KQED NEWSROOM: Bay Bridge Questions, Food Safety Concerns and Finding Hidden Genius

Questions Persist Over Bay Bridge Safety
Caltrans officials admitted for the first time at a hearing this week that concerns brought up by two local scientists over testing of bolts and rods on the new Bay Bridge span may be valid. As the longest and most expensive public works project in California history, with a $6.4 billion price tag, questions persist over leaking and corrosion from the rain and misalignment of sections of the road deck. Caltrans remains confident in the integrity of the structure. Thuy Vu moderates a discussion.

Guests:
Mark DeSaulnier, California State Senator, D-Concord
Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle reporter
Charles Piller, Sacramento Bee reporter
Brian Maroney, chief bridge design engineer

Local Ranchers Have a Beef with Petaluma Slaughterhouse
A federal investigation into whether the Petaluma slaughterhouse Rancho Feeding Corp. distributed tainted beef is raising questions about food safety. It has also put the squeeze on area ranchers who are now without a local slaughterhouse for their meat. KQED News reporter Mina Kim discusses the story with Scott Shafer.

Finding Hidden Genius
President Obama launched a new initiative Thursday aimed at empowering young men of color. Among the community leaders advising the White House is Kalimah Priforce, a head mentor at The Hidden Genius Project in Oakland — a program where high school students learn computer languages and build apps to solve their everyday problems. The goal is to recruit more African-Americans into the high tech sector — one of the few parts of the economy that's booming, but also lagging in diversity. Aarti Shahani reports.