first time, they’ve found it in the European honeybees that are the backbone of California’s agricultural […]

By Christy Khoshaba, Mission Local The intersection of 17th and Capp is no pretty sight. It’s littered with empty Cheetos bags, Red Bull cans, Trojan condoms and the occasional heroin needle. “It’s a bad neighborhood,” says Max Marttila, an instructor and muralist at Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center. “There’s prostitutes walking around all night long.” […]

By Laurel Rosenhall and Chase Davis, California Watch Business interests were the top bill-killers inside California’s Capitol during Gov. Jerry Brown’s first year back in office, as concerns about the state’s weak economy cut into labor’s newfound clout. Legislative data show business interests wielded strong influence, despite a Capitol dominated by Democrats in the Legislature […]

By Lauren Sommer, KQED News Something that has been missing from San Francisco Bay since World War II appears to be making a comeback: Harbor porpoises are showing up in growing numbers, and researchers are trying to understand why they’re returning. The walkway across the Golden Gate Bridge is almost always packed with people taking […]

By Lance Williams, California Watch As far as Medicare knew, Darlene Courtois fell ill last year with kwashiorkor, a dangerous form of malnutrition usually seen among starving children during African famines. At least that’s what her hospital claimed in the bill it sent to Medicare, records show. But Courtois, 64, says she wasn’t treated for […]

By Jane Xiao, New America Media/Sing Tao Daily Jenny Trac runs the newcomer program at Visitacion Valley Middle School. Even though she is fluent in five languages and has 10 years of teaching experience, Trac worries that she could soon join the ranks of teachers targeted for a pink slip. California’s public schools have experienced […]

By Jen Chien, Crosscurrents From KALW News The state of California produces more than half of the nation’s fruits, vegetables and nuts. Still, U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics from the last few years show that more than 14 percent of Californians are food insecure. Food security is a term that describes a person or family’s […]