tonight on kqed newsroom, a major scientific breakthrough holds hope for a cleaner and safer planet. >> simply put, this is one of the most impressive scientific feats of the 21st century. we speak with oakland mayor libby schaaf about her time in office and what she has accomplished. plus, we take a look back at our eventful year as 2023

draws near. coming to you from kqed headquarters in san francisco this friday, december 16th, 2022. hello and welcome. this is kqed newsroom and i am priya david clemens. we are kicking off tonight with a nuclear tech knowledge he breakthrough which could someday revolutionize energy systems around the globe. although we have made strides toward a clean energy future we still primarily rely on fossil fuels to power our cars, homes, and infrastructure. on tuesday the u.s. department energy announced that the lawrence livermore national lab right here in the bay area made a major step towards eliminating the need for fossil fuels altogether. >> last week at the lawrence livermore national lab in california, scientists at the national ignition facility achieved fusion ignition, and that is creating more energy from fusion reactions and the energy used to start the

process. it is the first time it is ever been done in a laboratory anywhere in the world. >> san jose mercury news science and research reporter lisa krieger joins us from lake tahoe where she is on assignment. thanks for popping in for us to help us understand what this is all about. why is this breakthrough so important? >> it is the first step to what could be a really clean and safe approach to creating more energy, which we desperately need you're not extracting natural gas. you're not digging up coal or releasing carbon to the atmosphere, and what it was, was proof of concept that we could use fusion as a way to generate more energy and create sustainability. >> the specific scientific term we are hearing here is ignition

and that definitely sparks the imagination, but i'm not sure i know exactly what that is. >> ignition is the process of infusion where you actually generates more power than you consume, and that is what we need for a sustainable technology moving forward. we are really familiar with fission, which is when atoms explode. this is when atoms feud fuse and in the process, generate energy. this is very exciting for us here in the bay area two miles off i-80. we've been working for two years. thousands of scientists have been working on this and they finally exceeded. for one split second, they achieved ignition for the first time in history. >> and they did it using laser beams. talk about far out there technology. >> that is what made this such a success. there is a joke that lawrence

livermore nationa laboratory means lasers, lasers, nothing but lasers, so it was the power of these lasers. what they do is ignite the energy of two little atoms of hydrogen and fuse them, and in the process of fusing, it omits huge amounts of energy in this time for the first time in history, it admitted more than it consumed and it is just proof of concept, but it is the scientific and engineering breakthrough we have been working toward and really waiting for. now it just needs to be replicated, scaled up and commercialized. >> now, there was a very small amount of energy created in this experiment. what needs to happen before this is a solution we can use on a large scale? >> there are several things that need to happen. one is we just need to get better at it. this was one experiment one time. it has to be replicated thousands of times per second, continuously on a commercial scale in a way that is

affordable to really achieve what is promised, so we do have a long way to go and happy to elaborate, but there are some major challenges. >> i do have a question about timelines. scientists have been working on this problem for 60 years. are we talking about another 60 years before it becomes something we see in our daily lives? ú>> that was the first question that came up in tuesday's press conference. they are saying decades, not six decades, fewer decades, but it will take that long to scale it up, build it out and make it commercial. it is happily a competitive landscape for alternative energy sources. we have solar, we have wind, and it has to be affordable.

>> i think another question many have is whether or not this is safe. we hear about nuclear technology and nuclear energy is that can be used to power our homes, but we also understand that nuclear technologies can release a tremendous amount of devastation. >> right. unlike fission, which uses radioactivity and uranium, we do not have that as a byproduct with fusion. fission, as i mentioned, exploding atoms of uranium creates a lot of waste. this is not the case with fusing two hydrogen atoms. helium is the byproduct, which is very safe, so there is a lot of optimism about its safety moving forward. >> you did mention a competitive landscape. it is true we are working toward more wind, solar, and hydroelectric. it felt like we should continue to invest in those alternative energy sources.

>> absolutely. time is ticking. the entire goal of the paris 2015 agreement was to not increase global temperature by more than 5 degrees centigrade over time. there is a timeline. we don't have another 40 or 50 years to work on this to get it right. we really need to stop global warming as soon as possible, and i think the only way to move that forward is to get off carbon and that is why wind and solar continues to be very important. a lot of critics of fusion are saying if we invested as much in these alternative technologies we would see a lot of progress there and that we really do need to keep our eyes on that, as well. >> all right, thank you so much. before i let you go -- this is a different topic, but since you are up there in lake tahoe? how is the snow? how is the energy up there, what are you seeing? >> it's a lot of buzz. people are pretty stoked, to use the ski expression. conditions are pretty lovely. not a lot of snow in the near term forecast but the resorts

are doing really well at maintaining the big coverage we have. >> all right, lisa krieger with the mercury news. thank you for being with us. >> thank you. libby schaff is capping off eight years as the mayor of oakland. she was born in oakland and first entered the political scene in 1999 as an aid and city hall. she spent much of her time on creating better housing and educational opportunities for oalenders. mayor libby schaaf is with us now. what was it eight years ago that propelled you to run for mayor? >> i felt like oakland was that this crossroads, that often opportunity had left it behind, but there was this feeling that it might be oakland's time to come revitalized, but i did not want that revitalization to push out , long-term, our

vulnerable oakland us. i wanted that oakland secret sauce to be preserved, the culture, the legacy of social activism and so i felt like is someone experienced with government, i could take advantage of the moment, but as a true oakland are, i was never going to sell oakland soul. >> well, do you think you managed to do the thing you wanted to do while you were in office? did you revitalize oakland while keeping that special sauce? >> you know, the powers of gentrification are strong, but i did everything i could to be true to those values, and certainly, the pandemic gave a solid turn, a shock, but at the beginning of 2020, it really did feel like oakland was on the rise. the vitality, the art scene, the food scene, the fact that we had built nearly 20,000 new homes to stop the displacement,

to prevent evictions. we strengthened tenant prtections for 36,000 low income oak lenders who slept better at night because of the policies and programs we put in place and i am not saying that was enough to stop all displacement, to stop the incredible rise in the cost of living, but i believe we did everything we could to stabilize families, to keep oak lenders and oakland, to keep oakland oakland while still seeing this revitalization. >> another thing that had happened at that point just before the pandemic is that gun violence was at a low compared to where it had been in years past and certainly compared to where it is now. that moment felt incredible. it was oakland's most sustained period of peace in its history. our records go back to 1985 and to this day, that is still the lowest five year average of murders and shootings oakland has ever has, but the pandemic,

like it did for all cities across the nation, saw a huge spike in gun violence and it is heartbreaking because we had cut it in half and then the pandemic changed all that. we are seeing some promising trends, particularly in the last three months as we are able to reinstate the cease- fire strategies we are using. we are trying some other very creative health and prevention- based strategies and we are also trying to recover the staffing shortage our police department suffered from. following the defined movement we saw a wave of attrition and it really brought staffing to a dangerously low place, but i am seeing that all get better and i very hopeful for the future that oakland will regain a sense of peace. >> we said in the past that there needs to be new federal

regulations to really curb t problem of gun violence. would you say at the city that you are doomed to the section on the violence unless there is action at the federal level? >> i'm never going to say that. úi believe we have the power within ourselves to make the right choices. we know there is so much trauma in our society coming from systemic racism, intergenerational poverty -- i do think, and i was just with the dalai lama -- he actually brought this up. access to weapons exacerbates all of this. we do not see any other country in the world with this level of guns and gun violence. >> the oakland police department has been riddled with trouble for a long time. i am curious if you feel like oakland police department is now on the footing you want it to be on to be out of oversight

soon, and the future lies ahead that is brighter, more trustworthy, safer for residents. >> a milestone i am most proud of is that the oakland police department, this year, was for the first time found in compliance with the negotiated settlement agreement. it was found to have achieved the reforms it promised nearly 20 years ago. we are in the one year sustainability period. >> okay, so the court found the oakland police department in compliance with all of the court ordered forms and now it is in this one year period of watching to make sure that they have confidence that those reforms will be sustained forever without their supervision. >> let's turn to education. you have managed to raise a lot of money, $15 million to go toward supporting education in oakland. tell us about the workou have done in education, what you're the most proud of and where you see it being the most effective

. >> i am most proud of creating the oakland promise. what is nationally recognized as the most comprehensive cradle to career initiative of its kind and literally, it is starting with babies born to low income parents that get a 500 and a savings account at birth and parents are offered coaching and saving support and it follows those families not just to their getting into college, but actually finishing college. that could be a four year degree, a two year degree or a trade certificate. we actually support all of those with mentors, with scolarships, with access coaching all the way along and even building a college going culture as early as elementary school . we give every

kindergartner in oakland a $100 early college scholarship in kindergarten it is the cutest thing we could ever see. >> but to change that mind-set, to let people know you should be thinking about this from the beginning. this is possible for you. >> that's right. i want every child in oakland to know that their opportunities are boundless, but they are brilliant, and i want every parent to never fear that they can send their child to college. >> you very recently gave your last state of the city address and you talked about three issues oakland is facing in 2022. crime, housing, and homelessness. when it comes to homelessness, can you tell us where the city is now compar to where you were eight years ago when you took office? >> we were looking at the last point in time count that compared this point in time, january of 2022 with three years prior, and what we have seen is that encampment or outdoor homelessness actually decreased in these last three years by 16%, but we have seen a huge increase in vehicular homelessness.

people living in rvs or even their cars, and we were proud to see an increase in the number of unsheltered people we will be able to get endorsed into shelter and services. that doubled over these past three years and over the last five years, we have quadrupled our shelter capacity. >> what still needs to be done? >> so much. this housing crisis is not unique to oakland or even the bay area. it is particularly profound in california where people have been coming here to take high- paying jobs in the cost of housing has gone up as we have not built enough housing and definitely not enough affordable housing. the dismantling of our mental health system, the fact that prison has now become the largest mental health treatment center -- how inhumane is that? not to mention, in efficient as government. so, we have to wrap our arms

around the mental health system and we have got to create an adequate supply of affordable housing. the solution to homelessness is housing. >> the oakland a's leadership has been saying that they might stay in oakland. they might go to las vegas. you have been passionately working on keeping them in oakland for a long time, selling them on the vision you have for them. how hopeful are you that they're going to stay? >> very hopeful and i am hopeful not just for the a's, not just because we want to keep this last major league sports team. when i became the mayor, all of our sports teams had decided to leave oakland and this is the one i have worked so hard to see this vision of not just a ballpark, which they will privately finance, let's make that very clear, but what is exciting, it is a whole new neighborhood with beautiful public parks on the waterfront, good union jobs, affordable housing and yes, an iconic

ballpark. that design is spectacular, so it has been so exciting to finally get them to see that vision, to lean in, and i believe it will absolutely get done because they have worked so hard toward this vision. i know they keep saying las vegas parallel path. i love texting them the weather report from las vegas. no, it is a lovely 108 degrees today, and we are also bringing in the grant money to make all the imprements outside of the project area but necessary to make the project successful, to improve connectivity to our waterfront and also to better safeguard port operations, which also are so important to the city, but the people deserve their waterfront and havinga ballpark and a whole new neighborhood, howard

terminal is going to give people back their waterfront. it is going to be spectacular. i totally believe it's going to happen this next year and let's be clear, if the a's are not smart enough to take advantage of this beautiful opportunity, someone else will. >> you promoted oakland as the most unapologetic sanctuary city in the world. what did you mean by that and tell us about that moment in which you grab the national spotlight by standing up to former former president trump. >> it was a really difficult year for me as mayor. we had the police scandal, the very tragic fire, but to see donald trump get elected as president just felt like a slap in the face of oakland values. every oakland or is proud that our city represets inclusive diversity and he did everything he could to come after cities like ours. i did come to learn about a large-scale federal enforcement

action against undocumented residents and it was a moral dilemma, and i will be honest with you. i was consulting with the immigrant services community and there was a big split. there were strong opinions on both sides about whether i should issue a public warning or not but at the end of the day, i felt like it was the right thing to do and i have never regretted it. i never anticipated that it would get the level of national attention and got in part of that was from trump himself. he went on national tv and said why is the mayor of oakland in jail. he led crowds to chant luckily be up. it was a little surreal there for a minute, but what i felt was like this is the moment to be oakland. oakland's are tough. they are clear about their

values, they are unapologetic and i felt like i was speaking for the community about how angry everyone was in that moment for we had the highest official in our land preaching hate. >> this next year is going to be a tough one financially, from all predictions, not just for oakland but for california at large. the city is going to be looking at a large budget shortfall. what problems could oakland face in the year to come because of this? >> two things to watch for, police staffing. that has always been a big fight in oakland. oakland has always had the lowest officer per crime staffing of any city in america and so to make sure it does not fall any lowers very important the second concern i have is four years ago -- i have been

part of the big-city mayors of california. in fact, i am their first woman chair, first oakland mayor chair, but we were able to get direct funding from the state to cities for homelessness. usually funding goes to the county's. it still does, but the cities also got funding for the rst time. if that funding goes away that will be devastating for our homeless efforts. >> what was the hardest moment for you as mayor in these last years? >> no question, the fire. the level of loss, the death, the grieving, the anger at government. around an issue that i care very much about and that is preserving affordable space for artists to live and work in. that is the heart and soul of oakland, and to be the person that had to talk to the family, the friends, to face the media and it was you know, the national story for days upon

days and to be at the operational site where our firefighters were pulling bodies out of the rubble, i rember one firefighter said to me everybody i took out last night had the face of my daughter. being responsible for death and holding the trauma of a city like oakland is the hardest part of being mayor. >> had there been regulations that changedbecause of what happened with the ghost ship fire? >> absolutely. one thing we did that was hard but important was to not overreact, to not go down and shut down artist housing everywhere, but rather to thread that needle and demand that we can have safety and affordability and artist housing at the same time and that there was a way to do all of that better, and that is

what we did. that is how we moved forward. i'm happy to say this year we have 100% of all mandated fire inspections completed and a whole new system of how we actually inspect, prevent, and ensure fire safety. >> what is next for you? >> i will decide next year. i am really committed to being the mayor of oakland to the last second which is 10:59 a.m. on january 2nd and i will decide what is next for me next year. i promise i will spend the rest of my life in public service and i am looking forward to getting to spend a little bit more time with my family, my kids. they are still in high school, and just you know, to get a good night sleep. >> i have to say i am hearing a possible run for future office so we are looking forward to seeing what comes next for you. the mayor libby schaaf, thank you. >> thank you. >> thi fully tonight

something different to close out the year. we took a look at photos from kqed photographers as they took a look at the bay area. this week's something beautiful is a look at the year in photos.

a special thank you to beth laberge and her photography team for those beautiful images. we are off for the next two weeks and we wish you happy holidays. we also want to recognize that while this is the best time of their for some, it can be very hard if you are coping with grief, depression, or mental illness. if you are struggling, please reach out to a mental health hotline. all you have to do is call 988. take care of yourself and we will see you back here on january 6, 2023 four an interview with the outgoing mayor of san jose. if you would like to connect with us you can find kqed

newsline online on twitter and you can reach me at @priyadclemens . see you all next year.

geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. tonight on “pbs news weekend,” investigating january 6 -- we look back at the house committee's 1.5-year-long probe, and ahead to torrow's closing arguments. then, champions -- after argentina's penalty shoot-out victory over france in today's thrilling world cup fina we talk with christine brennan about a tournament for the history books. and, caring for children -- how families in need are coping while congress debates expanding the child tax credit. >> as a parent, one the biggest stressors and anxiety inducers that i ever have is the feeling that i am not providing enough.