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

What Should Mixed-Status Students Know About FAFSA This Year?
What advocates say mixed-status college applicants — students with at least one parent without a Social Security number due to their immigration status — should know about applying for student aid right now.
Save Article

Latest News

1
‘A Morale Bomb’: National Park Workers Face Wage Cuts and 'Dubiously Legal' Review System
Save Article
2
California Banned Declawing. How Can You Manage Your Cat’s Claws Now?
Save Article
3
Things to Do in Lake Tahoe This Winter That Aren’t Skiing or Snowboarding (Both Outdoors and Inside)
Save Article
4
New Clipper Cards Are Here, With Big Perks for Riders. How to Manually Upgrade Yours
Save Article
5
After Mushroom Poisonings, California Says ‘Don't Forage.’ Here’s What to Know About Death Caps
Save Article
Travel and OutdoorsTravel and Outdoors
Things to Do in Lake Tahoe This Winter That Aren’t Skiing or Snowboarding (Both Outdoors and Inside)
Things to Do in Lake Tahoe This Winter That Aren’t Skiing or Snowboarding (Both Outdoors and Inside)
Trump Orders DEI Out of National Park Bookstores
Trump Orders DEI Out of National Park Bookstores
Download
What We Know About Trump’s $100 National Park Fee for International Tourists
What We Know About Trump’s $100 National Park Fee for International Tourists
Work and MoneyWork and Money
New Clipper Cards Are Here, With Big Perks for Riders. How to Manually Upgrade Yours
New Clipper Cards Are Here, With Big Perks for Riders. How to Manually Upgrade Yours
Download
What to Know About Repaying Student Loans, as Delinquency in California Skyrockets
What to Know About Repaying Student Loans, as Delinquency in California Skyrockets
On CalFresh? How to Get $60 of Free Fruits and Vegetables Each Month
On CalFresh? How to Get $60 of Free Fruits and Vegetables Each Month
Things to Do in the BayThings to Do in the Bay
Hosting for the Holidays? Crowd-Pleasing Places to Take Visitors in the Bay Area
Hosting for the Holidays? Crowd-Pleasing Places to Take Visitors in the Bay Area
This Thanksgiving Weekend, Why Not Hop on a Ferry?
This Thanksgiving Weekend, Why Not Hop on a Ferry?
Where to See Bay Area Fall Foliage Near You
Where to See Bay Area Fall Foliage Near You
Your RightsYour Rights
Should US Citizens Carry Their Passports?
Should US Citizens Carry Their Passports?
A person stands against a wall in shadow, their face obscured.
From Mental Health to Compensation Funds, Where Can Gun Violence Survivors Find Support in the Bay Area?
From Mental Health to Compensation Funds, Where Can Gun Violence Survivors Find Support in the Bay Area?
Looking for an Immigration Lawyer? Don’t Fall for These Scams
Looking for an Immigration Lawyer? Don’t Fall for These Scams
Your HealthYour Health
After Alice Wong’s Death, Her Friends Vow to Keep Fighting for Disability Justice
After Alice Wong’s Death, Her Friends Vow to Keep Fighting for Disability Justice
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
How to Find a Food Bank or Pantry Near You in the San Francisco Bay Area
How to Find a Food Bank or Pantry Near You in the San Francisco Bay Area
Safety and DisastersSafety and Disasters
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
A photo of the Yuba River taken from the water, showing a rocky outcrop of boulders at the water's edge.
Heading to the River This Summer? The Safety Advice to Know
Heading to the River This Summer? The Safety Advice to Know
WildfiresWildfires
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?
'Particularly Dangerous Situation' Red Flag Warning and Other Wildfire Terms Explained
'Particularly Dangerous Situation' Red Flag Warning and Other Wildfire Terms Explained
In SpanishIn Spanish
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
Celebraciones del Día de Muertos 2025 en el Área de la Bahía
Celebraciones del Día de Muertos 2025 en el Área de la Bahía
¿Busca un abogado de inmigración? Ojo con estas estafas
¿Busca un abogado de inmigración? Ojo con estas estafas
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?
Download
All Explainers and GuidesAll Explainers and Guides

What Should Mixed-Status Students Know About FAFSA This Year?

Save Article

‘A Morale Bomb’: National Park Workers Face Wage Cuts and 'Dubiously Legal' Review System

Save Article

California Banned Declawing. How Can You Manage Your Cat’s Claws Now?

Save Article

Things to Do in Lake Tahoe This Winter That Aren’t Skiing or Snowboarding (Both Outdoors and Inside)

Save Article

New Clipper Cards Are Here, With Big Perks for Riders. How to Manually Upgrade Yours

Save Article

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

Save Article

After Alice Wong’s Death, Her Friends Vow to Keep Fighting for Disability Justice

Save Article

What to Know About Repaying Student Loans, as Delinquency in California Skyrockets

Save Article

On CalFresh? How to Get $60 of Free Fruits and Vegetables Each Month

Save Article

Trump Orders DEI Out of National Park Bookstores

Save Article
Sponsored

Player sponsored by