Talk of the Bay KSQD - Latest News
Daily news show about the goings on in the Monterey Bay Area of California—arts, education, politics, nature, events, and more! This feed contains only the most recent shows. Please visit https://ksqd.org/talk-of-the-bay/ to see our full archives to 2019.
Douglas Rushkoff blows the lid off tech billionaires’ survivalist fantasies
Douglas Rushkoff is an author and documentarian who studies human autonomy in a digital age. His twenty books include the just-published Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires, as well as the recent Team Human, based on his podcast, and the bestsellers Present Shock, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus, Program […]
Charles Hood shares his wild discoveries in Nature at Night
Charles Hood is a naturalist, adventurer, and poet. He has also been a factory worker, a ski instructor, a dishwasher, and a nature guide in Africa. Nature study has taken him to all 50 U.S. states, 80 countries, and the South Pole. Along the way, he has been lost in a whiteout in Tibet, […]
Michael Gene Sullivan on Disruption, the latest production of San Francisco Mime Troupe
Michael Gene Sullivan is an Actor/Writer/Director/Activist based in SF. He is an alum of the Playwrights Foundation, and has been awarded both a Djerassi Arts Center Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship as a dramatist. Michael is also Resident Playwright for the Tony and OBIE award-winning SF Mime Troupe, where he has written or co-written […]
How Cutting SNAP Benefits Hurts Us All
You may have heard of President Donald Trump’s spending bill moving through Congress known as “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act” Yes, that’s the actual title of the 1,000 plus page piece of legislature. In fact, if you’re a regular listener of Talk of the Bay have indeed because we’ve had many guests on in […]
Remembering Mike Rotkin
Remembering Mike Rotkin: A Special Talk of the Bay Tribute Hello again, Santa Cruz and beyond! Welcome to Talk of the Bay on KSQD 90.7 FM — now proudly broadcasting to more of our coastal neighbors in Salinas and Monterey too! This week’s show is a heartfelt special: “Remembering Mike” — a tribute to the […]
The Workforce Housing Affordability Act and More with Hector Marin
This Talk of the Bay episode from Monday, June 16th, 2025 was originally a two part show starting with a conversation with the comedian and impresario DNA. That conversation with DNA will be released as a separate podcast later. We spent the rest of the hour with community organizer Hector Marin. In 2024, he ran […]
Meet Pacific Grove Resident Rolla Alaydi Whose Cries for Help from Jimmy Panetta Fall on Deaf Ears
On this episode of From the Streets, Omar Dieguez speaks with Rolla Alaydi, a Palestinian American organizer who has spent months fighting to evacuate her family from Gaza. Since November 2023, Rolla has made countless appeals to Representative Jimmy Panetta’s office—pleas that have been met with silence, even as she has lost over 100 loved […]
Where Mentorship Meets Movimiento
Talk of the Bay: From the Streets host Omar Dieguez, a mentor with Barrios Unidos, sits down with a group of girls from Pajaro Valley High School to discuss the powerful role mentors play in schools. Listen in as they share how Barrios Unidos creates safe spaces for students to express themselves, connect with their […]
Mike Rotkin in Conversation with Chris Krohn
KSQD presents a conversation between Chris Krohn and Mike Rotkin, recorded just 2 months before Rotkin’s death on Wednesday (06/18/2025). Rotkin served 25 years on the Santa Cruz City Council, and 5 terms as mayor. He was active in local political and social issues for more than 50 years, and loved and respected for his […]
Meet Protect Salinas Renters Coalition Advocate, Dr. John Silva
On Tuesday, June 10th, host Meilin Obinata spoke with Dr. John Silva from the Protect Salinas Renters coalition. This coalition is seeking signatures for a referendum campaign to repeal the Salinas City Council’s recent vote to repeal four renters’ rights ordinances including one for rent stabilization. We learn from Dr. Silva, whose years of […]
Mauni Jalali on Constitutional Law
Host George Cadman discusses the civil rights issues raised by recent ICE deportation raids with constitutional law attorney, Mauni Jalali. Jalali is instituting a call to action, to motivate local electeds to answer to the voters. He has developed expertise in administrative law matters, government regulation, and plaintiff-side antitrust, with particular emphasis on cases involving […]
Meet Gilles Poitras, an Expert in the Realms of Anime and Manga
On this special FanimeCon edition of Inside Education, host Meilin Obinata speaks with Gilles Poitras, an expert in the realms of anime and manga, Japanese forms of comic book and animated entertainment which have caught popularity around the world. What connections do these storytelling formats have upon learning? How do librarians benefit from having manga […]
Squid on the Street: Price of Eggs Got you Fried?
Our intrepid reporter/intern Maury Burnett-Cavoto asks: How are you dealing with the rise in egg prices?
Silicon Valley Imperialism with Dr. Erin McElroy
What happens when a former Soviet state experiments with Silicon Valley-style capitalism – when the worlds of open source hardware collide with proprietary corporate control? What happens when American landlords use the latest and greatest in surveillance tech to terrorize renters? McElroy also shares the origin story of SF BARF which Sonja Trauss led, which […]
Beware of Billionaires Bearing Gifts
Are universities hedge funds? Is knowledge political? What do you think? Join host, Meilin Obinata, for a discussion with Max Sárosi, an organizer of of the Jews Against White Supremacy (JAWS) chapter at UCSC. Sárosi has studied how billionaire philanthropy impacts the University of California, including UC Santa Cruz. What secrets lurk in the gifts […]
Meet Tzimtzum, a new Jewish community in the Santa Cruz area
In this episode of Talk of the Bay, host Meilin Obinata introduces two members of the Tzimtzum Community, which offers Jewish Gatherings for Personal and Collective Liberation. One is the founder Rabbi Chel Mandell, and the other guest is a Jewish educator and is a dedicated member, Ben Yanowitz (who is also a host on […]
In early May, dozens of nonprofit and health care leaders assembled outside of Watsonville Community Hospital to altogether issue a desperate plea: hands off our health care. The message came hours before the U.S. Energy and Commerce Committee, which is responsible for health care funding, began debating a Republican-sponsored spending bill in Congress that seeks to cut $880 billion mostly from the budget funding Medicaid, or Medi-Cal as it’s known in California. The unprecedented slashing of the federal program, established almost 60 years ago, will help pay for $4.5 trillion in planned tax breaks being pushed by the White House. Republicans in the House insist they’re eliminating wasteful spending while Democrats warn that millions of Americans will be dropped from their coverage if the bill becomes law. Here in Santa Cruz County, almost 90,000 residents are Medi-Cal beneficiaries and many of them go to Watsonville-based Salud Para La Gente to receive care. That’s why Salud’s chief medical officer, Dr. D
In early May, dozens of nonprofit and health care leaders assembled outside of Watsonville Community Hospital to altogether issue a desperate plea: hands off our health care. The message came hours before the U.S. Energy and Commerce Committee, which is responsible for health care funding, began debating a Republican-sponsored spending bill in Congress that seeks […]
125 years of redwood conservation at Sempervirens Fund
Sara Barth, executive director of Sempervirens fund, joined Talk of the Bay just a few days shy of a monumental occasion for California’s first land trust — its 125th anniversary. The conservation group, focused on forest protection and restoration since 1900, commemorated the milestone with the first-ever Redwoods Festival at the historic Roaring Camp property […]
La Familia de Richie Valens
We have the pleasure to talk to the family of Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer Ritchie Valens. He was the first Chicano to reach such accomplishments. On this episode of Talk of the Bay, From the Streets, host Omar Dieguez interviewed multiple members of the Ritchie Valens family, including his brother’s daughters Brenda Morales […]
A Small Town in Italy Protests Gaza War
I am traveling in Italy, in the Garfagnana region, a hilly, remote valley with ancient hilltowns and castles. In the small town of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, we come upon a protest organized by the villagers decrying conditions in Gaza. Here is what we recorded from the few who could speak English.
Squid on the Street: International Travel Anyone?
Our intrepid Squid on the Street, UCSC Humanities intern, Maury Burnett-Cavoto asked people how they feel about traveling out of the country under Trump’s current border security crackdowns.
Ethnic Studies from the Perspective of an Educator and a Jewish Community Member
On KSQD’s Talk of the Bay, host Omar Diegez speaks with Bobby Pelz, Ethnic Studies teacher at the Pajaro Valley High School, and Caroline Kuspa, of Jews for a Free Palestine. They discuss the curriculum in the school district and the recent tensions and controversies, around the failed censure of trustee Gabe Medina.
From the Streets: Addiction and Recovery
The host was Omar Diguez. Our guests discussed what it’s like to be in recovery, the sense of desperation, seeking healing though ceremonies. many different forms of recovery through twelve step programs and spiritual practices such as praying at sweat lodges. One guest, Eric, a resident of Salinas, has been in recovery for 14 years. […]
From the Streets: Restoring Ethnic Studies in Pajaro Valley
“From the Streets,” is a new Talk of the Bay series, hosted by Omar Dieguez. His guests for this show were Professor Christine Hong of UC Santa Cruz and Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee, Gabriel Medina. They discuss the dedicated community work that recently led to the reinstatement of ethnic studies in the Pajaro […]
Karen with a K: A Musical Temper Tantrum featuring Strange Bedfellows
Thursday on Talk of the Bay we meet Laura February Strange and members of the cast of “Karen with a K: A musical temper tantrum.” If you haven’t had the chance to experience this local garage-rock musical it’s coming around once more at the Corralitos Cultural Center and features a band of talented musicians, singers […]
Voices of Change: Community, Culture, and Ethnic Studies in Pajaro Valley – Talk of the Bay
“From the Streets,” is a new Talk of the Bay series, hosted by Omar Dieguez. His guests are Roy Recio, Watsonville native and founder of the Tobera Project, preserving Fililpino immigrant history in the Pajaro Valley; and marine ecologist Nat Low of Aptos, director of the Asian American Justice and Innovation Lab. They discuss their […]
The Carmel Foundation: A rich array of support services for seniors
On Talk of the Bay host Andrew Schoneberg interviews leaders from the Carmel Foundation, a non-profit service organization that facilitates successful aging by providing a rich spectrum of interactive activities and services for the ever-changing physical, social, emotional and cognitive needs for those 55 and older. Have a listen to learn about the history of the […]
The Human Face of Immigration
Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and immigration activist. He tells the story of coming to the U.S. as a child, unaware that he was entering without legal documents. His 31-year quest to obtain legal status led to a life of hiding until he “came out” in a New York Times article titled, […]
KSQD Origin Stories
In this show, engineer Sandy Stone and board chair Rachel Anne Goodman reminisce about the circuitous route that KSQD’s founders took in getting on the air. Here is something I wrote up trying to capture a lot of the milestones. Our story: Once upon a time back in the 1970’s there was a visionary writer […]
Cannabis Consumption Lounges are Coming / Second Harvest Food Bank Update
It’s no secret that Santa Cruz County loves its weed. Take a trip to UCSC’s campus on April 20th and you’ll get a sense of what I mean. But despite the community enthusiasm for the flowering herb, the industry has struggled to take off both at the local and statewide level after it was legalized […]
New Santa Cruz Shakespeare Season Ramps up
Artistic Director for Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Charles Pasternak talks about the bard and how his plays always provide fresh insights, as the four-decade-old company readies for its new season in July.
Filmmaker Vicki Abeles explores the themes in the film Counted Out, and how we can move beyond the “race to nowhere”
Vicki Abeles is a filmmaker, attorney and change agent. She directed the award-winning documentaries Race to Nowhere and Beyond Measure and reached millions of viewers by focusing on social impact. She is the author of the NYT best-selling book Beyond Measure. Additional film credits include Associate Producer on the Sundance favorite Miss Representation (2011) […]
Santa Cruz “Hands Off” Protest Draws Thousands
This compilation of audio impressions reflects the sentiments of the people gathered with estimated 8,000 others to protest the takedown of our government by Musk and MAGA.
David Woodbury on the seldom heard history of the Civil War, and how that war continues to reverberate in the U.S. today
David Woodbury is the founder and host of the Central Coast Conference (now in its 2nd year), a weekend-long lecture series dedicated to topics in American history. He earned a degree in History from the University of Evansville, in Indiana, before moving to California 40 years ago. He pursued a long career in publishing, […]
John Brown Childs brings the ancient wisdom of peacemaking
John Brown Childs is Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He was born on December 2, 1942, in a public housing project, in the Roxbury section of Boston. In 1963, he co-organized a group of students from the University of Massachusetts to go to the March on Washington […]
Special Talk of the Bay with Omar Dieguez! From The Streets (Honoring Cesar Chavez Day)
This was a special edition of Talk of the Bay, hosted by Omar Dieguez. His guests were Nane Alejandrez of Barrios Unidos, Mary Lou Alejandrez of Barrios Unidos, and Catarina, a Maori influenced by Barrios Unidos who is visiting from New Zealand. This fascinating conversation included reflections of Cesar Chavez’s enduring impact, the role of […]
Prof. Stephen Zunes on Student Crackdowns
Stephen Zunes is chair of the Middle East Studies program at the University of San Francisco. In recent days, students with a history of protest against the U.S./Israel actions in Gaza have been snatched off the street with no due process. We talk about the war on civil liberties at home and abroad and the […]
Supervisor Cummings on CA Coastal Commission
Justin Cummings, Third District Santa Cruz County Supervisor, talks about efforts to retain his seat as chair of the powerful California Coastal Commission. He also explains other ordinances under discussion at the county level.
Jeanne Proust of UCSC’s Center for Public Philosophy explores the philosophical and ethical questions behind technology, politics, and social change
Jeanne Proust has studied Humanities, Philosophy and Visual Arts in Bordeaux, Berlin, and Paris. She has been teaching Philosophy for the last 14 years in the US and is actively involved in the Center for Public Philosophy at UC Santa Cruz, where she served as director from 2023-2024. She currently holds the position of […]
Jesse Colin Young Remembered
This week we honor Jesse Colin Young, the folk-rock icon of the sixties and seventies, who died at 83. His hits included “Get Together” and “Ridgetop” to name just two of his many songs that conveyed the spirit of the times. Our guest is KSQD’s station manager, David Bean, who was Jesse Colin Young’s manager […]
