Explainers and GuidesExplainers and Guides

Clear, practical stories from KQED News to help you navigate life in the Bay Area. (Particularly when it’s expensive.)

Today’s Top Story

8 Things to Do on Super Bowl Sunday in the Bay Area (That Are Not ‘Watch the Super Bowl’)
Don’t care about the Big Game on Feb. 8? Enjoy the lack of crowds at these hiking trails, stores, neighborhoods and more.

Latest News

1
3 Great ‘Workout Hikes’ in the Bay Area to Try (When You Can’t Face the Gym)
2
ICE at the Super Bowl: What We Know Right Now
3
Not That Into Football? Try These Super Bowl Alt-Events
More than a half dozen football players kneel along the sidelines of a field while coaches and others stand behind them, seen in a watercolor illustration
4
As Bay Area Gears Up to Host Super Bowl LX and Bad Bunny Halftime Show, Fears of ICE Loom
5
Super Bowl Road Closures and Traffic: Check if Your Route Is Affected This Week
Super Bowl in the Bay AreaSuper Bowl in the Bay Area
8 Things to Do on Super Bowl Sunday in the Bay Area (That Are Not ‘Watch the Super Bowl’)
8 Things to Do on Super Bowl Sunday in the Bay Area (That Are Not ‘Watch the Super Bowl’)
ICE at the Super Bowl: What We Know Right Now
ICE at the Super Bowl: What We Know Right Now
More than a half dozen football players kneel along the sidelines of a field while coaches and others stand behind them, seen in a watercolor illustration
Not That Into Football? Try These Super Bowl Alt-Events
Not That Into Football? Try These Super Bowl Alt-Events
Travel and OutdoorsTravel and Outdoors
No REAL ID? TSA Will Charge You $45 at the Airport Starting Feb. 1
No REAL ID? TSA Will Charge You $45 at the Airport Starting Feb. 1
Tents surrounded by redwood trees and a picnic bench nearby.
Trying to Make a Camping Reservation, but Your ReserveCalifornia Login Won’t Work? Here’s the Fix
Trying to Make a Camping Reservation, but Your ReserveCalifornia Login Won’t Work? Here’s the Fix
Trump’s $100 National Park Fee for International Tourists is Now in Effect. What to Know
Trump’s $100 National Park Fee for International Tourists is Now in Effect. What to Know
Work and MoneyWork and Money
A stylized image showing digital privacy security settings cut out in the shape of a hand, set against a dark background filled with binary numbers.
How to Protect Your Information Online in 2026
How to Protect Your Information Online in 2026
Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Caused Trouble in 2008. They’re Worrying Experts Again
Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Caused Trouble in 2008. They’re Worrying Experts Again
Expert Advice on Pulling Off a Small, Intimate City Hall Wedding (That Won’t Break the Bank)
Expert Advice on Pulling Off a Small, Intimate City Hall Wedding (That Won’t Break the Bank)
Things to Do in the BayThings to Do in the Bay
More than a half dozen football players kneel along the sidelines of a field while coaches and others stand behind them, seen in a watercolor illustration
Not That Into Football? Try These Super Bowl Alt-Events
Not That Into Football? Try These Super Bowl Alt-Events
Are You a Book Lover? Check Out the Bay Area’s Public Library Sales
Are You a Book Lover? Check Out the Bay Area’s Public Library Sales
You can see it from all over the Bay Area, but how many people who live here have actually been inside Coit Tower?
More Free Things to Do in the Bay Area (If You’re Feeling the January Strain)
More Free Things to Do in the Bay Area (If You’re Feeling the January Strain)
Your RightsYour Rights
ICE at the Super Bowl: What We Know Right Now
ICE at the Super Bowl: What We Know Right Now
A young woman with a bullhorn leads protesters on the street holding signs.
How to Stay Safe at a Rally in the Bay Area: Know Your Rights
How to Stay Safe at a Rally in the Bay Area: Know Your Rights
Should US Citizens Carry Their Passports?
Should US Citizens Carry Their Passports?
Your HealthYour Health
Going to the Super Bowl in Santa Clara? Here's How to Get In and Out of Levi’s Stadium Smoothly
Going to the Super Bowl in Santa Clara? Here's How to Get In and Out of Levi’s Stadium Smoothly
New Measles Cases in the Bay Area: How to Check Your Vaccination Status and Who Needs a Booster
New Measles Cases in the Bay Area: How to Check Your Vaccination Status and Who Needs a Booster
What to Know about California’s Law Expanding IVF Access in 2026
What to Know about California’s Law Expanding IVF Access in 2026
Safety and DisastersSafety and Disasters
Super Bowl Road Closures and Traffic: Check if Your Route Is Affected This Week
Super Bowl Road Closures and Traffic: Check if Your Route Is Affected This Week
An illustration shows a pair of hands holding a plate with silverware over a table. Wind rushes in and out of two open windows, and bright pink COVID symbols waft in the wind.
How to Improve Indoor Airflow at Your Holiday Gathering
How to Improve Indoor Airflow at Your Holiday Gathering
Flying Soon? What to Know About Shutdown Flight Cancellations
Flying Soon? What to Know About Shutdown Flight Cancellations
WildfiresWildfires
KQED's recommendations for what to have in your emergency bag in the case of a natural disaster during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What to Pack in Your Emergency Bag to Prepare for a Wildfire
What to Pack in Your Emergency Bag to Prepare for a Wildfire
Tips for Recovering from Wildfires: Lessons from Survivors
Tips for Recovering from Wildfires: Lessons from Survivors
Travel Plans to LA — Should You Still Go?
Travel Plans to LA — Should You Still Go?
In SpanishIn Spanish
Cómo protegerse del ‘hongo de la muerte’ en los bosques de California
Cómo protegerse del ‘hongo de la muerte’ en los bosques de California
Tengo diabetes: ¿Cómo cambiará el precio de la insulina en 2026?
Tengo diabetes: ¿Cómo cambiará el precio de la insulina en 2026?
Cómo encontrar un banco de alimentos o despensa cerca de usted en el Área de la Bahía
Cómo encontrar un banco de alimentos o despensa cerca de usted en el Área de la Bahía
COVIDCOVID
An illustration shows a pair of hands holding a plate with silverware over a table. Wind rushes in and out of two open windows, and bright pink COVID symbols waft in the wind.
How to Improve Indoor Airflow at Your Holiday Gathering
How to Improve Indoor Airflow at Your Holiday Gathering
Where Can I Find the New 2025–26 COVID Vaccine Near Me, Now California Has Expanded Access to Everyone?
Where Can I Find the New 2025–26 COVID Vaccine Near Me, Now California Has Expanded Access to Everyone?
The FDA Has Limited Approvals For COVID Vaccines This Year. With Pharmacy Appointments Already Available, Who Can Even Get a Shot?
The FDA Has Limited Approvals For COVID Vaccines This Year. With Pharmacy Appointments Already Available, Who Can Even Get a Shot?
All Explainers and GuidesAll Explainers and Guides

8 Things to Do on Super Bowl Sunday in the Bay Area (That Are Not ‘Watch the Super Bowl’)

3 Great ‘Workout Hikes’ in the Bay Area to Try (When You Can’t Face the Gym)

ICE at the Super Bowl: What We Know Right Now

More than a half dozen football players kneel along the sidelines of a field while coaches and others stand behind them, seen in a watercolor illustration

Not That Into Football? Try These Super Bowl Alt-Events

As Bay Area Gears Up to Host Super Bowl LX and Bad Bunny Halftime Show, Fears of ICE Loom

Super Bowl Road Closures and Traffic: Check if Your Route Is Affected This Week

Cómo protegerse del ‘hongo de la muerte’ en los bosques de California

What to Do if You See a Mountain Lion in the Bay Area

SoCal Roadtrippers: All the Iconic Big Sur Spots You Can See Again, Now That Highway 1 Is Open

Are You a Book Lover? Check Out the Bay Area’s Public Library Sales

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