Christopher Egusa

Bay Area Enters Phase Two / Tesla Reopening Questioned

Protestors rallied outside of Tesla’s Fremont factory on Saturday. This comes after the electric car manufacturer reached a deal last week with Alameda county to keep its factory in Fremont in operation.

The past week has been full of contentious posturing between Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk and public officials. At one point, Musk threatened to move the Fremont factory to either Las Vegas or Texas. He also opened the plant last week in defiance of Alameda County’s shelter in place law and then dared the government to arrest him.

Voting By Mail In California On Election Day / New Bill Would Ban Businesses From Refusing Cash / Free Late-Night Taxi Rides For Essential Workers 

Public transit service in San Francisco has been cut dramatically due to the shelter in place order. Now, the city’s rolling out a new commuting option for essential workers: free taxi rides.

Edward Perotti is a global event designer known for his creative and immersive events. In this week's My Mixtape, he shares his secret weapon for times when he needs a boost of confidence.

Want to share your own story of a significant song? Click here to find out how.

California To Move Into Second Phase Of Reopening / California Restaurant Association Estimates Half Of State's Bars And Restaurants Will Not Reopen / California Hospital Association Requests $1 Billion In Aid / Fire Experts Predict Severe Season With Early Start

Fire season may start early this year in Northern California. And fire experts predict it’s also likely to be especially severe.

Bay Area Shelter-In-Place Order To Be Extended Through May / Pushback In Rural Counties Against Stay-At-Home Order / Heatwave Brings Crowds To Public Spaces / Stanford Stanford Health Care To Cut Employee Wages / Oakland Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Stanford Health Care is planning system-wide pay cuts and furloughs to roughly 14,000 employees. This comes as embattled hospitals across the country fight the pandemic.

The music industry has reached an agreement with the state assembly for musicians to be exempted from AB5, the state’s new gig-work law.

In Fremont, an industrial road near Tesla has become home to a large number of people living in RVs. In February, the city ordered them to leave and began placing boulders in their place. We followed one resident as she struggled with her next move.

Lynn Shipman and her boyfriend live in their RV along Kato Road in Fremont. When I meet her, she immediately invites me in.

Inside, the RV looks like a miniature botanical garden.

Three State Partnership / Insurance Refunds Demanded / SF Delivery App Fees Capped / SF Party Busted

Vanessa Rochelle Lewis was bullied for her appearance and sexuality. She redefined ugly to mean Uplift Glorify Love Yourself. Vanessa is the founder of Reclaim UGLY, a movement that helps people heal from “uglification” and celebrate their beauty. In this week's My Mixtape, she shares a song that's all about those good vibes.

The Santa Clara Convention Center has been transformed into a temporary hospital to treat less severe COVID-19 cases. Its first two patients were admitted today.

Sights and Sounds is your weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene through the eyes and ears of local artists. We're changing things up a bit due to the shelter-in-place order.  This week host Jenee Darden chats with hip-hop artist Call Me Ace about three arts events for you to see, hear and do right from home. 

**Correction: Jenee mistakenly said Madame C.J. Walker was the first self-made millionaire. Walker was the first self-made female millionaire.

In San Francisco, all MUNI train lines will shut down starting today, with no current plans for them to reopen.

Free COVID-19 tests in Hayward / Park visitation problems / Proposed ballot measures stymied

Good news for East Bay residents and health centers: a new, free COVID19 testing center is opening in Hayward.

As American health care workers prepare for the coming waves of COVID-19 patients, the shortage of protective equipment like masks is becoming increasingly worrying.

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Antoine Hunter is an Oakland-based dancer, choreographer, director, and advocate for the Deaf community — that’s Deaf with a capital D, which refers to Deaf culture. When Antoine was growing up, dance became a lifeline to the world around him.

In today's edition of My Mixtape, Swedish electronic band Little Dragon shares what they're listening to. Not to be confused with the David Schwimmer character, Ross From Friends is the stage name of British electronic music producer and DJ Felix Clary Weatherall. Little Dragon is currently touring and preparing to launch their new album New Me, Same Us at the end of March. If you've got a song of your own, submit it to us here.

Big changes to the way people vote are in store for the state. As Californians prepare to cast ballots in tomorrow’s primary races, election advocates fear wide-spread voter confusion.

Farah Yasmeen Shaikh is an internationally acclaimed Kathak artist, and the Founder and Artistic Director of Noorani Dance. Kathak is a traditional Indian dance form associated strongly with storytelling. In this week's My Mixtape, Farah shares a song from The Forgotten Empress, a multisensory production that encapsulates the rise and influence wielded by a female empress in Mughal India.

Several changes are happening with Bart today. A new program called Bart ambassadors will go into effect, as well as a number of schedule adjustments.

Hey Area is where we find answers to questions you ask. David Shayer wanted to know, “Why is highway 101 plastered with billboards, while highway 280, a few miles west, has no billboards? I hate billboards, I would cut them all down if I could!”

A growing number of vehicles have been gathering in Fremont along an industrial road next to the 880 freeway. People sleep in many overnight — some for months. Now, the city has decided that they need to go.

Bay Area singer, songwriter, and guitarist Graham Norwood found himself gravitating back towards music after his marriage began falling apart. He now sees it as a survival mechanism — a way to work through the heartbreak, loneliness, and confusion. In this edition of My Mixtape, Graham talks about a deeply personal song, pulled from the pages of his own life. Got a song of your own? Submit it to My Mixtape here.

Joey Sandin is an elementary school teacher living in Hayward. Most music doesn't evoke a strong emotional reaction out of her, but this song from Feist really hit her in the feels. Check out today's addition to My Mixtape to hear what memory popped back into her brain.