Dear Reader,

This week, Rightnowish aired its final episode. Coming full circle with the podcast’s first guest, the muralist Timothy B., it caps an epic five-year run. Host Pendarvis Harshaw will still be here, with his singular perspective; this week’s must-read is his feature on the Port Chicago explosion, a deadly tragedy that spurred historic changes in civil rights and desegregation.

The 2024 Summer Olympics start next week, and Rae Alexandra rounds up more than three dozen athletes from the Bay Area who are headed to Paris to compete. Having flown across the Atlantic in the opposite direction, meanwhile, is contributor Ashwini Gangal, who writes of the unmoored feeling shared by recent immigrants. She’s named it migratory melancholia.

The last thing I want to shout out: Jason Novak and Alan Chazaro’s comic about Oakland’s new baseball team, the Ballers, and the excitement they’re bringing to a very frustrated baseball town. It shows that, in the face of billionaire owners motivated by money, regular people like you and me still know how to create new homes for ourselves.

It Just Got a Little Easier to Film a Movie in Oakland

Filmmakers wanting to shoot in Oakland got a boost Tuesday as the Oakland City Council formally voted in a city-managed film rebate program. The Oakland Film Initiative will provide a 10% rebate on qualified local spending in film production, including costs associated with purchased or rented items, contracted services and wages for local residents.

Remembering the Port Chicago Explosion, 80 Years Later

The Port Chicago explosion, one of the worst disasters in U.S. military history, spurred advances in civil rights and desegregation. On its 80th anniversary, bandleader and composer Marcus Shelby recounts the often-overlooked significance of the disaster.

The best the Bay Area has to offer, from the writers and editors of KQED Arts & Culture.

• Dionne Lee’s Currents Offers a Taste of Searching Without a Destination
• Cadence Music Video Festival Hits the Big Screen in Oakland
• Looking Back on ‘Mummies Alive!’ — a Truly Bizarre, San Francisco-Set Cartoon
• Presidio Tunnel Tops Park Will Have a New Food Hall in 2025

Bay Area Athletes to Watch at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The Paris Olympics is almost upon us and with over 10,000 athletes competing in 32 sports, it can be tough to know what to watch and who to root for. In the interest of narrowing down your viewing options, we've compiled a list of the incredible Bay Area athletes who’ll be competing in Paris, from the court's Steph Curry to Minna Stess on her skateboard.

Cumbia!@Frost Turns Up the Volume on Afro-Latin Rhythms

On July 21, Stanford Live presents Cumbia!@Frost, a triple bill that cogently illustrates why the multifarious form is once again in the midst of a popular resurgence. Colombian standard-bearers Vilma Diaz y La Sonora, the Los Angeles electronica-laced band El Feeling, plus rising local star La Doña and DJ Wonway Posibul will all take the stage.

Rightnowish's Grand Finale

Words of Wisdom from Timothy B., Our First (and Last) Guest

After over 200 episodes, the #Rightnowish podcast is coming to an end. For the final episode, Pen reconnects with Timothy B., who gave us an interview in 2019 for our inaugural episode. We discuss how he has grown and how Oakland has changed in the past five years. Then, Timothy B. gives us some advice on how to deal with major life transitions as we close this chapter.