Tech giants ramp up virtual assistants with generative AI
Amazon's voice assistant Alexa is reportedly getting an AI upgrade. The company plans to launch a more conversational version of Alexa later this year using generative AI but Amazon also reportedly plans to charge customers a monthly subscription fee for the upgrade. The move is part of an effort to compete with some of the new AI powered chat bots hitting the market by OpenAI and Google. KTVU's Alex Savidge discusses the value of AI upgrades with Pete Nicoletti from cybersecurity software company, Check Point.
Lung cancer prevalence among Asian Americans
Asian Americans have become the first racial ethnic group in the U.S. for whom cancer is the leading cause of death, but they are also the least likely group to be screened. Lung cancer, is of particular concern. Studies show lung cancer rates among non-smoking Asian American men and women are on the rise, increasing 2% each year. KTVU's Greg Lee discusses the ongoing health issue and potential solutions with Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Jeff Velotta.
Bay Area heading out for Memorial Day weekend
Nationwide, AAA estimates nearly 44 million people will travel 50 miles or more for Memorial Day weekend. That's a 5% jump compared to last year. KTVU's Alex Savidge and Greg Lee discuss the staggering travel numbers with AAA spokesperson John Treanor ahead of the summer season.
Managing mental health for older adults
KTVU's Alex Savidge is joined by Dr. Alicia English, Licensed Clinical Psychologist with the Center for Elders' Independence for more on the unique mental health challenges adults over 60 face and the best strategies to support anyone in your life who may be struggling with mental health issues.
AAPI Heritage and Pride Month intersect with QTAPI Week
As AAPI Heritage Month wraps up and Pride Month begins, this week is an intersection of the two. It is known as Queer and Transgender Asian Pacific Islander Week, or QTAPI Week. In 2021, San Francisco became the first city in the country to officially celebrate the week with a resolution passed by city supervisors. It designates the week as a time of celebration and recognition. KTVU's Claudine Wong is joined by Nguyen Pham, President of San Francisco Pride for more on what the week means to both the queer and AAPI communities.
Honoring Harvey Milk's legacy in 2024
KTVU's Alex Savidge and Claudine Wong are joined by Edward Wright, President Emeritus of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club to discuss the significance of Harvey Milk Day and impact his life still has on the queer community, decades after his death.
Free summer concert series returns to San Francisco
Next month, The Summer of Music free concert series returns to San Francisco for its second year. The event is organized by the non-profit Civic Joy Fund and music promoter Noise Pop Industries. This summer, hundreds of live performances will happen on street corners and inside businesses and stores across various neighborhoods. Right now, organizers are still accepting applications from local musicians and businesses that want to take part. KTVU's Alex Savidge is joined by Manny Yekutiel, Executive Director of the Civic Joy Fund and Michelle Swing, CEO of Noise Pop Industries for more on this year's plans.
San Francisco Public Library hosts genealogical history conference
This week, the San Francisco Public Library is hosting its first free Genealogical and Family History Conferenced aimed at giving people the tools to discover where they came from and who they are related to. KTVU's Heather Holmes is joined by Daniel Matsumoto, Electronic Resources Specialist at the San Francisco Public Library for more on the special event.
OpenAI suspends release of controversial virtual assistant
San Francisco-based OpenAI has suspended the released of one of the voice options for its new virtual assistant because it sounds strikingly similar to actress Scarlett Johansson. Johansson played the voice of an AI virtual assistant in the 2013 film "Her" and said in a statement that the voice sounds "eerily similar to mine". OpenAI says the voice was done by a different professional actor, although the company did first ask Johansson to license her voice for the virtual assistant. KTVU's Heather Holmes and Alex Savidge are joined by J.D. Harriman, attorney specializing in intellectual property issues with the Foundation Law Group for more on the legal questions raised by the situation.
Exhibit spotlights toll of Ukraine war on children
Two years after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we are seeing the toll the conflict continues to have on the children caught in the violence. Dozens of colorful drawings and paintings are on display right now at San Jose State University. The Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Library is home to artworks created by children displayed by the war in Ukraine in a new exhibit called "Children Draw War, Not Flowers." KTVU's Heather Holmes discusses the artwork with Dr. Ulia Gosart, organizer of the exhibit and Assistant Professor at San Jose State University's School of Information.
Spotlight on Black-Owned Bay Area restaurants
It's Black Restaurant Week in the Bay Area; a celebration showcasing and supporting Black-owned eateries, food trucks and catering businesses. The organizers behind BRW offer local businesses a boost with marketing and social media strategies designed to bring in more customers year round. KTVU's Alex Savidge discusses the some of the goals and focuses of this year's event with Black Restaurant Week Managing Partner, Falayn Ferrell.
Mistake by federal judge prompts resentencing of Pelosi attacker
A courtroom mistake by a federal judge is prompting a redo of the sentencing of David DePape, the man convicted of attacking Rep. Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul. KTVU's Alex Savidge and Heather Holmes discuss the potential repercussions of the slip-up with legal analyst Michael Cardoza.
Sold-out Indonesian Bazaar set to take over Fort Mason
This weekend, the 3rd annual Indonesian Bazaar at Fort Mason in San Francisco is set to bring in a sold-out crowd. KTVU's Heather Holmes is joined live in studio by Angela Tjitradi and Ruthy Octavia with the Friends of Indonesia for more on the food, art, music and clothing coming to this weekend's festival.
Local Korean brewery named finalist in national competition
Oakland-based Dokkaebier is a handful of craft breweries that will take part in the Sam Adams "Crafting Dreams Beer Bash" next month in Boston. It's a chance to collaborate with one of the biggest beer giants in the business and meet some of the countries up and coming craft brewers. KTVU's Frank Mallicoat and Heather Holmes speak with Youngwon Lee, Dokkaebier Founder and Brewmaster about the upcoming competition as well as the Chimaek Festival this weekend in Oakland.
Local filmmaker awarded Best Writer for pandemic success story
KTVU's Frank Mallicoat is joined live in studio by Dmitry Milkin, local director, filmmaker and photographer who was just awarded "Best Writer" at the prestigious Denver Seriesfest for his movie "Good Guy with a Pun".
NIAD Art Center Benefit: WIN WIN 12
This weekend, raise a toast to the arts and help raise money for the NIAD art center in Richmond. You can bid on museum-quality pieces by some of the center's 70 artists with disabilities; it's all part of NIAD's Annual Auction and Fundraiser. KTVU's Heather Holmes is joined live in-studio by Amanda Eicher, Executive Director at NIAD and artist Halisi Noel-Johnson, whose pieces are featured in this weekend's benefit.
New research highlights widening income wage gap in California
An analysis done by the Public Policy Institute of California shows the top 10% of earners in California make 10 times more money than those in the bottom 10% of earners. KTVU's Alex Savidge discusses the key takeaways from this research with Tess Thorman, PPIC Research Associate and study co-author.
Political Pulse: Race for 2024
Former president Trump's ongoing criminal trial has not hurt his standing in the polls. A new survey out this week by the New York Times and Siena College shows Trump leading President Biden in five key battleground states: Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Biden leads in just one battleground state: Wisconsin. KTVU's Heather Holmes and Alex Savidge break down the polling numbers and key issues voters are focused on right now with political analyst, David McCuan.
Berkeley peregrine falcon chicks recieve ID bands, naming begins
It's a big day for the four tiny peregrine falcons growing up on top of UC Berkeley's campanile. Today the chicks got some new bling, whether they liked it or not. Just three weeks after they hatched, researchers made their way to the nest on top of the clocktowner and put special identification bands on one of each of the chicks' legs. Members of the volutneer group Cal Falcons say today's banding was a great success and revealed that two of the chicks are female and two are male. Their parents are Annie, the famous peregrine falcon who has lived in the campanile nest since 2016 and her new mate who arrived earlier this year who has been named Archie by their loyal falcon fanbase. KTVU's Alex Savidge is joined by Sean Peterson, Cal Falcons biologist for more on banding day and the naming competition now underway.
Alameda County housing report shows mixed data by city
According to a federally-mandated one day count done in January, the unhoused population dropped by 3% over the past two years. When you break down the numbers by city, some saw an increase in homeless populations while others saw a decline. One of the cities that saw a significant reduction in its homeless population was Berkeley, which experienced a 20% drop in the number of people experiencing homelessness. For more on how the city accomplished this feat, KTVU's Alex Savidge and Heather Holmes are joined live in-studio by Berkeley City Councilmember Sophie Hahn.