Science
When Oakland resident Eddie Velasquez was growing up, he was frequently taunted by his peers for being gay. They called him derogatory slurs and told him to be a “real man.” He was raised in a traditional Latino household, and his cultural identity made little room for homosexuality. To stop the bullying, Velasquez even dated a woman for a short period of time, but he knew he wasn’t being honest with himself, he said. Velasquez’s experience is representative of the…
In 2015, a measles outbreak spread across California, sickening hundreds of people. The outbreak spread across the West Coast as well as Mexico and Canada, and led the California legislature to outlaw vaccine exemptions based on personal beliefs. Removing the exemption has caused vaccination rates across the state to increase dramatically, including in the Bay Area. But some Bay Area residents worry current outbreaks in Washington and Oregon may soon jump state lines into California.
Each year, thousands of monarch butterflies from across the west make their way to the California coast where they spend their winter, including making migratory stops at East Bay parks. For the past two decades, volunteer citizen scientists have been counting them during the Annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count, organized by the Xerces Society. Christina Garcia, a naturalist at the East Bay Regional Park District, has been counting butterflies at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont for over 20 years. This…
Animal Biome makes poop pills. Reporter Sarah Trent and her cat, Kafka, investigate how they work—and how they’re made.
Studies suggest many factors may be at play in increased dementia rates among African Americans across the nation.
Hear from people finding their own place on spectrums of language, hookup culture, neurodiversity, and politics.
The cleanup was hosted by nonprofit environmental group Save the Bay as part of a series of restoration events held by them and others annually on Bay Day.
For the second Halloween season in a row, the Oakland Zoo hosted a “Sundown Spookfari.” The zoo staff opened up their grounds for families to stay overnight and learn about some of the animals.
At a time when the federal government does not support climate action, climate experts say local city efforts can mitigate warming and help the nation. Oakland has taken a lead role in local climate initiatives.