South SF's youngest and first LGBTQ mayor talks Pride, city leadership
As we continue to celebrate Pride Month at KTVU, we're putting the spotlight on a young, local politician who is breaking down barriers in his community. 25-year-old James Coleman is the Mayor of South San Francisco and he is one of the youngest, openly LGBTQ mayors in the country. In 2020 during the height of the pandemic, the South City native was elected to a seat on the city council. The city has a mayoral rotation cycle and last year Coleman was sworn in as mayor, becoming the youngest and first openly LGBTQ mayor of South San Francisco. KTVU's Heather Holmes and Alex Savidge are joined by Mayor Coleman for more on his big plans for the future and for his city.
Rep. Ro Khanna weighs in on expectations ahead of presidential debate
Silicon Valley congressman Rep. Ro Khanna joins KTVU's Alex Savidge and Heather Holmes live on the eve of the first presidential debate between President Biden and former president Donald Trump to discuss expectations, hopes and potential concerns.
The End of Roe v. Wade: Two years later
On the 2-year anniversary of the ruling that ended federal abortion rights and the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, protestors organized by the Women's March gathered outside the high court. A group of about 40 people demanded lawmakers take steps to preserve reproductive healthcare, decrying the Dobbs decision. The ruling left states to decide whether to restrict the procedure or not, leaving a patchwork across the nation. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, more than two dozen have near total bans or restrict the procedure earlier than Roe v. Wade did. For more on the state of abortion in America, KTVU's Greg Lee is joined by Michele Goodwin, professor of constitutional law and global health policy at Georgetown University.
Lady Camden to debut new show "Lady Land" at Palace of Fine Arts
This Thursday night, the fabulous Lady Camden (RuPaul's Drag Race season 14 runner-up) is set to debut her brand new show "Lady Land" at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts. KTVU's Crystal Bailey is joined live in-studio by the queen herself for details on the show, special guest appearances and how she's planning on celebrating Pride this weekend.
"The Dolls SF" launches must-see summer pop-up show
You may recognize some of these ladies from the San Francisco LGBT institution AsiaSF, which closed its doors earlier this year after more than two decades in business. Now, those girls are back on stage and inviting you to a special new pop-up event series in the city, complete with a dinner and a show at the Dolls SF. For more on the new show, KTVU's Alex Savidge is joined live in studio by performers Karmina Duncan, Violet Ri, Leilani Gaufio and Kimberly Ilejay.
El Tri brings American Sign Language to Music in the Park
Music in the Park is back in San Jose with five shows downtown. The summer series kicks off this weekend with popular Mexican rock and roll band El Tri set to perform Saturday night. The group is doing something special, by incorporating American Sign Language interpreters into their performances in an effort to make them more accessible. KTVU's Heather Holmes speaks with El Tri frontman Alex Lora and ASL interpreter Alberto Medero about tomorrow's big show.
Helping children with anxiety get to sleep
Bedtime can be frustrating for both parents and kids, with some children unable to go to sleep and stay asleep. A recent national poll found that a lot of kids cannot fall asleep due to worries or anxiety before bedtime, with 1 in 4 parents describing getting their child to bed as "difficult". KTVU's Heather Holmes discusses the potential causes of bedtime anxiety and how to help ease them with Dr. Malika Closson, Consulting Clinical Psychiatrist with Freespira.
Celebrating Juneteenth in the Bay Area
While this is just the third year Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday, the city of San Francisco has been celebrating Emancipation Day for nearly 80 years. KTVU's Alex Savidge sits down with historian John Templeton, author of "Our Roots Run Deep: The Black Experience in California" for more on how the community in the Bay Area marks Juneteenth.
Willie Mays remembered for breaking barriers on and off the field
As we honor the legacy of Willie Mays' baseball career, we can’t forget the steps he took towards civil rights during the height of a controversial time in our history.
Surgeon general calls for social media safety warning labels
KTVU's Heather Holmes speaks with Dr. Frank Anderson, psychiatrist and trauma specialist about the impact prolonged use of social media has on teenagers' mental health.
New proposal targets debt for first responders
KTVU's Alex Savidge and Heather Holmes are joined live in studio by San Francisco Supervisor and mayoral candidate Ahsha Safai for details on his proposed measure to help first responders pay off student loan debt.
KTVU's Tom Vacar to receive NATAS Governor's Award
For decades, KTVU's Tom Vacar has been on the streets of the Bay Area covering the stories that matter to us most. From the silly to the serious, Tom is always must-see TV, because you never know what you are going to learn in a Vacar piece. The long-time reporter is set to receive a big award this weekend at the 53rd Annual Northern California Emmy Awards in San Francisco; the Governor's Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. KTVU's Alex Savidge and Heather Holmes are joined live in studio by Tom Vacar himself for a brief look at his expansive, colorful career on TV.
Analyst dig into privacy implications of new, "Apple Intelligence" features
Among a variety of new features, Apple says it will use the power of ChatGPT to make its virtual assistant Siri more responsive and helpful. During this week's announcement, Apple executives focused on the company's efforts to build strong privacy connections around its AI technology. But industry analysts still have apprehensions about the new features, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. KTVU's Heather Holmes and Alex Savidge discuss the data privacy concerns with Check Point Software's Tony Sabaj.
New research sheds light on health effects of wildfire smoke
A new UCLA study found that more people that previously counted die each year in California from long-term wildfire smoke exposure. The research, published in the journal Science Advances, found that inhaling fine particulate matter from wildfires contributed to as many as 55,700 deaths between 2008-2018. KTVU's Heather Holmes and Alex Savidge discuss the findings with UCLA professor of environmental health sciences and senior author of the study, Michael Jerrett.
Forever-Home Friday: Sweet Pea the Bunny
Many animal shelters around the Bay Area are over-crowded and struggling to keep pace with an influx of adoptable pets, but it's not just cats and dogs. In this Forever-Home Friday, several dozen bunnies hope to hop their way into your heart and into your home for good. KTVU's Alex Savidge and Heather Holmes are joined by Dorothy Ko from Oakland Animal Services and Sweet Pea, live in studio.
Expanding mental health practices for LGBTQ+
Beyond the celebrations, Pride Month is also a time to raise awareness about mental health issues in the LGBTQ community. KTVU's Alex Savidge and Heather Holmes speak with Joy Alafia, Executive Director of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists for more on the progress being made to expand mental health practices in the LGBTQ+ community.
Study finds growing number of gamers in the U.S.
As students wrap up the school year, some could be looking to video games for entertainment, stimulation and social connection. The According to the Entertainment Software Association, 190.6 million people play video games for at least one hour per week in the U.S., and it's not just kids. In 2004, the average video game player was 29 years old. KTVU's Greg Lee discusses the latest numbers with Aubrey Quinn, ESA's Senior Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs.
Apple unveils "Apple Intelligence" features at WWDC
Apple revealed its next chapter this week, including a partnership with ChatGPT made by San Francisco-based OpenAI. Apple announced a new, artificial intelligence feature called "Apple Intelligence", which the company says will its most widely-used products more useful. KTVU's Heather Holmes breaks down the announcement with technology expert and San Jose State University Professor Ahmed Banafa.
Wildfire threats peak in Santa Rosa with hot, dry conditions
According to the Santa Rosa fire department, conditions have been met to officially declare the beginning of wildfire season. The threat of wildfire is currently at its peak, between hot weather days in the North Bay and recent fires around the Bay Area, the department is on high alert. KTVU's Greg Lee and Heather Holmes speak with Paul Lowenthal, Santa Rosa Fire Department Division Chief for more.
SF Downtown First Thursdays returns for round two
A popular San Francisco block party returns tonight for a much anticipated encore. Last month, 20,000 people turned out for the debut of Downtown First Thursdays in San Francisco's SOMA neighborhood; featuring a live DJ set by Aluna, an outdoor art gallery and food vendors filling 2nd Street between Market and Folsom. It's all part of an effort to breathe life back into parts of the city still struggling to recover from the pandemic and tonight the June block party kicks off with an emphasis on Pride. KTVU's Alex Savidge speaks with Manny Yekutiel, co-founder of the Civic Joy Fund, the organization funding and co-presenting Downtown First Thursdays, about what we can expect tonight.