Meet Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, representing California's 12th Congressional District in Oakland. She's the first member of Congress who is congenitally blind, and the first Muslim representative from California.

Before stepping into Congress, Ms. Simon served on the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board, the California State University Board of Trustees, and the San Francisco Foundation's board. She also made history as the youngest woman to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.

When Rep. Barbara Lee announced she was stepping down in 2024, Ms. Simon ran for the seat and won. In January 2025, she was officially sworn in. Shortly after, Ms. Simon sat down with Mr. O's students, and we're thrilled to share their interview with you on this week's episode of Peer Talk!

Beyond The Fog Radio presents our most exciting episode yet: an interview with former U.S. representative and current Oakland mayoral candidate Barbara Lee, in partnership with KALW!

KALW (91.7 FM) is the oldest public radio station in the Bay Area, and it hosts a program called "Bay Made" which spotlights local creators and businesses. Ben Trefny is KALW's Executive Producer, and he kindly invited us on Bay Made to record our interview with Congresswoman Lee at KALW's event space in downtown San Francisco. On January 15, in front of a live audience that included former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Carolyn Tyler, and other community leaders, we launched into an in-depth look at Congresswoman Lee's life and career — her start in the Bay Area, her experiences in Washington D.C., and her goals as a mayoral candidate for Oakland.

Many, many thanks to Ben Trefny, David Boyer, David Kwan, and Charles Lighthouse of KALW for helping us to reach a wider audience; to Congresswoman Barbara Lee for being our gracious guest; to everyone who came to the KALW event space on January 15; and to all of our listeners, partners, sponsors, and supporters! This was a tremendous occasion for us all, and we could not have made it happen without you.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!

Thank you all for Listening to Beyond The Fog Radio for the Past Four Years! We are now introducing a brand new brand the Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School Podcast!!!

The Students at Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School located in BayView Hunters Point in San Francisco California will have their OWN Podcast Produced by Beyond The Fog Radio but the content will reflect what they are learning in school and the 6th, 7th and 8th grade students will be the Host . They are designing the logo, the website they are coming up with the name and they will compose their theme own music !