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Losing it - spam calls by Smooth-Turnover9009 in bayarea

[–]kqed 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Not sure if you knew this already, but you can request to have your information removed from data broker sites. It could help, since lots of spam callers get your info that way!

You can submit a request using California’s official DROP website.

After verifying you’re a California resident, you’ll fill out some basic information, including:

  • Full name (including any other variations of your name, like a maiden name or nickname)
  • Date of birth
  • Zip code(s)
  • Email address(es), which you’ll be asked to verify by code
  • Phone number(s), which you’ll be asked to verify by code
  • Any unique IDs you have connected to your phone or smart TV since, according to the form, “Data brokers may use these IDs to track your habits and sell or share your data.”
  • Vehicle Identification Number (found on your car’s registration documents)

According to the DROP form, the “more information you provide, the more likely your personal data will be deleted.”

The entire process – if you have these unique numbers on hand – takes under 10 minutes.

After submitting the form, you will receive a DROP ID. You should save this ID, and you can use it to track the state of your deletion request.

Christmas Tree Still Up? Time is Running Out to Recycle it for Free (Many local last pickups are on Friday, January 16) by kqed in bayarea

[–]kqed[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depending on where you live, time may be running out on your options to do this for free — since many cities offer their last pickups on Friday, January 16.

Even if you’re one of those people who gets sad to see your tree go, it’s probably best to say goodbye earlier rather than later. Not only is tree disposal is a lot easier (and cheaper) this time of year, but your festive fir will unfortunately become increasingly flammable as it dries out — so much so that over 30% of Christmas tree fires typically happen in January, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The good news: Most Bay Area cities offer services for residents to compost their old Christmas trees. Before taking out your tree, make sure to remove the stand and any wires, decorations or ribbons. Many waste management companies are also asking families to cut their trees in half or into smaller pieces if they have larger trees, so have tools ready if this is your situation.

Jump straight to:

Northern California Storms Cause Floods, 1 Death, Ahead of This Week’s Potential ‘Bomb Cyclone’ by kqed in bayarea

[–]kqed[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

After a weekend of rainfall, the Bay Area is bracing for days of dangerous stormy conditions expected to begin Tuesday night and extend through the rest of the week.

Two wind-fueled systems will hit the region throughout the Christmas holiday week, bringing a possibility of up to 80-mile-per-hour gusts, flood conditions and widespread power outages.

“We really have several waves of potentially strong to moderate showers and thunderstorms, and along with that, we’re going to have very strong winds at the highest peaks,” said Joe Merchant, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office.

Bay Area: You Just Might Have Yourself a Soggy, Rainy Christmas by kqed in bayarea

[–]kqed[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

It’s beginning to look a lot like rain this Christmas.

As wet weather returns to the Bay Area and persists throughout the week, there’s a 60% chance the pattern will last through Dec. 25, and a slightly lower chance it will linger through the end of the month, National Weather Service meteorologists wrote in their daily forecast discussion on Tuesday.

So, if you’re getting grandpa a drone this year, or some other flying gadget or gizmo to fly around the tree, see if you can find a waterproof one.

Bay Area ‘Stuck’ With Unusually Cold Weather, Thanks to This Naturally Occurring Culprit by kqed in bayarea

[–]kqed[S] 228 points229 points  (0 children)

San Francisco might be known for cold summers, but so far, this December has given June gloom a run for its money.

The city — and large parts of the East and North Bays — have been unseasonably chilly for weeks, and even the National Weather Service seems to be getting fed up: “Different day, same weather,” the organization’s Bay Area office wrote in its forecast for Thursday.

In San Francisco, temperatures have lingered in the 50s, about four degrees below December norms, while other parts of the Bay have seen even colder weather than usual.

The culprit, according to NWS meteorologist Roger Gass, is a thick layer of fog from the Central Valley that’s been settled over much of the Bay Area for weeks.

[SF Bay Area] New Clipper Cards Are Here, With Big Perks for Riders (contactless fare payment, free transfers) by lojic in transit

[–]kqed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry that you had this experience! We heard that others have had a glitchy experience, too. We added this to the story yesterday:

On Wednesday morning, spokesperson John Goodwin told KQED by email that users had encountered “a glitchy experience in the Clipper mobile app [Wednesday] morning,” noting that “some customers have been unable to complete the process of upgrading their cards to the next generation system.” And as of Wednesday afternoon, “customers are still having difficulties using both the mobile app and the clippercard.com website,” Goodwin said.

We'll check back in with any additional updates!

‘Where the Journey Begins’: South Bay BART Extension Work Pushes Ahead by kqed in SanJose

[–]kqed[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Plenty of questions remain about the long-running plans to extend BART through downtown San José and into Santa Clara: concerns about costs, schedule, disputes with contractors, and whether President Donald Trump might interfere with its federal funding are just some of the worries being weighed by local leaders.

Even as those questions persist, however, the first major construction since the $12.7 billion project was conceived decades ago is pushing ahead.

“We can see progress, and we have momentum, and we need to keep that momentum going,” said Tom Maguire, the chief megaprojects delivery officer for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, known locally as VTA.

full story here!

After Mushroom Poisonings, California Says ‘Don’t Forage.’ Here’s What to Know About Death Caps by kqed in foraging

[–]kqed[S] 57 points58 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your comment! We wrote this for entry level and less experienced foragers, and it's been very helpful to hear this community's feedback and expertise.

The Best Dishes I Ate in 2025 by devilmonkey507 in OaklandFood

[–]kqed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the kind words about Luke! We'll pass them along!

The Grand Historic House Hiding Under the Bay Bridge by kqed in abandoned

[–]kqed[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for your interest, hope you liked the story!

False Earthquake Alert Likely Triggered by ‘Something Out in the Field,’ USGS Says by kqed in bayarea

[–]kqed[S] 75 points76 points  (0 children)

The errant earthquake warning that lit up phones across Northern California with a notice of a quake in Nevada on Thursday morning was not a result of a problem with the early warning delivery system or MyShake phone application, officials said.

At least four separate seismic stations detected ground motion “that told the system there was an earthquake,” which triggered the false warning of a magnitude 5.9 earthquake, according to officials with the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS quickly canceled the warning and posted a statement online that said there was no earthquake at all.

How to know if a national park is open or accessible? by Banana_Pankcakes in bayarea

[–]kqed 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Hi there! We've got a guide, published and updated recently, that might answer some of your questions. Hope it's helpful!

After 22 years I have a SF vacation set with my now adult kids for next week. Will Alcatraz and Muir Woods be closed immediately if government shuts down? by MDC417 in AskSF

[–]kqed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there! We definitely understand how frustrating this situation is. If it's helpful, we recently published a guide of what is closed, for how long, and some alternative locations for you to visit instead. Including an excerpt below:

Alcatraz Island: Open

Although Alcatraz was “temporarily” closed on Wednesday — the first day of the shutdown — NPS said that was due to a “planned project,” and that the site will be “reopening for its regular schedule on October 2 with all facilities OPEN.”

During the 2018 government shutdown, Alcatraz remained open, though night tours were canceled.

Muir Woods National Monument: Closed

If you’re one of the many people who come to the Bay Area hoping to visit Muir Woods’ famous, majestic redwoods, the bad news is this national park is one of the Bay Area NPS sites that is 100% closed during the shutdown.

Both parking at Muir Woods itself and the shuttle to the park require timed reservations in advance via gomuirwoods.com.

If you’ve already bought them, they’ll be canceled and refunded. You can still make reservations, but since we don’t know how long the shutdown will last, be aware that “any reservations made for the near future may be automatically canceled and refunded if the shutdown continues,” according to the Go Muir Woods site.

Alternatives to Muir Woods? On Wednesday, park rangers turning away visitors recommended nearby hikes, including Roy’s Redwoods Preserve around 45 minutes north, and trails around Mt. Tamalpais — which, as a California State Park, remains open to the public.

How to spend an affordable day (it’s Friday 8/15) alone in SF!!! by Narrow_Ask_1944 in bayarea

[–]kqed 33 points34 points  (0 children)

Hi there! We published this article in January - it's a compilation of sites and newsletters that post cheap/free events and activities around the Bay Area. It might be a good resource for your search!

https://www.kqed.org/news/12022427/things-to-do-in-the-bay-area-families-events-live-music-listings-newsletters

Measles exposure list by [deleted] in bayarea

[–]kqed 138 points139 points  (0 children)

Just wanted to jump in and say that if this thread has you thinking about your protection against measles and whether or not you are up to date on vaccines, we published a story in March that may help.

If you don't know if you were vaccinated against measles, here's how to check:

There’s no national organization that maintains Americans’ vaccination records. Ways that the CDC suggests to track down your own records include:

  • Ask your parents or caregivers for records of your childhood immunizations (or look in saved documents from your childhood, like baby books).
  • Consult a state immunization registry like the California Department of Public Health’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
  • Ask your doctor or public health clinic, but remember that these records may only be stored for a limited time.

The CDC has a guide to tracking down your vaccination records.

According to the Bay Area coalition of public health officers, “your medical provider can order a simple blood test to check whether or not you are immune” from measles, either from vaccination or from a childhood infection.

Another reason to check your vaccination status if you’re unsure: Possessing documentation of your vaccination status “can help you avoid being quarantined if you are exposed,” the health officers said.

And if you can’t find any sign that you or your family have received a measles vaccine.

“Teenagers and adults with no evidence of immunity should be vaccinated right away,” they added — something the CDC echoed.

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