“It’s not a driver shortage, it’s a driver strike:” How gig workers organized against Prop. 22 before the California Supreme Court called it ‘unconstitutional’
July 21 saw gig workers across the country strike, demanding what they see as the bare essentials of working life that gig giants Uber, Lyft, Instacart and others have denied … Continue reading
For U.S. immigrants, pandemic widens the chasm between two homes
Maggie Escobar poses for a photo in Grizzly Peak, Berkeley, CA, on August 3, 2021 Photo by Menel Raach As a young Colombian immigrant, Maggie Escobar was struggling to adjust … Continue reading
How three cities are struggling to provide restrooms for the unhoused
Marquetta remembers the exact date she moved into a private room at a Market Street hotel in San Francisco. It was April 7, 2020. The formerly homeless woman was moved … Continue reading
Americans with disabilities are at an especially high risk of negative police encounters. Advocates want new solutions.
As studies find a disproportionate number of people with cognitive disabilities or those experiencing mental health crises have negative interactions with police, some are trying to change that Kim Randall … Continue reading
Young workers embrace unions in fight against workplace racism
John Hopkins, a warehouse worker by trade and a coder by passion, went to work one day in January 2020, hoping to pitch coworkers about joining a union. He had … Continue reading
Oakland family plagued by high levels of lead in their home. They’re not alone.
OAKLAND – Laura Smith took her infant daughter to the doctor for a routine wellness check. But when the results came back, Smith was shocked. One-year-old Lucy had been diagnosed … Continue reading
“Essential” workers face heightened risks but reap limited rewards during COVID-19 pandemic
For more than 10 years, Benito Huerta, a farmworker in Southern California, woke at dawn to perform hard labor in the fields of Ventura County, harvesting blackberries and strawberries. He … Continue reading
Small business survival tactic: Own your own building
Borderlands Books served as a literary hub at the heart of the Mission District for 20 years, offering one of the Bay Area’s finest collections of fantasy, science fiction, mystery … Continue reading
New training teaches Napa cops to work with the mentally ill.
It was a Sunday afternoon when Richard Poccia, a registered nurse out on leave, was planning to go the store to pick up some alcohol. It was Thanksgiving weekend, the … Continue reading
Mental health stigmas disproportionally impact African Americans
At the age of 15, Gemikia Henderson didn’t know what a father’s love felt like. “I remember thinking, ‘This can’t be the life that God gave me. There’s no way … Continue reading
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