Bay Curious

Designed by Central Park architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery serves as both a tranquil public park for living visitors and a final resting place for over 200,000 souls. Was it meant to be used in such a way? Katherine Monahan heads there to find out, and while she's there, she hears some grisly stories about some of the graveyard's inhabitants, just in time for Halloween.

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This story was reported by Katherine Monahan. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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The Condor Club has been a fixture of San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood for more than 60 years. It's also where Carol Doda first performed topless, ushering in a new era of entertainment in the city's bars. It still features topless dancers today, but this iconic bar may also have some spookier residents.

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• Spooked: Sea Legs - The Crossroads
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This story was reported by Zoe Ferrigno. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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The Bay Area has long been associated with countercultural movements — whether it was the Beats of the 1950s, the hippies of the 1960s or the Black Panthers of the 1970s. But often overlooked in that long tradition of local subcultures is the emergence of America’s first official satanic church, which was founded right here in San Francisco. From its beginnings in a black Victorian house in the Richmond District, to its rapid growth that may have helped kick off a wave of “satanic panic” across the country, the story of the Church of Satan is filled with lust, intrigue and a fair amount of theatrics.

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• How the Church of Satan Was Born in San Francisco
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This story was reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, requires state and local agencies to consider the environmental impact of public and private projects. Prop 45 on the 2026 California ballot would change CEQA by speeding up environmental reviews for certain projects such as housing, roads, bridges, and broadband centers.

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This story was reported by Laura Klivans. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 44 on the 2026 California ballot would require private non-profit health clinics serving the lowest income Californians to spend 90% of their revenue on medical services. If they do not, they would pay fees.

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This story was reported by Lesley McClurg. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 43 on the 2026 California ballot would increase the vote threshold to pass new local taxes earmarked for special causes.

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This story was reported by Guy Marzorati. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 42 on the 2026 California ballot prohibits new state personal property taxes and certain retroactive state taxes.

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This story was reported by Marisa Lagos. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 41 on the 2026 California ballot would require more audits on the programs that are funded by special taxes. Is it good governance? Or red tape meant to make it harder to pass new taxes?

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This story was reported by Marisa Lagos. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 40 would impose a one time 5% tax on Californians whose net worth is over a billion dollars. The resulting revenue would be primarily used to replace cuts to Medi-Cal and food assistance programs passed at the federal level in H.R. 1 or the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

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• Read the transcript for this episode
• Catch up on all of Prop Fest 2026
• Political Breakdown Podcast: Dave Regan
• Political Breakdown Podcast: Joshua Rauh
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This story was reported by Marisa Lagos. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 39 on the 2026 California ballot would require voters to show a valid ID when casting their ballot. Currently, voters have to show ID to register to vote, but not at the ballot box.

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This story was reported by Izzy Bloom. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 38 on the 2026 California ballot would authorize the state to borrow money to fund immunology research.

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This story was reported by April Dembosky. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 37 on the 2026 California ballot authorizes the state to borrow money to create a middle-income homebuyers program.

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This story was reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 5 on the 2026 California ballot would change the rules around recalls of elected officials.

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This story was reported by Guy Marzorati. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 4 on the California 2026 ballot would repeal an earlier statewide ban on public financing programs. It would open the door for state and local governments to set up public financing programs for election campaigns. Candidates would have to meet certain eligibility criteria and agree to spending limits.

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This story was reported by Izzy Bloom. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 2 on your 2026 California ballot would make changes to how the state's Rainy Day Fund would work. It would both allow lawmakers to set aside more money during abundant tax years and change the kinds of debt the state can pay off with that fund.

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This story was reported by Guy Marzorati. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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California has what’s known as a “progressive tax system” – basically, the more money you make, the more you pay in income taxes. For years, California voters have approved certain tax rates for high income earners. And now, Prop 3 could make some of those rates permanent.

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going tohttps://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Guy Marzorati. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Proposition 1 on the 2026 California ballot authorizes the state to take out an $11.25 billion bond to fund an array of affordable housing programs, including the construction and preservation of affordable housing and the CalVet program, which helps veterans become homeowners.

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Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going tohttps://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Prop Fest is a collaboration between Bay Curious and The Bay. It’s made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme, Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Alan Montecillo, Gabriela Glueck and Pauline Bartalone. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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Nancy Pelosi is many things: Trailblazer. Lightning rod. First woman Speaker of the House. Mom of five. To some, she’s an out-of-touch elitist, to others, a champion for democracy. In The Speaker, political reporter Scott Shafer reflects on Pelosi’s historic life and career as she prepares to exit public office. Featuring exclusive interviews with Pelosi herself, along with other prominent figures like Gavin Newsom, Ilhan Omar, Rahm Emanuel and Mick Mulvaney.

The Bay Curious team is hard at work gearing up for Prop Fest, our series examining the 14 propositions on the California ballot. As a little amuse-bouche, we're sharing an episode from KQED's new podcast, The Speaker!

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The San Francisco Bay Area isn't as popular of a filming location as Los Angeles or Vancouver, Canada, but there are some very creepy films that use our unique weather and topography as characters. Check out top picks this Halloween season from Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle culture critic, and Carly Severn, Senior Editor of Audience News at KQED. It's a fun conversation about movies, stars and some of the great directors who've been inspired by our region.

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• Dunsmuir: The Oakland Mansion That Inspired Hollywood Nightmares
• The Best San Francisco Movies to Stream This Holiday Season
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This story was reported by Carly Severn and Peter Hartlaub. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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For much of the 20th century, swaths of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties were home to seas of chrysanthemums, asters and irises. About 200 acres of chrysanthemums — roughly 150 football fields — were grown at the time. The total valuation of the crop amounted to roughly $2 million. And many of the farmers who grew those flowers were Chinese and Japanese immigrants who had to lease land from white landowners because they weren't allowed to own property.

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• When Chinese Flower Growers Helped the Bay Area Flower Market Bloom
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This story was reported by Gabriela Glueck. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Anna Casalme and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.

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