KQED's The California Report
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KQED's statewide radio news program, providing daily coverage of issues, trends, and public policy decisions affecting California and its diverse population.
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1 hour ago
Beaver Seen As Climate-Saving Creature In California
Consider the beaver. Once thought of as a “nuisance rodent,” yes it’s a rodent, for flooding roads, farmland and other properties that we want to keep dry, the beaver is now embraced as a “climate solving hero” and an eco-engineer. Why? Well for its natural ability to help increase water storage and to create natural buffers against wildfires.
Guests: Laurie Wayburn, Co-Founder of Pacific Forest Trust and Leila Phillip, Author of the book "Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America"
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3 days ago
Cal State System Has Massive Financial Gap, May Have To Raise Tuition
The California State University system has some of the lowest tuition rates in the country. But a huge budget gap could force new tuition hikes.
Reporter: Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters
Stanford University is conducting the first clinical trial in the world, looking at whether Paxlovid could be a possible treatment for Long COVID patients.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
Kennedy High School is in Richmond, a town northeast of San Francisco. One retired teacher has shown extraordinary commitment to the school, where he’s dedicated his time and energy for more than 50 years.
Reporter: Richard Gonzales, The California Report Magazine
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4 days ago
Salmon Run Highlights Efforts To Protect Klamath Watershed
Every year for the past two decades, tribes along the Oregon-California border have come together for an event known as the Salmon Run. It’s a spiritual run and prayer for the health of the Klamath watershed.
Reporter: Jane Vaughan, Jefferson Public Radio
A new state legislative committee is digging into the fentanyl crisis in search of solutions. Over five hours of testimony on Wednesday, public health and law enforcement experts painted a grim picture of a complex crisis requiring multifaceted solutions.
Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED
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5 days ago
Plan To Turn Los Angeles Gas Plant To Hydrogen Not Without Critics
This year, the city of Los Angeles decided to turn one of its methane gas plants into a hydrogen plant. It's part of the city’s ambitious goal to run on 100% renewable energy by 2035. It might sound great, but it’s actually a controversial move.
Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW
A new state legislative committee focused on fentanyl and opioid addiction is holding its first meeting Wednesday in Sacramento. The committee is hoping to address the ongoing opioid crisis.
Reporter: Sara Hossaini, KQED
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6 days ago
States Reach Colorado River Water Deal
A historic agreement has been reached between seven Western states to cut the amount of water they take from the Colorado River. But what are California's responsibilities under the deal? And which part of the state will be most affected?
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
California's lawmakers have been scrambling to address the state's fentanyl overdose crisis. The synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and it caused nearly 6,000 deaths in California in 2021, according to data from the California Department of Public Health. But the state legislature is split on the best approach to tackle this crisis -- treatment or punishment?
Guest: Anita Chabria, Columnist, Los Angeles Times
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May 22, 2023
California Food Banks See Major Spike In Demand
California’s food banks are reporting alarming spikes in demand, that’s according to the state’s association of food banks, which says the end of pandemic-era food benefits and record high inflation is to blame. In April, the Sacramento food bank and its partners fed 281,000 people – almost double the amount it served before the pandemic.
Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio
Fueled by California's record snowfall, rivers in the state are flowing fast and have swept away a number of people recently. That includes an 8-year-old girl, who drowned in the Kings River in Fresno County on Sunday.
Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
Earlier this month, we brought you the story of Long COVID patients and their concerns about the lack of clinical trials for potential treatments. Now, a Bay Area lawmaker is looking for answers from the federal agency in charge of Long COVID research.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
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May 19, 2023
The End Of Wood Street, Oakland's Largest Settlement Of Unhoused People
It was once Northern California’s largest settlement of unhoused people. The city of Oakland recently cleared the last remaining portion of the community people called Wood Street.
Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED
We're learning more about U.S Senator Dianne Feinstein's recent health struggles. They were worse and more complicated than her office first disclosed.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
California workplace regulators have confirmed complaints of child labor and other violations at a Popeye’s fast food restaurant in East Oakland.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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May 18, 2023
Whitewater Rafting Could See Big Business This Summer
Rivers in California are flowing fast and wide this year as record snowpack in the mountains melt. All that water has created flood damage and worries about more to come, but one industry is thriving after years of drought and shrinking rivers -- whitewater rafting.
Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
California workplace health and safety regulators are holding a public hearing on Thursday on a proposed rule to prevent heat-related illness in indoor spaces.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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May 17, 2023
State Announces Plan To Return Chinook Salmon To Its Native Habitat
Along the Yuba River on Tuesday, California officials announced a plan to give fish access to areas they haven't swam in for more than a century. Daguerre Point Dam has blocked migrating salmon, sturgeon and Pacific lamprey since it was built in 1910.
Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED
After a wildfire destroyed his home a few years back, a young Latino man from Santa Rosa was inspired to become a firefighter. Now, he’s well on his way to achieving his goal -- thanks to a program designed to increase diversity in California’s fire departments.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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May 16, 2023
Protecting Molok Luyuk, A Space Known For Its Biological Diversity
In 2015, the Berryessa Snow Mountain region became a national monument. The monument status brought protections to the area’s biologically diverse landscape. But one large swath of land, nestled in the monument’s center, was excluded from protection. Now environmental groups and tribes are trying to fix that.
Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio
Governor Gavin Newsom warned of a more than $31 billion shortfall when he released his revised state spending plan last week. One sector that will feel the pinch of a tighter budget is child care.
Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
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May 15, 2023
A Firsthand Look At The Border After Title 42 Ended
U.S. immigration officials are expressing confidence in the state of things at the U-S Mexico border. That after the Trump-era Title 42 program ended last week. It prevented migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. But there are still plenty of concerns from people trying to cross the border.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
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May 12, 2023
Thousands Of Migrants Gather At Border As Title 42 Expires
Now that the pandemic era border restrictions, known as Title 42, have been lifted., it’s estimated six thousand migrants are in shelters across the San Diego -Tijuana border waiting to apply for asylum. Many had been waiting for days without much food. They slept on the ground under bright lights.
Governor Gavin Newsom will be announcing how big of a budget deficit the state is expecting next year – and how he plans to close that gap.
Reporter: Alexei Koseff, CalMatters
Fire season is fast approaching in California. As the climate warms, fires are expected to be more intense. This comes as California struggles to beef up its wildfire personnel. But a new program in the Bay Area aims to help build that workforce.
Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report
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May 11, 2023
Hundreds Kept At Makeshift Migrant Camp At San Ysidro Port Of Entry
Title 42, the border policy that was put in place during the pandemic to turn asylum seekers away, ends Thursday night. Officials are expecting a surge of migrants at the border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is already keeping 400 migrants in a makeshift camp in San Ysidro, between the primary and secondary border walls.
Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS
Thursday marks the end of the COVID 19 federal public health emergency. But for people who are affected by Long COVID, it’s not the end of the pandemic. Many have lost their jobs, have no means of income, and are relying on disability checks to try to survive. But getting approved for long-term disability is becoming a major roadblock.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
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May 10, 2023
As Federal Public Health Emergency Ends, Long COVID Patients Still Suffering
As we’re now in the fourth year of the pandemic, there is a growing sense of optimism that the worst is likely behind us. Vaccines and boosters have helped reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. But for millions of Americans who are suffering from Long COVID symptoms, there’s no end in sight for their day-to-day struggles.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
Governor Gavin Newsom is scheduled to release his revised budget on Friday. He’s warned about a major deficit, but that isn’t stopping lawmakers from putting pressure on him to increase child care funding, to the tune of a billion dollars.
Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
After the COVID-19 public health emergency ends on Thursday, some people who were receiving medications through telehealth will need to visit a doctor in person.
Reporter: Katie Hyson, KPBS
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May 9, 2023
Financially Strapped Hospitals Could Get Help From State
California’s legislature has approved spending $150 million to help cash-strapped hospitals across the state. The money would fund a hospital loan program.
Reporter: Ana Ibarra, CalMatters
Menifee in Riverside County is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. As it's grown, the city made the decision to create its own police department from scratch. It launched in the summer of 2020 – just as policing was under intense scrutiny in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR
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May 8, 2023
With End Of Title 42, California's Border Communities Brace For Influx Of Migrants
This week will mark the end of a controversial border policy that started under President Donald Trump. Title 42 is part of the U.S. Public Health Code meant to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. But it's been used to keep hundreds of thousands of migrants from crossing the border.
Guest: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
We’re nearing the end of the first week of the Hollywood writers strike, and studios and the union representing writers stand far apart on a number of key issues. But, the strike doesn’t only threaten the financial health of those who work on TV shows or movies. It has lots of other businesses worried as well.
Reporter: Josie Huang, LAist
The California reparations task force has approved a statewide plan for descendants of American Slavery. The sweeping recommendations include a method to calculate money denied to Black residents by racist policies and plans for a new state agency to manage repayment.
Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED
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May 5, 2023
Oakland Teachers Back On The Picket Line For Second Day
Hundreds of parents and teachers in Oakland are taking to the picket line on Friday morning for day two of the citywide teachers strike.
Reporter: Phoebe Quinton, KQED
David “Mas” Masumoto has been growing peaches, nectarines and grapes on his family farm in Del Rey, just south of Fresno, for over 40 years. He thought he knew all about his family history in the area -- the racism, imprisonment during World War II, and eventually buying some land, establishing a home. But Masumoto got a big shock in 2012.
Reporter: Lisa Morehouse, The California Report Magazine
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May 4, 2023
Writer's Strike Could Extend For Months
TV and film writers are taking to the picket lines for the third day, after failing to reach an agreement with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It' still unclear how long the strike will last, but both sides seem to be dug in.
Guest: Michael Schneider, Senior TV Editor, Variety. Host of Screengrab, a podcast from KCRW
The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to pass ambitious plans for new housing in Hollywood and Downtown L.A. The aim is to bring 135,000 new homes to the two neighborhoods.
Reporter: David Wagner, LAist
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May 3, 2023
Writers Strike Moves Into Second Day
In Hollywood, film and television writers represented by the Writers Guild of America, or WGA, are on the second day of a strike. It’s the first such labor action in more than 15 years, and it could have a devastating economic impact on the industry if it continues.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
On Tuesday, we told you about the lack of affordable child care options, and how it’s keeping women from joining certain industries. A lot of that has to do with how little early educators are paid.
Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
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May 2, 2023
Women Face Challenges With Child Care As They Look To Enter Construction Industry
The construction industry in California wants to hire more women to meet a shortage of skilled workers. But access to child care is keeping many of these women from joining the trades.
Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
The state is suing the city of Elk Grove for allegedly using discriminatory housing practices to deny a proposed affordable housing project.
Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED
Did you know when California communities plan new housing, they don’t have to take the size of their unhoused populations into consideration? A new bill advancing through the state Legislature could change that.
Reporter: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters
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May 1, 2023
San Bernardino Police Officers Involved In Deadly Shooting Had History Of Excessive Force
Last July, San Bernardino police shot and killed a 23-year-old Black man as he ran from them while allegedly holding a gun. The police killing of Rob Adams drew protests and demands for accountability — and is the subject of a $100 million lawsuit filed on behalf of his family. Now, nine months after Adams was killed, San Bernardino city officials confirmed the names of the involved officers.
Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED
Many are calling it environmental justice. California’s air board has passed an ambitious plan to phase out diesel truck fleets, from garbage trucks to Amazon delivery vehicles.
Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED
A recent state audit found the California Department of Public Health has missed opportunities to collect data about people’s sexual orientation and gender identity.
Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio
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Apr 28, 2023
Lawsuit Claims California's Prison System Targeting "Foreign-Born" Inmates
Criminal justice advocates and some incarcerated individuals have filed a lawsuit against the California prison system. What’s at issue? Policies, the plaintiffs argue, that illegally discriminate against inmates who prison officials believe are foreign-born.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
The California Report Magazine is wrapping up their series “Mixed! Stories of Mixed Race Californians,” with a conversation with comedian W. Kamau Bell, and his wife, Melissa Hudson Bell. The couple have a new HBO film ‘1000 Percent Me’ - where Kamau Bell asks mixed race children about their experiences.
Reporters: Sasha Khokha and Marisa Lagos, The California Report Magazine
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Apr 27, 2023
Central Valley On Edge As Weather Heats Up
California is set to see one of its first extended heat waves. That could mean major problems for parts of the state, where flooding is likely from a melting snowpack. Among the communities on edge is Corcoran in the Central Valley, which is already surrounded by rising water.
Guest: Joshua Yeager, Reporter, KVPR
As California wages its fight against smog and climate change, state regulators this week will vote on a plan to start phasing out diesel truck fleets -- from delivery vans, to garbage trucks, to 18-wheelers. The regulators want to see them replaced with zero emission vehicles.
Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED
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Apr 26, 2023
Warehouse Boom Focus Of New Legislation In Sacramento
On Wednesday in Sacramento, lawmakers will hold a hearing on legislation aimed at creating buffer zones between homes and huge warehouses and logistic centers where companies, like Amazon, store and distribute mountains of goods that a lot of us might order online. This is the latest development in an ongoing debate over warehouses and the health threats they might pose to people who live near them. The center of that debate is the Inland Empire, east of Los Angeles.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
Buckle in for a long summer when it comes to the threat of flooding. That’s what Governor Gavin Newsom told people Tuesday in the San Joaquin Valley, while standing atop a dirt levee holding back millions of gallons of floodwater.
Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
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Apr 25, 2023
Big Melt Could Lead To Flooding In Parts Of State
Weather forecasters expect an early-season heatwave this week in many parts of the state. The warmth may cause flooding as the snowpack melts in inland areas of California.
Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED
On the best of days, agricultural work isn’t easy, but in recent years, California farmworkers, in places like the San Joaquin Valley, have also had to deal with record heat waves, wildfires and more recently storms and flooding. But because of chronic illnesses, agricultural laborers also face a growing health crisis.
Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR
As another wildfire season looms, a federal judge will soon decide whether there should be limits on how firefighters drop chemical retardant onto large blazes. Environmentalists say the retardant pollutes rivers, streams and lakes. But some lawmakers and residents in areas of the state prone to wildfires say the retardant saves lives and properties.
Reporter: Jamie Jiang, North State Public Radio
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Apr 24, 2023
New Center Will Attempt To Lead Fight Against Air Pollution, Climate Change
The California Air Resources Board, which regulates car and truck pollution in the state, will soon fully open its new laboratory and emissions testing center in the Southern California city of Riverside. It's expected to play a crucial role in the state's fight against pollution and climate change.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
A U.S. citizen from Imperial County, who was held in immigration detention for over a year, most of it in solitary confinement, is suing the private prison company that detained him.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
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Apr 21, 2023
Voters Weigh In On Calls For Senator Feinstein To Resign
For decades U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has been one of the most popular politicians in California. Now 89-years-old and recovering in San Francisco from a bout of shingles, she’s facing calls to resign.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
As communities across the state grapple with the long-term impacts of recent floods, added challenges are coming to light. Storm water has flushed more fertilizer and manure into aquifers, which could pollute drinking water in much of the state.
Reporter: Alastair Bland, CalMatters
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Apr 20, 2023
Northern California Is A Hotbed For Hoops Fans
The Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings face off in Game Three of their playoff series Thursday night. While the team's have a growing rivalry on the court, they share one thing in common off it. They have two of the most fervent fanbases in the NBA, that stretches across Northern California.
Reporter: Andrew Saintsing, KALW
A California bill that just passed the Senate Labor Committee would expand the paid sick leave most employers must offer from at least three days per year, to seven.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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Apr 19, 2023
Complaints About Rent Hikes Soaring In Los Angeles
Many of the renter protections California set up during the pandemic have gone away. But in Los Angeles, one big one has stuck around: rent increases are still banned for most of the city’s tenants. However, some landlords don't know about LA’s rent freeze — and renter complaints are at a 10-year high.
Reporter: David Wagner, LAist
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide on Wednesday whether or not a common abortion drug will remain available. while a case challenging its safety makes its way through the court.
Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED
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Apr 18, 2023
In Humboldt County, Mental Health Resources Hard To Come By
For families whose loved ones are facing a mental health crisis, it can be hard to be optimistic, especially when resources are scarce. In Humboldt County, there's a proposal to create an emergency mental health care facility.
Reporter: Jane Vaughan, Jefferson Public Radio
During the pandemic, many people gained access to Medicaid, the low to no cost health insurance. But now, with pandemic protections ending, states are beginning to re-examine people’s eligibility.
Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio
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Apr 17, 2023
Survivors Of Palm Springs Neighborhood Destruction Seek Reparations
Families who once lived in a Palm Springs neighborhood are seeking reparations. Decades ago, the city forcibly evicted the mostly Black and Latino residents from their homes — and leveled the area.
Reporter: Leslie Berestein Rojas, LAist
The state’s Dream for All housing program aimed to give first-time home buyers a leg-up, especially those in communities often priced out of the market. As we reported last week, funding for the new program ran dry in less than two weeks. But it's unclear if the money actually went to buyers who needed it most.
Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters
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Apr 14, 2023
Kings Fans Hope To Light The Beam In Playoff Series With Warriors
There’s a beam of light bringing people together in Sacramento, where long suffering basketball fans finally have a reason to celebrate. And the Battle of Northern California kicks off on Saturday, as the Kings are facing off against the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Reporter: Bianca Taylor, KQED
Senator Dianne Feinstein is asking Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to temporarily replace her on a key committee until she fully recovers from a bout of shingles. But it might not be that simple.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
California is experiencing a rush of solar installations as residents and installers worked to get deals in place before new rules take effect on Friday.
Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS
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Apr 13, 2023
Bill Would Help Immigrants Released From Prison From Being Turned Over To ICE
California prides itself on welcoming and including immigrants. The state is often at odds with the federal government over immigration enforcement. But there are exceptions – and a big one is that when the state prison system is releasing someone who’s not a citizen, they are allowed to turn them over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and they routinely do.
Guest: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
Demonstrators from around California are expected to converge in Sacramento on Thursday to support a state bill that would offer unemployment benefits to workers, who are excluded because they’re undocumented.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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Apr 12, 2023
Planada Still Struggling To Recover Months After Flooding
It’s been 3 months since major flooding inundated the town of Planada in Merced County. Still, residents of this unincorporated community are struggling to stay afloat.
Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report
State officials are preparing for major flooding as the snowpack begins to melt. Statewide, the snowpack sits at 249% of the average for this time of year.
Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED
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Apr 11, 2023
Wildfire Experts Express Concern Over Plans For Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act has saved hundreds of thousands of lives and avoided millions of childhood illnesses. Even so, the Environmental Protection Agency is planning to strengthen air standards. It's a move celebrated by many, but some fire experts worry that the new rules could unintentionally lead to larger wildfires and worse air.
Guest: Danielle Venton, KQED
Lawmakers plan to introduce a bill on Tuesday that would restrict California prison officials from transferring certain inmates to ICE. The HOME Act would protect non-citizens from being handed to ICE for deportation, if they’ve been granted clemency or released from prison under recent criminal justice reform laws.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
The state launched a program recently to get more Californians into their first homes. The only problem? Maybe the program was too popular.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
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Apr 10, 2023
Tulare Lake Re-Emergence Causes Uncertainty Over Flooding
More fallout from the reappearance of Tulare Lake. It was once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. But it's been dry for years. Now, with massive amounts of rain, and more water coming from the state's melting snowpack, nearby communities are worried they could be flooded out.
Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR
Tens of thousands of people rely on salmon fishing to make a living. The season's closure could be devastating to coastal communities - from fishing to charter boats and restaurants.
Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED
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Apr 7, 2023
Child Care Providers Still Waiting For Pandemic Pay
California child care providers are still waiting on hundreds of thousands of dollars in pandemic financial relief from Governor Newsom and the Department of Social Services. Providers were supposed to receive the one-time stipend payments around the holidays, or early 2023 at the latest.
Reporter: Izzy Bloom, The California Report
Fast fashion trends have many Americans buying more clothes than ever. But when those clothes are discarded, thousands of tons of textiles end up in landfills each year.
Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX
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Apr 6, 2023
California Sees Sharp Rise In K-12 Students Experiencing Homelessness
The number of K-12 students experiencing homelessness in California has surged by the thousands. That’s according to new enrollment data from the state’s Department of Education.
Reporter: Joe Hong, CalMatters
A new investigation finds that after police killings, many California law enforcement agencies are trained to keep news of people's deaths from family members. That way, according to the reporting, police can grill families for information that can be used to limit liability and protect departments’ reputations.
Guest: Brian Howey, Investigative Reporting Program, UC Berkeley and LA Times
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Apr 5, 2023
Historic Snowpack Could Prove Dangerous Down The Line In Central Valley
A parade of atmospheric rivers has delivered record-busting levels of rain and snowfall to the Sierra Nevada this year. But with all that snow poised to melt in the coming months, communities in the Central Valley floor, which are already grappling with flooding, are bracing for the worst.
Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to expand a guaranteed income program for an additional 200 former foster youth in the area. It’ll provide recipients with $1,000 a month for two years.
Reporter: Izzy Bloom, The California Report
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Apr 4, 2023
California's Snowpack One Of The Largest Ever
The latest reading of California’s snowpack is in, and the amount of snow is huge - 220% of average. The last time California had this much snow in the Sierra Nevada was in 1952.
Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
How many of you have had this very California problem? You really want to buy your first home, but the down payment is just too high. And the monthly mortgage payments would kill you financially. Well, the state of California has just started taking applications for a new program, where it will put down a good chunk of money to help people buy their first home.
Guest: Eric Johnson, California Housing Finance Agency
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Apr 3, 2023
Santa Cruz Sees Mixed Success In Composting Program
When the food scraps we throw out from our kitchens get hauled to dumps, they release methane, a super-accelerant of climate change. So last year, a state law went into effect requiring California cities to slash the amount of food waste they send to landfills. But how is implementation of that law going?
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
Starting Monday, California Public Health officials will no longer require masking in healthcare and correctional facilities. Also, COVID-19 vaccinations won’t be required for healthcare workers.
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Mar 31, 2023
State Continues To Try To Help Communities Impacted By Storms
The state says it's offering aid to communities that have been deeply impacted by this year's storms. But for many residents in the San Bernardino mountains, the challenges are mounting.
Reporter: Jill Replogle, LAist
A group of hunger strikers at two California immigration detention centers say they're pausing their protest, after what they call violent tactics by ICE officials. The 35-day hunger strike began in mid-February – with dozens of men at the Mesa Verde and Golden State Annex facilities protesting substandard conditions.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
Continuing their series “Mixed! Stories of Mixed Race Californians,” The California Report Magazine spoke with Professor Reginald Daniel. He taught the nation’s longest running course on Mixed Race Studies at UC Santa Barbara.
Reporter: Sasha Khokha, The California Report Magazine
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Mar 30, 2023
Shasta County Switches To Hand Counting Of Election Ballots
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors will replace voting equipment targeted by former President Trump and others, promoting the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. The county is now going to be hand counting ballots.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
Housing advocates say landlords have been taking advantage of a loophole in California’s Tenant Protection Act to kick renters out. Lawmakers passed the landmark legislation in 2019 to keep tenants in their homes.
Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED
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Mar 29, 2023
Flooding This Year Could Be A Precursor To Future Climate-Related Disasters
The experience of climate-fueled storms since the turn of the year is lodged into the minds of Californians — levee failures displaced thousands, blizzard conditions trapped people in their homes, hundreds of thousands lost power and a vast inland California lake appeared. Climate scientists say the storms and flooding are just a fraction of what’s expected in a warmer world.
Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED
Governor Newsom is asking the Biden Administration to declare a major disaster for counties in California, that have been impacted by storms over the past month. That includes Monterey County, where residents in Pajaro have been asking for help from the state and federal government.
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Mar 28, 2023
Governor Newsom's Bill On Regulating Oil Industry Quickly Approved By State Lawmakers
State lawmakers have approved Governor Gavin Newsom's bill, which is attempting to increase transparency of the oil industry in the state. It would allow the California Energy Commission to impose penalties, through a regulatory process, if the agency believes oil companies are making excessive profits from gas prices.
California's crisis support centers want to better serve Native Americans in need. But right now, less than one percent of calls to the 988 crisis line are from Native People.
Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio
A state task force developing proposals to provide reparations for Black Californians is nearing the end of its work. The panel faces a June deadline to send recommendations to the legislature to compensate Black residents for the harms dating back to slavery. And the California state legislature -- well it has its own pro-slavery history.
Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED
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Mar 27, 2023
Pajaro Community Begins To Clean-Up After Being Allowed Back In Their Homes
Water is back on, but it's still not drinkable in the Monterey County community of Pajaro, which was hit by massive flooding a few weeks ago. Residents are being allowed back in their homes to assess the damage, and start the process of cleaning up their property.
Reporter: Jonathan Linden, KAZU
Over 5 million people around California use CalFresh, the state's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as "food stamps." But starting in April, these folks will notice a steep drop in the amount of food benefit they’re receiving.
Guest: Carly Severn, KQED
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Mar 24, 2023
Oakland Teachers Plan Walk-Out; LA Educators Head Back To Classroom
Oakland teachers at 14 middle and high schools are planning a walkout on Friday. But, the teachers union has not sanctioned a strike. Meanwhile, LA educators are back in the classroom today after reaching an agreement late Thursday.
Communities in the San Bernardino Mountains, east of Los Angeles, are once again struggling to dig out of more snow following this week's latest atmospheric river. But, to assist residents with questions they may have about receiving possible aid, assistance centers are opening over the weekend.
A levee that has protected the city of Corcoran for decades is at risk of filling up after the recent rains that have drenched California. Authorities say they are monitoring the situation. TCR Reporter, Kerry Klein in Fresno has the details.
A father who was separated from his family by a Trump administration immigration policy is finally back home in California after nearly four years. EdSource Reporter, Zaidee Stavely, introduces us to Jose Luis Ruiz Areva…
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Mar 23, 2023
Tornado Touches Down In LA County, Damages Several Buildings
It was a rare sight in the LA County city of Montebello on Wednesday after a tornado ripped through the city, damaging 11 buildings. One person was injured.
As the latest atmospheric river ravaged the state this week, some communities are left with more mess to clean up. Farming communities have been especially impacted by this year's wet weather -- from Planada in Merced County to Pajaro in Monterey County. And this will likely have a major impact on farmworkers.
Guest: Sarait Martinez, Executive Director, Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indí-gena Oaxaqueño
Bids are due on Friday to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for Silicon Valley Bank’s assets, and liabilities. But there’s no word yet as to whether purchasers will be required to honor the company's $11 billion community benefit agreement.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED
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Mar 22, 2023
Storm Once Again Batters California
Downed trees, widespread power outages, flooded roadways -- it was all part of the latest atmospheric river to hit California. At least two people died due to falling trees in the Bay Area on Tuesday.
In Tulare County, where signs reading “pray for rain” line the highway, many communities are still underwater. And so are agricultural fields.
Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR
We’re still waiting to hear whether the Service Employees International Union will appeal last week’s court ruling upholding most of Proposition 22. That's the voter approved measure that lets Uber, Lyft and the like classify their drivers as independent contractors, rather than employees.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED
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Mar 21, 2023
LA Unified Employees Begin Three Day Strike
Los Angeles Unified School District workers have begun a three day strike on Tuesday, a labor action that will affect hundreds of thousands of students and families across the city.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
The 12th atmospheric river this winter is set to once again pummel California. During past storms, washed out roads and fallen trees have isolated many residents in rural communities. But that hasn’t stopped emergency responders from rescuing people.
Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED
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Mar 20, 2023
Is Carbon Capture And Storage A Possible Solution For Climate Change?
Is this a possible solution to climate change? Capture the greenhouse gasses heating our planet and bury them deep underground? Well such a carbon storage facility has been proposed for part of Kern County.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
The historic Black community of Allensworth in Tulare County is the latest to be placed under evacuation orders. This comes after a breach in some waterways over the weekend. All told, more than 11,000 people in Tulare County have been ordered to evacuate their homes.
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Mar 17, 2023
At The Start Of Harvesting Season, Many Pajaro Farmworkers Are Without Work
Governor Newsom is taking a public policy road trip over the next few days. Instead of giving the usual State of the State address from inside the State Capitol building, he’s visiting several California cities to highlight policy proposals and to crow about successes. Newsom started yesterday in Sacramento and highlighted the state’s latest effort to combat homelessness. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED
The California Reinvestment Coalition, which supports more investment in low-income communities, is calling on federal regulators to ensure whoever buys failed Silicon Valley Bank honors an $11 billion dollar community benefit agreement SVB signed on to. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED
In Pajaro, on the Central Coast, thousands of people were evacuated after a nearby levee broke almost a week ago. Some of them are now starting to trickle back to assess the damage and start planning for what comes next. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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Mar 16, 2023
Governor Newsom Surveys Flood Damage in Pajaro
Governor Newsom visits the flooded farm community of Pajaro in Monterey County and talks about how all the weather has been wearing people down. On the positive side, mandatory water restrictions were lifted for nearly 7 million people in Southern California.
Snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada sent water gushing into Valley communities last week. With a break in the storms, communities in the eastern San Joaquin Valley are assessing the damage. Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KQED
It's been a rough winter for California's mountain communities as storm after storm has struck the state. Truckee Mayor Lindsay Romack is telling her blizzard-stressed constituents to be kind to hard-working snow plow drivers and advising outsiders to stay away until conditions improve.
A recently released study funded by the California Health Care Foundation finds Black patients have to work harder to deal with possible bias when seeking medical care. Reporter: Stephanie O’Neill, Kaiser Health News
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Mar 15, 2023
Pajaro Levee Breach Nearly Repaired, But Work Continues Ahead Of More Storms
As the breached levee is nearly repaired in the Monterey County community of Pajaro, residents are being told it might take weeks before they can return to their homes. Reporter: Anna Marie Yanny, KQED
The sudden failure of California’s Silicon Valley Bank, the second largest bank collapse in American history, has lawmakers in Sacramento calling for hearings into what happened. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
A former San Diego resident is now suspected by police in an antisemitic incident that took place at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam last month. Reporter: Jill Castellano, inewsource
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Mar 14, 2023
Silicon Valley Bank's Black Swan Event
As another enormous storm front sweeps across the Golden State, authorities are warning Californians about the threat of flooding in already water-saturated regions.
Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED
In the wake of Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, how did this one financial institution become so dominant in California's tech industry? Old-fashioned word of mouth, particularly by the venture capitalist class.
Guest: Ben Bergman, Business Insider
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Mar 13, 2023
Thousands Evacuated In Monterey County By Levee Break, Flooding
The town of Pajaro in Monterey County is underwater after a levee broke on the Pajaro River during this weekend’s storms. Officials say they have evacuated more than 2000 people and rescues are ongoing.
Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED
After three years of living in a drought, many Californians are celebrating rain and snowfall. But you might be feeling overwhelmed with the drastic change in weather. For those of us experiencing climate anxiety, what should we do?
Guest: Laura Klivans, KQED
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Mar 10, 2023
Hospital Closure Upends Residents In Paradise
Throughout California, hospitals are being forced to reduce services and even shut down. For many, the pandemic created financial stressors that led hospitals to bankruptcy. But in Paradise, the company that runs the city's only hospital received millions in compensation from insurance after the 2018 Camp Fire destroyed much of the city. But Adventist Health doesn't plan to reopen its doors.
Guest: Marisa Endicott, Reporter, Press Democrat
This week, Madera County supervisors declined to hire a consulting group, which could have outlined options for reopening Madera Community Hospital. The hospital closed earlier this year, leaving many residents in the lurch.
Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR
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Mar 9, 2023
Volunteers Quickly Organize To Help Those In Need In San Bernardino Mountains
Desperation has turned into anger for many people in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. As residents continue to dig out from a rare blizzard, many are blasting the county for not helping them more quickly. Amid the criticism, a group of volunteers has hastily come together to deliver supplies.
Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR
Bay Area Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and other House Democrats are re-introducing a bill Thursday that could provide a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
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Mar 8, 2023
Communities In Northern And Southern California Trying To Dig Out From Massive Snowstorms
At least 11 people have died since winter storms battered the San Bernardino Mountains. Meanwhile, in Nevada County in Northern California, the lights have been off for thousands of customers due to storms in the area.
Public health officials in California are calling on the governor to reconsider a plan to slash funding to a training program for public health workers. Last year, California committed millions to train workers in specialties like epidemiology, microbiology, and public health nursing. Now, the Newsom administration is proposing significant reductions to the program.
Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio
With just four months left before California closes its state-run juvenile lockups for good, county officials are ringing alarm bells, saying they need more state support to make the historic transition successful.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
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Mar 7, 2023
Many Trapped Residents Need Food, Medicine in San Bernardino Mountains
Desperation is growing as many people are still trapped in their homes in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. It’s been more than a week since a rare blizzard buried the region in snow. And authorities say it might take a few more days before they can reach everyone.
Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR
18 days into a hunger strike over living and working conditions in two Kern County immigration detention centers, more than 30 men are still going without food.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
A growing number of undocumented workers are reaching retirement age in California, but have to keep working. But a new state bill might help them retire.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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Mar 6, 2023
Many Residents In San Bernardino Mountain Communities Remain Stranded Due To Snow
Although progress is being made, many people who have been stuck in communities in the San Bernardino Mountains due to the massive amount of snowfall might not receive assistance for several more days. Crews have been able to clear off many main roads, but the excess snow is piling up, trapping many people in their homes.
The closure of Madera Community Hospital in late December has left thousands of people without access to regular checkups, emergency services and specialized care. That includes one patient who is struggling to find a place nearby to get cancer treatment.
Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR
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Mar 3, 2023
National Guard Sent To Help Trapped Residents In San Bernardino Mountains
California National Guard personnel have arrived in the San Bernardino Mountains. They’re there to help rescue residents who have been trapped in their homes for days by the recent heavy snowfall.
A hunger strike at two California immigration detention centers in Kern County is entering its third week. Advocacy groups say Immigration and Customs Enforcement is failing to properly consider the detainees’ requests to be released.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
Have you ever heard someone calling your name, but then you look around and no one’s there? Or you feel your phone vibrate, but actually, it didn’t. Then you’ve technically experienced psychosis. For most of us, it will never go further. But for people who later develop schizophrenia, it often starts like this.
Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED
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Mar 2, 2023
San Bernardino County Struggles To Recover From Massive Snowfall
Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a state of emergency for 13 California counties in response to the winter storms. San Bernardino County is covered by the Governor’s declaration. There, residents in mountain communities are still trapped in their homes after more than seven feet of snow has fallen over the last few days.
In the Central Valley, Madera Community Hospital closed at the end of last year – after struggling with low Medi-Cal insurance repayments and a shortage of nursing staff. But hospital leaders hope it’s not too late to restore services.
Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR
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Mar 1, 2023
New Deadline For California Taxpayers Provides Challenges For Budget Writers
The federal government says people living in California counties hit hard by severe weather now have an extra six months to file their federal taxes. But a new deadline creates challenges for state budget writers.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
President Joe Biden has nominated California's former Labor Secretary to head the U.S. Department of Labor. The White House lauded Julie Su as a “champion for workers,” but she has plenty of detractors.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
A year after Russia invaded Ukraine, we’re checking back in with Silicon Valley people and companies affected by the war.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED
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Feb 28, 2023
Winter Storms Creating A Mess Across California
Another monster frigid storm front is moving through California, creating dangerous conditions in the Sierra Nevada. A blizzard warning remains in effect through early Wednesday for the Greater Lake Tahoe area and Mono County. And San Bernardino County has declared a local state of emergency, due to the amount of snow that's collected on it's mountains.
California spends more than $15 billion a year on its prison system and a new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office says we’re continuing to pay for thousands of prison beds we’re not using. The state has closed two prisons under Governor Gavin Newsom and plans to close two more, but this new research says that’s not going far enough.
Reporter: Nigel Duara, CalMatters
The prison closures are a big change from a generation ago, when California was in the midst of a prison construction boom. But with the recent decline in the state’s prison population, advocates of criminal justice reform want to see more penal fa…
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Feb 27, 2023
Lawmaker Wants To Turn Empty Office Space Into Housing
Because of the pandemic and the large number of people who now work from home, California has an abundance of vacant office space, but the state also has a shortage of housing. Now, a state lawmaker wants to tackle both problems by making it far easier to turn empty offices into homes.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
The Central Coast city of Paso Robles is becoming increasingly prominent in the world of wine. But as its stature grows, the Paso Robles area is facing familiar California challenges – like expensive housing and water worries. And that’s creating problems for the local wine industry.
Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX
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Feb 24, 2023
Snow, Hail, Rain All Part Of Latest Winter Storm In California
Although no officials numbers are in , there has been widespread snowfall across the state. That includes parts of California that normally see snow on only the rarest occasions. Cold temperatures and rain remain in the forecast as we head into the weekend.
There’s widespread agreement that having books in jails and prisons benefits people behind bars. But in LA County jails, there’s no official library system, so a grassroots effort has started to get more books into the hands of the incarcerated.
Reporter: Emily Elena Dugdale, LAIst
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Feb 23, 2023
State Legislature Holds First Hearing On What Caused Soaring Gas Prices
In a legislative hearing in Sacramento on Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration made its case for a controversial proposal aimed at reigning in high gas prices, by imposing a penalty on oil companies when gas prices, and profits, spike.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
Huntington Beach in Orange County is the latest city vowing to fight Sacramento over state housing laws meant to encourage more housing. The city council voted 4-to-3 this week to allow its city attorney to pursue any legal actions, to challenge SB 9, SB 10 and any laws that allow for lot splits and the development of accessory dwelling units, or granny flats.
During the winter months, researchers take to the American River in Northern California to survey steelhead salmon populations. The surveys play an important part in understanding the impacts of environmental changes, and how conservation efforts can help future generations of salmon thrive.
Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio
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Feb 22, 2023
Lawmakers Seek Answers On What Led To Skyrocketing Gas Prices
A hearing on gasoline prices in the state is scheduled to take place Wednesday afternoon in Sacramento, more than two months after Governor Gavin Newsom called for oil companies to be penalized for price gouging. The hearing before the State Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee is the first during a special session on gas prices.
Last month, a lot of snow fell on California, which was good news for our drought-stricken state. But California’s snowpack is dwindling -- fast and that's creating uncertainty for the state’s water supply.
Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED
Officials are continuing to push for answers and solutions after the closure of Madera Community Hospital more than a month ago. The closure has already impacted neighboring communities.
Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County tried to stop landlords from evicting renters who have pets that aren’t allowed under their leases. Those pro…
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Feb 21, 2023
Los Angeles Bishop Remembered For His Kindness, Helping Others
A man suspected of murdering Catholic Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell in Los Angeles over the weekend has been arrested. Meanwhile, friends of the Bishop are remembering him for his kindness to others.
Did you know the last secondary lead smelter west of the Mississippi is here in California? It’s called Quemetco, and it recycles the lead in old car batteries about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The company has been violating toxic substance regulations for years and has now reached a settlement with the state that allows it to stay open.
Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW
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Feb 20, 2023
Researchers Aim To Study Threats To Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe, nestled high in the mountains between California and Nevada, is one of America’s great natural wonders. But the lake faces a variety of threats -- some old, some new -- that scientists have spent years studying.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
A Bay Area Assemblymember wants to increase access to California's public parks and beaches, by overhauling the state's reservation system.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
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Feb 17, 2023
Report Offers Glimpse Of How State Is Spending Money To Combat Homelessness
A new state-backed report gives the first-ever birds-eye view of California’s spending on homelessness programs. The state has shelled out more than $10 billion in the last few years to get people housed. But despite that spending, California still has a long way to go to get people into permanent housing.
Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters
Despite protests from many community members, construction has resumed to replace fences with two 30-foot walls at Friendship Park, which sits on the US-Mexico border in San Diego County. The historic park on the western-most end of the border has long been a place where families from both sides of the border can meet up.
75 years ago a plane crashed near the Central Valley town of Coalinga, killing everyone on board. The plane carried Mexican migrants on their way to be deported. After the crash, the government sent the bodies of the white pilot, flight attendants and immigration officer home to their families, but interred the Mexican pas…
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Feb 16, 2023
Right To Repair Bill Aims To Make Everyday Products Fixable
Who's had this problem? Your laptop or smartphone isn’t working, but the idea of repairing it yourself seems impossible because you can't get replacement parts and repair instructions from manufacturers, like, say, Apple. Well, after past attempts to pass it have failed, a Right to Repair bill has been re-introduced in Sacramento. If passed, it’s supposed to make it easier, and cheaper to get electronics you own fixed.
Guest: Sander Kushen, Public Health Advocate, CALPIRG
Slavery and involuntary servitude are illegal in California. But our state constitution has an exception to that rule involving the state’s prison system. Some state lawmakers are now looking to change that.
Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED
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Feb 15, 2023
Dianne Feinstein Will Leave Office At End Of Her Term
Dianne Feinstein has been a U.S. Senator from California for three decades. And before that she was already a powerful figure in San Francisco politics, including serving as mayor. So the announcement that Feinstein is retiring from office at the end of her current Senate term really does mark the end of an era in California politics and governance.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
A new study out of Stanford University finds that enrollment in California public schools fell by about 270,000 during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reporter: Amanda Stupi, The California Report
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Feb 14, 2023
Member Of Anti-Semitic Extremist Group Flees Country Before Facing Hate Crime Charges
Anti-semitism and hate crimes are on the rise in the United States. In California, some far-right groups are becoming even more extreme. A far-right extremist group connected to San Diego, called the Goyim Defense League, is fueling acts of vandalism, harassment and assault.
Reporter: Jill Castellano, inewsource
A group of California lawmakers wants to prohibit police from pulling motorists over for minor traffic infractions. The legislators say those stops too often lead to violence against people of color.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
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Feb 13, 2023
Fast Food Industry, Workers In Fight Over New Law
In response to stories about worker abuse in the fast food industry, last year the state legislature passed, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law, the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act. The FAST Act created a first of its kind 10 person independent council to improve labor conditions in the fast food industry. But it's already facing pushback from the industry, which has spent millions on a referendum for the 2024 ballot.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
It’s been a week since devastating earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria. As the reported death toll mounts well past 30,000, Californians are looking for ways to help survivors.
Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, KQED
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Feb 10, 2023
California's Attorney General Renews Call For Worker Protections Against Extreme Heat
California’s Attorney General has petitioned federal regulators to issue an emergency rule to protect workers from extreme heat. Heat is the leading cause of death among all weather-related workplace hazards, and the dangers for workers in jobs like agriculture are rising with climate change.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
Frontline environmental advocates are gearing up for a new fight, now that a California law that would ban new oil drilling near homes, schools, and community sites is on hold. Industry groups have gathered enough signatures to qualify the issue for the 2024 ballot.
Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED
A new housing project called Paul’s Place opened in Davis this week. Organizers say the unique 4-story design, which combines temporary shelter with permanent apartments, will help unhoused people achieve stability.
Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio
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Feb 9, 2023
Hospitals Struggling To Stay Afloat Across California
Half of California hospitals are losing money everyday. Madera Community Hospital is just the latest to close due to financial issues. And experts predict many more will follow across the state.
Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED
In Fresno County, an emergency hospital declaration has just been lifted, despite area hospitals still dealing with an overcrowding crisis. That's in large part due to the recent closure of a hospital in neighboring Madera County.
Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR
For the second year in a row, there’s an effort underway to reform and significantly reduce the use of solitary confinement in California. The Mandela Act would prohibit jails, prisons, and immigration detention facilities from holding people in solitary confinement for more than two weeks in a row.
Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio
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Feb 8, 2023
Riverside County Housing Development Uses Its Own Microgrid System
Here in California, we've grown pretty accustomed to power outages. Sometimes it gets knocked out by storms. Other times, it gets turned off on purpose by the utility companies to avoid wildfires. But what if you could live in a community where your lights always stayed on, no matter what happened to the grid?
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
California utility regulators are digging into reasons for this winter’s high natural gas prices. During a hearing on Tuesday, the California Public Utilities Commission pressed industry officials to explain the record setting price hikes for natural gas.
Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS
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Feb 7, 2023
Farmworkers, Immigrants Could Be Provided Protections Under New Federal Policy
Half Moon Bay farmworkers – and other vulnerable immigrants who speak up about workplace abuses – could get some protection under a new Biden administration policy. It would shield undocumented immigrants from deportation if they cooperate with labor investigations.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
California’s governor is calling for a federal probe into the record high natural gas prices that have doubled and even tripled some customer bills.
Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS
Besides its canals, the city of Amsterdam is known for its pot cafes, where you can eat and hang out with friends while using marijuana. California law prevents that kind of establishment, but there’s a move to change that.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
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Feb 6, 2023
Undocumented Residents In Planada Struggle To Get Help They Need After Storms
When storms battered California last month, the streets of Planada became rivers. Hundreds of homes were flooded and the whole town was evacuated. Now people in this rural Central Valley community are trying to put their lives back together. But many undocumented residents are struggling to access assistance.
Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED
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Feb 3, 2023
Governor Newsom Says Environmental Law Needs To Be Modernized To Increase Housing
Governor Gavin Newsom says he expects to collaborate with lawmakers this year on reforms to the state’s environmental review law, which has been used repeatedly by opponents of development to block construction. The California Environmental Quality Act, which was signed into law in 1970, aimed to ensure that the environmental impact of a project is taken into account.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
Guru Jagat, a Santa Monica-based yoga instructor, was known for being confident and relatable. She modernized the esoteric practice of Kundalini yoga. But in 2020, her followers started noticing a shift in her beliefs.
Reporter: Emily Guerin, Producer, LAist
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Feb 2, 2023
Governor Newsom Pushes For New Gun Restrictions Following Mass Shootings
In the wake of two mass shootings that left 18 people dead, California leaders say they’ll pass new legislation to regulate concealed weapon permits.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
The funeral for 29-year-old Tyre Nichols was held Wednesday in Memphis, three weeks after he died following a beating by police. There are increased calls for police accountability across the nation, an issue that’s being taken on here in California by the Bay Area-based Anti Police-Terror Project.
Guest: Cat Brooks, Executive Director, Anti Police-Terror Project
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Feb 1, 2023
Murders Still On The Mind Of Many Residents In Goshen
As Californians continue to process the series of mass shootings up and down the state, the small community of Goshen in the Central Valley remains shaken by the brutal murders of six family members two weeks ago.
Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED
California’s snowpack is at 208% of normal for this time of year. That's the highest level in decades.
Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED
Thieves have stolen more than $35 million from some of the state’s most vulnerable residents – because the debit cards California uses to send financial assistance are too easy to exploit. Now, the state is trying to make it easier for these theft victims to get their money back.
Reporter: Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters
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Jan 31, 2023
Vigil Held In Sacramento To Honor Tyre Nichols
Friends and family of Tyre Nichols, the former Sacramento resident who was beaten and killed by Memphis police officers, held a candlelight vigil in his honor Monday night.
Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio
A new study out of Stanford University finds climate warming will likely reach a critical threshold in the early 2030s.
Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED
Cold temperatures are forecast through Wednesday, prompting The National Weather Service to issue frost advisories and freeze warnings for parts of the Bay Area and the Central Valley. The low temperatures could be dangerous for the unsheltered, and add to high utility bills for housed Californians. Natural gas and electricity prices are both up sharply compared to last year.
Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS
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Jan 30, 2023
After Storms and Landslides, Big Sur Residents May Be Isolated For Weeks
Big Sur is cut off again thanks to landslides on Highway 1 caused by the rain storms earlier this month. Now supplies are being flown in, and residents along portions of the scenic highway may be stuck for at least another three weeks. Reporter: Jonathan Linden, KAZU
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to heavily affect the lives of California’s 9 million children. Those impacts are particularly devastating for kids of color or kids living in poverty, according to new data tracking children’s well-being in each of the state’s 58 counties. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
This month, California issued first-in-the-nation safety guidelines for employers of domestic workers: people like cleaners, nannies and caregivers who have historically been excluded from occupational health and safety laws. But advocates say California is taking the first steps to right that wrong. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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Jan 27, 2023
Authorities Investigating Conditions At Half Moon Bay Farms
Authorities confirm they’re investigating possible wage theft and health and safety violations at the two farms in Half Moon Bay where seven farm workers were killed this week in a mass shooting.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
Even as the community mourns in Half Moon Bay, people are looking for ways to heal and grasp for normalcy.
Reporter: Madi Bolaños
This week, we've covered Monterey Park in the wake of the mass shooting there. But communities shouldn't just be defined by their worst days. So we're looking at one aspect of Monterey Park life not related to this week’s news -- its amazing Asian food scene that’s been created by immigrant communities there.
Guest: Denny Mu, The Mandarin Noodle House
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Jan 26, 2023
Suspect Arraigned In Half Moon Bay Shooting
The man accused of gunning down eight people in Half Moon Bay, killing seven, was charged with seven counts of murder and one count of attempted murder on Wednesday.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
Authorities investigating the mass shooting in Half Moon say the evidence points to it as an incident of “workplace violence.” Acts of violence are a leading cause of occupational death in the U.S. But mass shootings are still relatively rare on the job.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
In Monterey Park, vigils have been taking place nightly, to honor the victims of the dance studio shooting Saturday night. The Star Dance Studio was a hub for professional ballroom dancers, new immigrants and longtime community members of the Asian diaspora.
Reporter: Mariana Dale, KPCC
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Jan 25, 2023
More Details Released About Suspect In Half Moon Bay Mass Shootings
The man accused of fatally shooting seven farmworkers Monday in the city of Half Moon Bay is being arraigned on Wednesday. Chunli Zhao is being held on seven first degree murder charges and one charge of attempted murder for the shootings at two farms in Half Moon Bay.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Monterey Park on Wednesday to honor the 11 people killed in that mass shooting incident over the weekend. We’re also learning more about some of the people who lost their lives.
Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC
In the wake of the recent mass shootings in California, there’s more focus on gun violence restraining orders or Red Flag laws. These allow authorities to temporarily seize firearms and ammunition from people who’ve been reported as a danger by family members or co-workers.
Guest: Mara Elliott, City Attorney in San Diego
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Jan 24, 2023
Another Mass Shooting In California, This Time In Half Moon Bay
There has been another deadly mass shooting in the state, this time in the coastal Bay Area community of Half Moon Bay. Seven people were killed and one injured Monday in a pair of shootings at agricultural centers in the city.
Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED
On Monday night, over 200 people gathered in Monterey Park for a candlelight vigil to honor the victims of the mass shooting at the Star Dance Studio.
Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW
We're learning more about the victims of Saturday's massacre in Monterey Park.
Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC
In Sacramento on Monday, Asian American legislators gathered at the state capitol to call for stricter gun laws and to honor the victims of the mass shootings in Monterey Park.
Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio
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Jan 23, 2023
Monterey Park Community Devastated By Weekend Mass Shooting
10 people, five men and five women, are dead and seven people remain in the hospital after a 72-year-old man opened fire in a Monterey Park dance studio late Saturday night. The suspected gunman took his own life on Sunday.
The Monterey Park shooting reminds us about just how seemingly random incidents of mass violence can be. That leaves many feeling scared and vulnerable.
Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC
San Francisco kicked off Lunar New Year celebrations on Sunday, but the mass shooting in Southern California weighed heavily on those who were there.
Reporter: Juan Carlos Lara, KQED
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Jan 20, 2023
President Biden Surveys Damage From California Storms
President Biden toured Capitola Village and Seacliff State Park in Santa Cruz County on Thursday. Both of the areas were two of the hardest hit by the recent winter storms.
A new bill would give California college athletes more protections and require Division I schools to share revenue with athletes whose market value exceeds the amount of their scholarships. That money would be paid after an athlete graduates.
There’s a beam of light bringing people together in Sacramento, where long suffering basketball fans finally have a reason to celebrate.
Reporter: Bianca Taylor, KQED
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Jan 19, 2023
Madera County Hospital Closure Deeply Impacts Community
For Madera County near Yosemite, the new year has brought more than just stormy weather. The county’s only hospital closed. That leaves 150,000 residents without specialty care, without an emergency room and many of the hospital’s 700 employees without a job.
Guests: Omar Rashad and Dympna Ugwu-Oju, Reporters, Fresnoland
Los Angeles City Council members are renewing calls for unarmed crisis response efforts by LAPD. This comes after the first week of the year saw two fatal police shootings, and the death of 31-year-old Keenan Anderson, who was repeatedly tased by officers.
Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC
Pacific Gas and Electric is in criminal court again, this time to fight charges it killed four Shasta County residents in a 2020 wildfire. The company is facing four counts of manslaughter for its alleged role in starting the Zogg Fire near Redding.
Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED
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Jan 18, 2023
Suspects Still At Large In Mass Shooting In Central Valley
In the aftermath of a massacre that left six people dead in the small farming town of Goshen early Monday, details remain sparse. The victims include a teen mother and her infant son.
Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
California could soon have a new repository of electric power, capable of stabilizing the state’s power grid. A German company is building a virtual power plant brimming with potential.
Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS
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Jan 17, 2023
Six Killed In Shooting At Tulare County Home
Six people were shot and killed in a small San Joaquin Valley community early Monday morning.
Reporter: Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado, KVPR
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, local governments across the country passed eviction moratoriums to protect tenants from becoming homeless if they couldn’t afford to pay their rents. As the pandemic has eased, many of those protections have been eliminated. One place they still exist is Los Angeles, but maybe not for long.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
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Jan 16, 2023
President Biden Declares Major Disaster In California Due To Storms
The storms that have battered much of California will finally start to subside this week. Rain is expected to die down on Monday, although parts of Northern California and the Bay Area could see more precipitation on Wednesday. Much of Southern California will likely start a dry spell starting Tuesday. As communities clean-up following the storms, President Biden has declared a major disaster in California.
Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED
The achievement gap between Black and Latino students and other groups is a long standing problem throughout California. Tony Thurmond, the state superintendent of public instruction, has appointed a task force to identify solutions. But on this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, we're checking in with a group that's working at the local level to close the achievement gap.
Guest: Lisa Mitchell, Executive Director of African American Academic Acceleration, or A4, Fresno Unified School District
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Jan 13, 2023
Salinas River Flooding Still A Threat For Monterey County Residents
The Salinas River is still at risk of flooding, but authorities now say it may not be quite as bad as they had been predicting. Several low-lying communities near the river remain under evacuation orders and warnings.
The intense rains so far this year have flooded farm fields across the state, forcing farmworkers to stay home -- which for most means no pay.
Reporter: Leslie Berestein Rojas, KPCC
Sam Anderson was surprised to hear a high school friend from New Jersey was accused of murder in connection with an illegal marijuana operation in Mendocino County. The California Report Magazine host Sasha Khokha spoke with Anderson about his wild experiences reporting on what really happened for his podcast "Crooked City: The Emerald Triangle."
Reporter: Sasha Khokha, The California Report Magazine
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Jan 12, 2023
Planada Enters Third Day of Evacuations As More Storms Loom Ahead
Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto is warning people to be prepared for the Monterey Peninsula to become an island because of flooding from the Salinas River. Nieto warned that flooding Thursday could eliminate all travel routes on or off the peninsula, leaving people stranded on either side.
As the winter storms move through the state, power outages and flooding can make it hard for families to get and preserve food. State officials say families who get CalFresh benefits can apply for replacement funds on their EBT card if their food was lost or destroyed due to misfortune or a disaster.
Reporter: Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli, KQED
Even in the midst of all this rain, wine makers and grape growers are worried about what wildfire smoke from next fire season will do to their wine. UC Vineyard advisor Chris Chen says the best time to think about preventing fires is when they’re still months away.
Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED
The Merced County town of Planada remains evacuated this mor…
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Jan 11, 2023
Newsom Surveys Flood Damage In Santa Cruz County
Governor Gavin Newsom toured Capitola Village near Santa Cruz Tuesday, surveying the flood damage to small businesses there hit hard by storm surges.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED
In Santa Barbara County, cleanup is underway now that evacuation orders have been lifted. Local leaders consider the evacuations a success. There are no reports of major injuries or deaths.
Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX
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Jan 10, 2023
Storm Forces Montecito Residents To Evacuate Five Years After Deadly Mudslides
The entire town of Montecito has been evacuated. The order comes exactly five years to the day after a deadly mudslide destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes there after rain washed out a wildfire burn scar. Part of Santa Barbara and the nearby communities of Carpenteria and Summerland were also ordered to evacuate yesterday.
Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED
Governor Gavin Newsom is set to outline his spending priorities for the 2023-24 fiscal year. The new budget proposal comes at a time when the state is facing a projected $24 billion dollar deficit — a sharp contrast to last year when California had a record surplus.
Reporter: Alexei Koseff, CalMatters
Bakersfield native Kevin McCarthy claimed the Speaker’s Gavel in the House of Representatives early Saturday after a historic 15 rounds of voting. To get there, the San Joaquin Valley Republican made many concessions to party hard-liners. But he didn’t miss a beat during his acceptance speech that made frequent references to his Cen…
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Jan 9, 2023
California Faces 'A Relentless Parade of Atmospheric Rivers'
Gov. Newsom Says 12 Californians Died in Extreme Weather
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for a large swath of Northern and Central California with 6 to 12 inches of rain expected through Wednesday in the already saturated Sacramento-area foothills.
CalMatters Investigates $35 million in Leftover Campaign Cash
A new investigation from CalMatters found there are nearly 100 politicians across California sitting on 35 million dollars in leftover campaign funds. CalMatters’ Ben Christopher explains why, and what’s happening to all this money.
Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters
What Happens After Native American Tribes Get Their Land Back?
Governor Gavin Newsom is setting aside $100 million dollars to support Native American tribes in buying back their ancestral lands. It’s part of his “30 by 30” pledge… to preserve one third of state lands and coastal waters by the year 2030. But once a tribe gets their land back… how do they restore and preserve it?…
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Jan 6, 2023
Historic Rainfall Is Especially Tough On The Unhoused
Historic Rainfall Is Especially Tough On The Unhoused
California is assessing damage and cleaning up after a week of historic rains. The National Weather Service says San Francisco experienced its wettest ten day period in 150 years. All that rainfall has been especially tough on the unhoused population.
California Still In A Drought Despite Torrential Rains
The past few big storms have eased drought conditions across the state, but not as much as you might think given the deluge. 98% of California is still in some state of drought. KQED climate reporter Ezra David Romero has the story.
CA Governor Gets Sworn In Today
Governor Gavin Newsom holds his inaugural celebration in Sacramento later this morning. As KQED Politics Editor Scott Shafer reports, it’s no accident that Newsom chose January 6th to do it.
McCarthy Still Unable To Secure Speaker Vote
Central Valley congressman Kevin McCarthy failed to secure the speaker’s gavel for a third day as the House of Representative…
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Jan 5, 2023
CA Storm Packs A Punch With Heavy Rains and 70-80 mph Winds
California Storm Packs A Punch Overnight
California continues to be lashed by what’s called a “bomb cyclone” storm this morning, with forecasters warning about rain rates of up to one inch…per hour…in some places and winds of 70 and 80 miles per hour.
Infant Killed In Storm When Tree Falls On House In Occidental
One of two deaths reported in Wednesdays historic storm includes an infant from Sonoma County. Fire officials say the child died when a large tree fell on his family's home in Occidental. Police in Fairfield say a second death involved a woman who's car careened out of control and struck a light post.
San Francisco Mayor Pleads With Residents To Dial 3-1-1 Instead Of 9-1-1 For Storm Related "Non-Life Threatening" Incidents
At a press conference on Wednesday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed warned her city’s residents about the dangerous conditions and she’s asking people to avoid tying up emergency lines with non-emergency calls.
Heavy Rains Disturb Ancie…
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Jan 4, 2023
Another Storm To Drench California On Wednesday
Get ready. Another powerful rain and wind storm is set to pummel parts of California on Wednesday and Thursday. The National Weather Service said parts of Northern California and the Bay Area should expect widespread flooding.
Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED
In San Francisco, small business owners are still dealing with damages from the last big storm. Now, they have to prepare for more rain and wind.
Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report
A state report out Tuesday reveals major racial disparities in policing in California in 2021. According to the data, black drivers and pedestrians were searched and subjected to use of force at more than twice the rate of white drivers and pedestrians, despite police stopping more white individuals.
Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED
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Jan 3, 2023
Storm Leaves California Drenched, With Another On The Way
Much of California is still trying to clean up from stormy weather that has hit much of the state over the past week. But forecasters said the worst could be on the way, as an atmospheric river forms off the coast.
A new year is bringing a bumper crop of new state laws, which are now officially on the books. They cover everything from abortion to housing and gun rights.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
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Jan 2, 2023
New Moms Face "Snapback" Pressure After Childbirth
After having a baby, mothers are often barraged with pressure to return to their pre-pregnancy lives and bodies. And that can take a toll on both mental and physical health during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
For many people, the New Year means setting resolutions and goals for 2023. But for one immigrant, who’s now living in the Bay Area, it means rehabbing his life, following a long stint in prison.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
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Dec 30, 2022
The Science Behind Hangovers
With New Year's Eve around the corner, that means millions of Californians will be out celebrating the end of 2022 and start of a new year. And that could entail a night of drinking. But is there a way to stop from having a nasty hangover the next day?
Guest: Danielle Venton, KQED
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Dec 29, 2022
Million Year Old Ecosystem Dying Off In San Bernardino Mountains
On the tops of the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California lies plants that exist nowhere else in the world. The Pebble Plains ecosystem is more than a million years old. It’s an old expert at adapting to a changing climate, and yet, it’s dying out faster than ever before.
Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW
During the holidays, many people spend time with their loved one, but also enjoy food that is celebrated in their cultures. Think tamales for Latin American families, or the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Japanese American families often celebrate the New Year in their own way – with mochi.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
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Dec 28, 2022
As Drought Continues, Many In Central Valley Drill Deeper For Water
Most Californians are feeling the effects of the drought. But in big areas of the state, where people rely on groundwater, the pain of this drought is especially severe. Wells are going dry and there’s intense competition to find more water that’s underground.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
California’s bighorn sheep population will soon be getting some help in dealing with the state’s drought. A project is underway to build nearly a hundred artificial watering holes for bighorn sheep in San Bernardino, Riverside and Inyo counties.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
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Dec 27, 2022
Looking Back At The Year In Space
This has been a big year for space exploration. There was the deployment of a powerful new space space telescope. It's peering billions of years back through time and bringing us stunning images of our universe when it was in its infancy. And a rocket was launched to the moon in preparation for humankind's return to the lunar surface.
Guests: Danielle Venton, KQED and Benjamin Burress, Astronomer at the Chabot Space and Science Center
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Dec 26, 2022
Checking In On High Speed Rail In Central Valley
After years of construction delays, and tens of billions of dollars in cost overruns, California’s high-speed rail project has become one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in the country. We go to the Central Valley, to check in on the first phase of high speed rail’s construction and get local reactions to the project’s problems.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
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Dec 23, 2022
The Tradition Of Tamales During Christmas Holiday
The cold weather has hit California and for many Californians, that means the smell of warm tamales wafting through the house. We wanted to learn more about this iconic dish, and it's evolution in California, and why it's so popular during the Christmas holiday.
Guest: Bill Esparza, Author of the book L.A. Mexicano
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Dec 22, 2022
Recovery Efforts Underway In Humboldt County Following Tuesday's Earthquake
Residents are assessing the damage after Tuesday's 6.4 magnitude earthquake on California's North Coast. Fire departments in Humboldt County have already been out surveying homes and businesses to find out the extent of the damage.
Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio
Thursday is the fifth night of Hanukkah. All over the world, for many centuries, Jewish people have marked the holiday by eating foods fried in oil. In a city as diverse as Los Angeles, Hanukkah is celebrated with fried foods from Europe, Asia and Africa.
Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW
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Dec 21, 2022
Two Dead, Thousands Still Without Power Following Tuesday's Earthquake In Humboldt County
Two people are dead as a result of Tuesday's 6.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Humboldt County. At least a dozen were injured.
Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio
Most of the damage from Tuesday’s quake happened in the small Humboldt County town of Rio Dell. Much of the town is still without power or water.
Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQED
This month's first-of-its-kind offshore wind lease auction along California’s coast generated a healthy $750 million in combined sales. The state is charging ahead with plans for floating wind turbines miles off its coastline, preparing for a novel source of clean energy, enough power for 1.5 million homes.
Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED
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Dec 20, 2022
Sacramento Takes A New Approach To Helping The City's Unhoused Community
Across California and the nation, governments are looking at new ways to address the crisis of growing unhoused communities. In Sacramento, the city and county have agreed to take a new approach -- bringing shelter and health care services directly to homeless encampments.
Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio
The Biden Administration has announced a big goal of reducing homelessness 25% nationwide by 2025. Housing advocates in California are lauding the plan, but they’re wondering who’s going to pay for it.
Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED
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Dec 19, 2022
Historically Black Neighborhood Devastated In Mill Fire Struggles To Rebuild
Survivors of September's Mill Fire, which devastated parts of Siskiyou County, are continuing to put the pieces of their lives back together. Now, residents’ access to state and federal assistance will determine whether the historically Black neighborhood of Lincoln Heights in Weed will be able to stay together.
Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio
The Trump-era immigration policy known as Title 42 is scheduled to end this week. Title 42 allowed border patrol agents to turn away migrants at the border. And they don't get a chance to pursue an asylum case in immigration court.
Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS
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Dec 16, 2022
California Cuts Subsidies For Rooftop Solar
State utility regulators have approved a controversial proposal that will change how future owners of rooftop solar systems will be compensated for the excess power they produce that’s fed into the grid.
Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED
After years of promising to do so, CalFire has released new, updated hazard maps to help Californians determine if they live in places that face increased wildfire risk. The interactive map was more than a decade in the making and comes after groups voiced criticism of CalFire, calling the department’s maps antiquated and “inexcusable.”
Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio
Sea level rise poses a threat to California’s coastline. But we don’t often think about how rising water could push contaminants into neighborhoods, especially places near former military or industrial sites. Around half of those sites in California are located in the Bay Area.
Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED
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Dec 15, 2022
Central California Now Has Its First Holocaust Memorial
Bakersfield is now home to the Central Valley’s first Holocaust Memorial. The tranquil garden is a monument against hate and rising anti-Semitism.
Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
Study after study shows an alarming increase in hate crimes and racist incidents in California targeting a variety of groups, including Jews. Worries about rising anti-Semitism have gotten more attention recently after the bigoted comments of artist Kanye West who now goes by the name Ye. How is California's Jewish community reacting?
Guest: Heidi Gantwork, President and CEO of the Jewish Foundation of San Diego
The State Task Force studying reparations for Black residents with enslaved ancestors is meeting this week in Oakland. One item on the agenda? Discussing how reparations might help overcome negative stereotypes about Black families.
Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED
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Dec 14, 2022
Solar Projects In California's Deserts Draw Concerns From Environmentalists
California’s desert lands have long been used for everything from mining to military training to rest and relaxation. Think Palm Springs. Now, the state’s deserts have a growing role in helping to create a green energy revolution. And that's sparked a backlash among some who argue that desert wilderness is being sacrificed for renewable power goals.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
The oil industry says it has enough signatures to get a measure on the state ballot to overturn California's recently enacted buffer zone law. It restricts new oil wells, keeping them away from homes and schools.
Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED
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Dec 13, 2022
Offshore Wind Projects Could Impact Whales That Migrate Off California's Coast
The recent sale of five leases off the coast of California for offshore wind turbine projects is seen as a victory for renewable energy advocates. But it’s also raising safety concerns about one of California’s treasures -- the whales that migrate off the coast every year.
Reporter: Amanda Wernik, KCBX
Most of the estimated 270, 000 janitors in California work in the private sector. A new study finds their median wages are well below what state law requires.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
With COVID-19 rates rising, California’s Director of Public Health is urging anyone over 50 years old to have a treatment plan in place in case they get infected.
Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio
California’s COVID sick pay law offers up to 2 weeks of paid leave for reasons related to COVID – but it’s expiring at the end of this month.
Reporter: Carly Severn, KQED
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Dec 12, 2022
Indigenous Tribes Want Their Voices Heard As Offshore Wind Projects Advance Off The Central Coast
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management just sold five leases for wind turbine projects off the coast of California. Three are located in Morro Bay off the Central Coast. Now, local indigenous tribes are speaking up about the projects.
Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX
Every year in the three weeks around Thanksgiving, the official count of monarch butterflies takes place. Over the last few decades, the monarch butterfly population has been in decline. But this year, volunteers counted 129,000 butterflies in San Luis Obispo County alone.
Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report
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Dec 9, 2022
ICE Plans To Stop Detaining Immigrants At Yuba County Jail
A Bay Area member of Congress says federal immigration authorities plan to end their contract with a Northern California county jail, the last public facility in the state to hold immigrants fighting deportation. It comes after years of outcry over substandard conditions.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
A tiny local election in the Central Valley could have big ripple effects for farming, and water. The Westlands Water District produces crops like tomatoes, garlic, and almonds – and it’s historically fought with environmentalists, who accuse the wealthy farmers there of hogging water. Westlands has just elected a slate of board members promising a new strategy - a recognition that large-scale farming will have to shrink.
Reporter: Dan Charles in collaboration with the Food and Environment Reporting Network
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Dec 8, 2022
Bill Would Ban Homeless Encampments Near Parks, Schools
A new bill introduced this week would make it illegal for unhoused residents in California to sit or sleep in certain public spaces. The proposal is already drawing ire from advocates, who say it does little to solve homelessness.
Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED
California is home to the largest population of Cambodians in the U.S.. Most Cambodians who first arrived in the country came as refugees in the 1980s. They were fleeing the communist Khmer Rouge regime where an estimated two million Cambodians were killed through starvation, torture, executions and much more. 40 years later, Cambodians in California are still grappling with mental health issues caused by this genocide.
Guest: Soreath Hok, Reporter, KVPR
The Interior Department finalized the sale of offshore wind leases along California’s coast on Wednesday. Combined bids totaled more than $750 million.
Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED
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Dec 7, 2022
New Law Ends Jaywalking Tickets When Streets Are Safe To Cross
If you've ever thought twice about jaywalking because of fear getting a ticket that will soon change. Starting on January 1, California's "Freedom to Walk Act" becomes law. It will prohibit police from writing jaywalking tickets, unless people are caught trying to cross the street in clearly dangerous traffic conditions.
Guest: John Yi, Executive Director of Los Angeles Walks
State Senator Scott Wiener is yet again introducing a bill to make it easier to build affordable housing on land owned by religious groups and nonprofit colleges. This is his third attempt in getting similar legislation passed.
Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED
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Dec 6, 2022
Governor Newsom Unveils Plan He Hopes Will Bring Lower Gas Prices
Sky-high gas prices this year prompted Governor Gavin Newsom to propose a new law limiting how much oil companies can charge at the pump. Newsom’s proposal would put a cap on how much companies can charge for a gallon of gas and penalize those that charge more. But it doesn’t include specific profit ceilings yet.
Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio
Popular countertops made from synthetic stone are making the people who cut and process them sick. Some of these workers – most of whom are immigrants – are dying. The problem is particularly bad in Los Angeles.
Reporter: Leslie Berestein Rojas, KPCC in collaboration with Public Health Watch
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Dec 5, 2022
Special Session To Tackle Possible Penalties For Oil Companies In Effort To Lower Gas Prices
Oil companies spent big in California’s election this year and for good reason: Governor Gavin Newsom is calling on lawmakers to take action to drive down gas prices in a state where drivers pay far more than anywhere else.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
California is seeing a surge in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. But there is some good news. California’s top health official says more people are picking up the pace when it comes to getting the updated COVID booster.
Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio
Moderate weather and well-timed rainstorms helped ensure a mild 2022 fire season in California. But officials remain cautious, even into December.
Reporter: Julie Cart, CalMatters
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Dec 2, 2022
Data Breach Reveals Gun Owners' Personal Information
A new report out this week says a data breach at the California Department of Justice last summer was the result of poor training and a lack of professional rigor at the agency. The leak included the personal information of hundreds of thousands of concealed carry firearm license applicants. Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters
Award-winning poet Deborah Miranda, an enrolled member of the Ohlone-Costanoan Esselen Nation, is the author of "Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir." The book explores the history of Central Coast tribes through the records of her ancestors, including wax-cylinder recordings dating back more than a century. Reporter: Sasha Khokha, KQED
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Dec 1, 2022
UC Strike Continues Despite Tentative Deal
The University of California has reached a tentative agreement with postdoctoral scholars and academic researchers to increase their pay and other benefits. Those UC workers are staying on the picket lines in solidarity with their United Auto Worker union members who still have not reached a deal. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, KQED
Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the chief justice of the California Supreme Court, held her annual year-end media briefing yesterday. Cantil-Sakauye used her final media conversation before she leaves the court at the end of December to urge California to address the so-called “justice gap,” the lack of financial resources to help lower-income people address their legal needs. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
Nearly two-thirds of California voters upheld a ban on flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, in November. Tobacco companies are now asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stop California from enforcing the ban. Reporter: Tara Siler, KQED
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Nov 30, 2022
Cal Poly SLO Struggles To Attract And Retain Black Students
Postdoctoral scholars and academic researchers in the University of California system have reached a tentative five-year deal. But the strike continues, as two groups — graduate student researchers and academic student employees — still have not come to an agreement.
New reporting from CalMatters finds that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo enrolls the smallest percentage of Black undergraduates at any CSU or UC school. Just 146 Black students enrolled this fall out of 21,000 undergraduates. Students describe experiencing overt racism. Reporter: Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters
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Nov 29, 2022
Team Of Trained Dogs and Archeologists Recover Cremated Remains Lost In Wildfire
In late September, passenger rail service from San Diego to places north of San Clemente halted. An unstable slope above the track in San Clemente posed the threat of a landslide. Bluff stabilization is ongoing, but rail service is expected to resume next month. Reporter: Thomas Fudge, KPBS
After wildfire season ends in the Western U.S., those who lost their homes begin sifting through what’s left to recover as much as they can. After the McKinney Fire this past summer, a team of trained dogs and archeologists helped recover cremated remains left in urns that were lost in the fire. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio
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Nov 28, 2022
Should California Officials Recognize The Joshua Tree As An Endangered Species?
During labor disputes, employers sometimes freeze health insurance benefits for workers. But a law to take effect next summer will provide striking private-sector workers with fully subsidized coverage. Reporter: Stephanie O’Neill, Kaiser Health News
New reporting shows that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation moves prisoners with serious mental illnesses three times more often than other prisoners. Reporter: Byrhonda Lyons, CalMatters
The California Fish and Game Commission has struggled to decide whether to list the western Joshua tree as an endangered species. If it is listed, it would be the first species to earn protection in the state because of climate change. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW
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Nov 25, 2022
California Seed Bank Insures Against Possible Future Plant Apocalypse
Just like animals, the world’s trees, flowers, grasses and succulents are under threat, especially as our world heats up because of climate change. About a third of California’s native plant species and populations are now endangered or threatened by development, drought, competition from invasive species and of course wildfires. In California, botanists are trying to protect the state’s native flora for future generations. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED
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Nov 24, 2022
Performing Arts Troupe Creates Community For Students Of Color
For more than 20 years, the African American Theater Arts Troupe at UC Santa Cruz has provides a sense of community for Black students on campus while also celebrating Black playwrights. Often, it’s the first time Black students see plays that explore life experiences they can relate to. Reporter: Doug McKnight, KAZU
If you look out west from San Francisco, when the fog clears and the light is just right, you might be able to see a cluster of islands jutting out of the ocean, like sharp, misshapen teeth. The Farallon Islands, 27 miles west of San Francisco, are a national wildlife refuge, and home to the largest seabird breeding colony in the contiguous United States. The islands — and the waters around them — are also brimming with a variety of wildlife, including thousands of seals and sea lions, gray and humpback whales, sharks and even orcas. Reporter: Izzy Bloom, KQED
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Nov 23, 2022
College Food Pantries Try To Meet Increased Need
As Thanksgiving approaches, food pantries across the state are seeing an increase in need. Some students face a difficult choice: eating or education. A recent state law requires college campuses to direct students to CalFresh and other benefits. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
For the second time this year, state officials are delaying the start of commercial Dungeness crab fishing, after several humpback whales were spotted off California's coast. The delay will allow time for the whales to migrate south. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED
Millions of Californians will sit down to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. And all of that food preparation will create a lot of potential food waste, from turkey bones to vegetable peelings. But the gases that are released from food waste that's trucked to landfills are a big contributor to climate change. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED
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Nov 22, 2022
California's Last Nuclear Plant Gets $1 Billion To Stay Open
Scientists at Stanford are starting a new medical trial to test if the drug Paxlovid can ease the symptoms of long COVID, like brain fog, shortness of breath and body aches. It's the first medical trial in the U.S. involving an antiviral to treat long COVID. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, KQED
Governor Gavin Newsom is releasing a billion dollars in funding to fight homelessness. That comes just two weeks after he put a halt on the funds and scolded cities and counties for not having ambitious plans to solve homelessness. Cities must submit their next proposal to the state by next Tuesday to access more funding. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED
California's last remaining nuclear power plant just received more than a billion dollars in conditional funding to keep it up and running for five extra years. Local supporters of the plant’s continued operation celebrated the news for helping keep the plant’s carbon-free energy on the grid, as the state faces an ongoing energy crisis. Reporter…
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Nov 21, 2022
San Francisco's LGBTQ Community Holds Vigil For Victims of Colorado Nightclub Shooting
Last night, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club hosted a vigil to honor the victims of the shooting in a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs. The vigil took place at Harvey Milk Plaza, one week before the 44th anniversary of the assassination of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone.
A recent investigation from CapRadio and the California Newsroom revealed the U.S. Forest Service predicted that a wildfire could wipe out the town of Grizzly Flats. But the agency failed to deliver on plans to protect the rural Northern California town.
Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio
California is one of the nation’s most linguistically diverse states. An estimated 3.4 million workers don’t speak English well, or at all. Many of them work low-wage, high-risk jobs. But the state agency tasked with protecting workers’ health and safety, is woefully understaffed in terms of bilingual inspectors.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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Nov 18, 2022
Farmworkers Rally In Washington D.C. Calling for Path to Citizenship
Hundreds of California farmworkers and growers are rallying in Washington this week. They're supporting a bipartisan bill that would create a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s undocumented farmworkers.
Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
The University of California academic workers' strike continues today and could stretch into the Thanksgiving holiday and beyond. Hear from one striking researcher who's been on the picket line all week.
Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald
In a preview of our sister show, The California Report Magazine this week checks in on immigrant detainees who say they were retaliated against for waging a labor strike at the two facilities where they’re held. One man says he faced 40 days in solitary confinement for supporting the strike.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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Nov 17, 2022
Karen Bass Wins LA Mayoral Race
Bass, a community activist turned Congress member, defeated developer Rick Caruso in a race marked by his record spending. In a statement on her win, she pledged to solve homelessness and respond urgently to crime.
California’s nonpartisan budget analyst is warning of rocky financial times ahead. California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office is projecting a $25 billion budget deficit for the next fiscal year.
California released its latest ambitious climate change plan yesterday that would reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuels. The plan calls for slashing emissions by 48% by 2030, based on 1990 levels
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Nov 16, 2022
LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva Concedes Election
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has lost his reelection bid to his opponent, Robert Luna, who continued to hold a commanding lead as the vote count continued.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED
As votes continue to be tallied, it’s looking like Californians are on track to elect the most diverse legislature in state history. As many as 52 female candidates could take office once all the votes are counted. Eight LGBTQ candidates are also on track for election.
Reporter: Ariel Gans, CalMatters
Activists in Los Angeles say they’ve noticed a pattern. When a restaurant offering, say, $30 entrees, opens in a working class neighborhood, rents start to rise faster, there are more evictions, and long-time locals are forced to leave. Some restaurants are now trying hard to limit their impact on gentrification. But is it enough? Or will their presence always be problematic?
Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW
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Nov 15, 2022
Inside One of the Biggest Strikes in History of U.S Higher Education
Thousands of Employees of the University of California Remain on Strike
At U.C. Merced, the system’s newest campus, employees are calling on the UC Regents to raise wages so they can afford housing.
Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR
A U.C. Berkeley Ph.D Candidate Studying Reptiles Decides to Strike
Strikers, represented by the United Auto Workers are disrupting business on UC campuses at a pivotal time in the semester. Isaac Krone is a PHD candidate who studies reptiles, but he says he hasn't been able to focus on his research because he must teach every semester.
Reporter: Jean Zamora, The California Report
Border Rule Changes Could Speed Up Crossings, Impact Aslyum Seekers
Change is coming to the U.S-Mexico border in our region. Mexican immigration officers on that side of the border at San Ysidro will check US-bound travelers’ documents.
Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW
A Week Since Election Day, Multiple Statewide and Municipal Races Still in Limbo
California, like a handful…
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Nov 14, 2022
Californians Elect Latino Candidates To Key Offices
Nearly a week after the final day of voting, several key races in California could help determine which party will control the House of Representatives. Of the remaining House contests too close to call, more than half are in California.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
After several days of narrowly trailing in the mayoral vote count, Congressmember Karen Bass opened up a narrow lead against her opponent, shopping mall mogul, Rick Caruso, as ballots continued to be counted over the weekend. As of the most recently announced totals, Bass is nearly 9,500 votes ahead.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED
Last week Alex Padilla became the first Latino elected to the U.S. Senate from California. Patricia Guerrero is poised to become the first Latina California Supreme Court Justice. The outcome of these 2022 midterm elections is a product of "immense anger" that started in 1994 with the Anti-Immigration Proposition 187, according to an expert.
Reporter: Madi Bolaños, KQED
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Nov 11, 2022
California Proposes Cutting Compensation For Solar Power Owners
The California Public Utilities Commission has released a proposal that would gradually reduce the price utilities pay for power from rooftop solar systems. The proposal has been met with widespread criticism.
Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED
This week, an episode from the new season of "Uncuffed," a podcast from KALW focused on intimate stories made by people incarcerated in California prisons. Edmond Richardson talks about marriage on the day before his wedding day inside San Quentin State prison.
Reporter: Edmond Richardson, KALW
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Nov 10, 2022
After Red Wave Fails To Materialize, McCarthy's Future Is Uncertain
Republicans will likely be in the majority in the House of Representatives come January. Bakersfield Republican Kevin McCarthy is expected to become Speaker, but his path forward is far from clear. One expert says the challenge for McCarthy, especially with a small majority, is that he lacks trust from the far right wing of his caucus.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
The largely Republican Shasta County in northern California has been the subject of national attention since the takeover of the county board of supervisors by a far-right majority earlier this year. But on election night, heightened security measures and support for poll workers seem to have contributed to a more relaxed atmosphere.
Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio
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Nov 9, 2022
McCarthy Promises Republican Majority, But Many California Races Are Still Too Close To Call
There was a sweep by Democrats in statewide races for Governor, U.S. Senate, Secretary of State, Lieutenant Governor and State Treasurer.
The high-profile Los Angeles mayoral race is looking tight, with Rick Caruso at a slight lead over Karen Bass as of this morning. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is losing in his bid to stay in office against his rival, former Long Beach police chief Robert Luna.
Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivered a short speech at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, promising that by the time people wake up, Republicans would be in the majority. But as of right now, Republicans haven’t taken control of the House and the Red Wave hasn’t materialized.
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Nov 8, 2022
Newsom Signs Controversial Bill That Will Change California's Approach To Mental Health Care
CARE Courts, a county-based initiative, will combine teams of outreach workers and therapists with civil courts. Seven California counties have already volunteered to implement the CARE Court system first.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED
Thousands of low-income families could miss out on a child tax credit that became available during the pandemic. Californians have until November 17th to file for these tax credits.
Reporter: Wendy Fry, CalMatters
In August, dancers at a strip club in Los Angeles filed a petition to unionize, vying to become the only unionized strip club in the country. On Monday afternoon, the dancers had their union election.
Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW
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Nov 7, 2022
Tug-Of-War Over Values In Some School Board Elections
Last year, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified’s two most conservative board members eventually supported adopting an ethnic studies class. But around the same time, the school board banned the teaching of critical race theory. This tug-of-war over values is coming to a head this election, as the long-time incumbents face political newbies who are promising to keep race and gender identity issues out of schools.
Reporter: Jill Replogle, KPCC
A new poll from UC Berkeley finds that Californians of all political stripes are worried that American democracy is in crisis and is at risk of failing. And they're overwhelmingly pessimistic about the chances that people with different political views can work out their differences together.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
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Nov 4, 2022
UC Student Worker Strike Looms Ahead of Final Exams
Less than a month before finals are meant to start, University of California student workers have voted to authorize a strike. The strike could arrive as early as November 14.
Reporter: E. Okobi, KQED
According to new numbers from the election tracking site Ballotpedia, nationally a little more than a billion dollars have been spent on state ballot measures this election cycle. And California accounts for about 70% of the cumulative spending. Most of that has been spent fighting over Propositions 26 and 27.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED
Many potential young voters that college student Kennedy McIntyre talks to are concerned about a host of issues: affordable housing, gun control, abortion rights. But they aren't convinced that voting will make much of a difference.
Reporter: Jessica Kariisa, The California Report Magazine
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Nov 3, 2022
Candidates In Fiercely Contested District Reflect Region's Changing Demographics
In several of California's most competitive races, Latino voters could be decisive, which isn’t so surprising. But more than half of Latino voters who were recently polled say no campaign has asked for their vote.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
The Central Valley has been synonymous with conservative, small-government politics for a long time. But there’s a new state Assembly district in the Central Valley and the two candidates vying for the seat are both women, Democrats and people of color.
Reporter: Ariel Gans, CalMatters
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Nov 2, 2022
"Voter Integrity" Groups Question Residents At Home In Possible Voter Intimidation
Prosecutors say David DePape, the man who allegedly attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, claimed he was on a suicide mission, with plans to kidnap Speaker Pelosi. DePape entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday and is due back in court on Friday.
"Voter integrity" groups claim they're looking to root out fraud. But the targeted door-knocking in Shasta County amounts to voter intimidation and could be illegal under California election laws, according to election officials. It's also part of a broader national trend motivated by election conspiracy theorists. Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio
William Curry, who reportedly graduated from high school in Alabama last year, was finally escorted off campus last week. Despite multiple removals from campus since December 2021, Curry continued to return. Campus officials caught Curry on Thursday morning after he allegedly stole a TV from a dorm basement.
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Nov 1, 2022
Man Accused of Attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Will Be Arraigned in San Francisco Superior Court Today
Man Accused of Attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Will Be Arraigned in San Francisco Superior Court Today
42-year-old David De Pape is making his first appearance in court since his arrest on Friday at Pelosi’s house. DePape faces both local and federal charges after the attack, which left Paul Pelosi with a fractured skull.
Bay Area Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier Warns Her Colleagues In Congress That There Needs To Be A Change In The Radicalized American Political Culture
Representative Speier knows about violence wielded by extremists. In 1978 on a trip to the South American country of Guyana to investigate Jim Jones and his People’s Temple cult, the then 28-year-old was shot five times in an ambush by followers of Jones. At the time, Speier worked for congressman Leo Ryan. Ryan and four other people were killed in the attack.
This Election Season Voters In San Bernardino Will Vote To Consider Breaking Away From California
San Bernardino County is just…
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Oct 31, 2022
Pelosi Attacker Faces Attempted Murder Charges
Prosecutors are expected to announce charges against the man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi. The suspect, 42-year-old David DePape, is facing attempted murder charges as well as assault with a deadly weapon and residential burglary.
Just like in the 2020 election, there are claims of fraud this election cycle, particularly in northern California's Shasta County. While some call for a full independent review of the ballots to eliminate cheating, others worry these fraud worries are making it hard to build trust in the election system, no matter how safe it actually is.
Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio
Nearly a third of Black Californians questioned in a statewide survey say they feel they have been treated unfairly while trying to get health care because of their race. Most respondents change how they act at doctor's offices to minimize negative experiences.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
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Oct 28, 2022
Intruder Breaks Into Nancy Pelosi's Home, Attacks Speaker's Husband
Paul Pelosi Assaulted
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office says someone broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco this morning and violently assaulted the speaker's husband. The Congresswoman's spokesman says the person who assaulted Paul Pelosi is in custody. Paul Pelosi was taken to a hospital and is recovering.
Oil Companies Just Sold Thousands of Old Wells, Concerning Environmentalists
Shell and ExxonMobile recently sold thousands of aging oil wells in California to smaller players in the industry. This has environmentalists worried that those smaller firms won't be able to pay what it will cost to close them down when the time comes, and that taxpayers will be left to foot the bill.
Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW
The Man of Science and The Ouija Board
This week, as part of a collaboration with the podcast ‘Bay Curious,’ a ghost story for Halloween. It comes from reporter and former KQED science editor Jon Brooks, who usually lives in the world of evidence, facts and data…
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Oct 27, 2022
Residents Push Back On New Affordable Housing Rules
In response to a massive housing shortage, new rules require California cities to locate affordable housing in single-family neighborhoods as a way to combat decades of racial segregation. Residents in some California cities are pushing back and hope to rely on a time-tested tradition: using the local ballot box to restrict growth.
Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED
Settlement talks have broken down in a case from San Francisco seeking to preserve federal humanitarian protections. More than 260,000 immigrants nationwide face a risk of deportation.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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Oct 26, 2022
Longtime Republican In Key Congressional Battle In Southern California
One of the most competitive House races in California pits a Republican incumbent who opposed certifying the presidential election against a Democratic challenger who helped prosecute January 6th rioters.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
State utility regulators have recommended fining PG&E more than $150 million for alleged safety infractions they connected to a deadly fire two years ago in Shasta County. The Zogg Fire started in September 2020 after a pine tree fell on a PG&E line near the town of Redding. Four people were killed in the fire.
Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED
California voters will weigh in on high profile political offices, like Governor and Congress this fall. But they’ll also be voting on four California Supreme Court justices.
Reporter: Byrhonda Lyons, CalMatters
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Oct 25, 2022
Prop 27 Creates Record Spending War Between Gambling Companies and Tribal Governments
Most of the California tribes who have weighed in on Proposition 27 are against it. They’re worried about language tucked away in the measure that could potentially undermine tribal sovereignty. But at least one tribal chair says it's a way to support financially disadvantaged tribes that don't own big casinos.
Reporters: Guy Marzorati, KQED and Nicole Nixon, CapRadio
California K-12 students’ academic progress has plunged during the pandemic. Math is the worst decline, with the percentage of students who are proficient or better dropping seven percentage points statewide.
Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED
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Oct 24, 2022
Gubernatorial Candidates Square Off In Debate
Governor Gavin Newsom and State Senator Brian Dahle sparred over the economy, climate and more in a debate at KQED on Sunday. It was the first and only debate the two have had.
Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED
Voters will be deciding on Proposition 30 in November. It's the plan to tax the wealthy to pay for electric vehicle incentives, and the measure has split Governor Gavin Newsom from his fellow Democrats.
Reporter; Kevin Stark, KQED
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Oct 21, 2022
Study Finds Dangerous Chemicals Leaking From Gas Stoves In California
New research is showing the potential dangers from indoor gas appliances in California homes. The study from PSE Healthy Energy, a nonprofit research institute, found that leaking gas stoves are emitting benzene, and other dangerous pollutants.
Reporter Jessica Kariisa has spent years writing about and dancing to African music in cities up and down the East Coast. When she moved to the Bay Area, she wasn’t sure what she’d find by way of African music, but she soon discovered a club scene that’s thriving and rich with history.
Reporter: Jessica Kariisa, The California Report Magazine
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Oct 20, 2022
Embattled LA City Councilman Kevin de Leon Says He Won't Resign
In his first sit down interviews since a racist audio recording was released of Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon, and two other councilmembers , speaking with a local labor leader, de Leon was apologetic, but said he does not plan on resigning.
For the midterm election, California voters will once again be asked to decide on a ballot measure dealing with dialysis clinics. Similar measures have failed to pass in 2018 and 2020.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
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Oct 19, 2022
Tentative Deal Reached Between Mental Health Workers And Kaiser Permanente
Striking mental health care workers are voting on a new contract, after reaching a tentative deal with Kaiser Permanente on Tuesday. Over 2,000 therapists, psychologists, social workers and counselors took to the picket lines at Northern California Kaiser facilities in mid-August to demand increased staffing and more support for workers.
Reporter: Nimah Gobir, KQED
Following a tumultuous last few week, the L.A. City Council has a new president. During a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Councilmember Paul Krekorian was unanimously selected to lead the council. He'll replace Nury Martinez, who resigned last week after she was caught on an audio recording making racist comments and discussing how to manipulate the redistricting process in the city.
Latino voters could make the difference this midterm, between Democrats maintaining control of Congress or Republicans seizing the gavel. While the GOP has made inroads with some Latino voters, especially in states like Texas, California Latin…
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Oct 18, 2022
Card Rooms May Face Uncertain Future If Gambling Proposition Passes
This year California voters will take up two propositions that would legalize sports betting. One of them would expand gambling in tribal casinos. But opponents say if it passes, it could also put card rooms out of business, and hit cities that rely on them for their bottom line.
Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW
Governor Gavin Newsom has announced the COVID-19 State of Emergency will end this coming February, nearly three years after the order first went into effect. The state has logged more than 10 million COVID cases since the start of the pandemic.
Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED
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Oct 17, 2022
Proposition 28 Would Increase Funding For Arts And Music Education
Next month, voters will decide whether or not to increase arts funding to public schools across the state. We look at what it could mean for one school in the Bay Area.
Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED
The racist conversation between three members of the Los Angeles City Council and a labor executive have struck a familiar chord with Black and Afro Latinos struggling to gain political representation.
Reporter: Emily Elena Dugdale, KPCC
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Oct 14, 2022
Los Angeles Councilmembers Resist Calls for Resignation
Today's regularly scheduled Los Angeles city council meeting has been canceled because two council members who are at the center of a scandal over a leaked racist conversation have not yet resigned. Both Gil Cedillo and Kevin De León have issued apologies, but nothing more. They haven’t been seen in the City Council chambers since Monday, when they were shouted at by an outraged crowd who demanded their resignations.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier
Every day, children across the country – some as young as two and three years old – are forced out of their preschools and daycares. And more often than not, it’s children of color who are expelled. A law signed late last month by Governor Gavin Newsom aims to reduce the number of expulsions in state-funded preschool settings.
Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED
In a preview of The California Report Magazine, we hear from the first episode of “Imperfect Paradise: The Sheriff,” a new podcast from LAIST studios. In it, KPCC’s Frank Stol…
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Oct 13, 2022
LA City Councilmember Nury Martinez Resigns
The former president of the Los Angeles City Council, Nury Martinez, has resigned. This comes days after a recording surfaced of her making racist remarks in a closed-door meeting. State Attorney General Rob Bonta is now investigating the redistricting process in LA, following the release of the conversation.
One of the most competitive House races in California is taking place in the northern part of Los Angeles County, where Republican Congressman Mike Garcia is facing off for the third time against Democrat Christy Smith. The issues of abortion and Latino identity have been central to the campaign.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
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Oct 12, 2022
L.A. Residents Call For Councilmembers To Resign Following Use Of Racist Language
During a contentious city council meeting, LA residents voiced their displeasure with three councilmembers, who were caught on a recording using racist language. The calls continue to grow for Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon to resign, although none have done so.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
Dozens of workers at Amazon’s largest air hub on the West Coast announced they’ll go on a one-day strike later this week . The workers at the facility in San Bernardino are upset over low wages and unsafe working conditions.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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Oct 11, 2022
Outrage Grows Over Leaked Racist Comments From L.A. City Councilmembers
Three members of the Los Angeles City Council are facing a barrage of calls to resign, after an audio recording of them making racist comments was made public. This comes as the council is meeting for the first time on Tuesday, since the recording was released.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
Local governments should consider wildfire risk, when evaluating proposals for new housing. That's according to new recommendations from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
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Oct 10, 2022
Janitors For Meta Strike Amid Mass Layoffs
Janitors who work at the facilities of Facebook and its parent company Meta have been on strike since last Wednesday. Late last week, the strikers received support from two major groups advocating for workers, Silicon Valley Rising and the South Bay Labor Council.
The National Labor Relations Board has approved a union recognition election for dancers at a topless bar in North Hollywood. If the performers at Star Garden organize, they would become the only unionized strippers in the nation.
Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW
A teacher shortage has forced dozens of preschools in California to close classrooms since the start of the school year. Low wages were driving away early childhood educators -- most of them women of color -- long before the pandemic. But the emotional and financial stress, plus the health risks of working during the crisis drove them to quit faster.
Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
We’re celebrating Indigenous People’s Day with a focus on Nikole Aanapou Mann, who b…
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Oct 7, 2022
California is Giving Out $9.5 billion in Tax Rebates
If you’ve been struggling with inflation-fueled high prices, from groceries to gasoline, some help is on the way. Starting Friday, the state will start sending out about nine and a half billion dollars worth of tax rebates to Californians to help people with their bills. The one time payments will range from $400 to $1,050 dollars for joint tax filers and between $200 and $700 dollars for those who filed individually.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED
In Sacramento, Black residents are three times as likely to say they can't afford their rent or mortgage compared with the area’s overall population. A poll published this week by Valley Vision, a civic leadership organization in the Sacramento area, found nearly nine of every 10 Black residents are concerned about the cost of housing in the Sacramento region. That's higher than any other racial or ethnic group.
Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio
In a preview of our sister show, the California Report’s weekly Magazine, we hop on a bu…
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Oct 6, 2022
Project Aims To Name All Japanese Americans Incarcerated During Word War II
During the first months of World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. It authorized the U.S. government to relocate and incarcerate more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry. Now more than seven decades later, a group led by a USC professor has taken on the challenge of creating a list of every single person forced into camps and jails.
Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC
A family of four, that was kidnapped from their business in Merced this week, has been found dead. The bodies were discovered near where the kidnapping took place.
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Oct 5, 2022
California Department Of Corrections And Rehabilitation Sued Over Transparency Laws
For years ago, then Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that unsealed internal official investigations into serious use of force, dishonesty and sexual misconduct by peace officers. But California prison officials are not complying. That’s according to a lawsuit filed by KQED.
Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQED
Gas prices remain sky-high in California. $6.42 on average for a regular gallon of gasoline as of Wednesday, that according to AAA. Production issues at refineries are being blamed for the skyrocketing price. But some relief could be on the way.
Reporter: Andrea Bautista, KCRW
Tijuana gas stations are capitalizing on California’s soaring gas prices. Several stations in Mexico are advertising cheaper gas to commuters heading to San Diego.
Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS
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Oct 4, 2022
Former Orange County Official Now Leading Efforts To Protect Election Workers, Voters
The mid-term elections are a little more than a month away, and officials here in California and across the country are working to make sure the election process is safe and secure. But there are also concerns about threats levied against election workers and voters at the polls.
Guest: Neal Kelley, Chairman, Committee for Safe and Secure Elections
As the weather cools, the U.S. could be headed into a severe flu season. Experts say small children who haven’t been exposed due to pandemic restrictions and masking may be most at risk.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
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Oct 3, 2022
Questions Raised About Whether Proposition 1 Will Actually Expand Abortion Rights
When the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade first leaked in April, state lawmakers in California went to work. They moved forward to place a measure on the November ballot, Proposition 1, that, if passed, will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. But such a constitutional amendment raises questions about fetal viability and whether abortion rights would actually be expanded.
Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED
On Friday, the deadline passed for Governor Gavin Newsom to sign or veto hundreds of bills sent to his desk by the legislature. One of the bills he signed will increase cash benefits for hundreds of thousands of working Californians who take time off to care for an ill relative or to bond with a new child.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
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Sep 30, 2022
Former PG&E Executives Settle With Fire Victim Trust
The trust representing 70,000 PG&E wildfire victims reached a nine-figure settlement this week with a group of the utility's former executives and directors. The settlement will come from liability insurance the company held for its officers and directors.
Reporter: Dan Brekke
Imperial County currently holds one of the world's largest lithium reserves. A recent surge in demand for the mineral, a key component in electric car batteries, is now leading investors from Bolivia, Chile and South Korea to the southeastern corner of California.
Guest: Janet Wilson, Desert Sun reporter
California is not expanding unemployment benefits to an estimated 1 million undocumented workers in the state any time soon. The bill Governor Gavin Newsom just vetoed would have created a one-year pilot program offering $300 a week, up to 20 weeks to unemployed, undocumented Californians.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero
Flag football already is a sanctioned high school girls sport in states including Ala…
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Sep 29, 2022
Mexico's Rich Surfing History Being Told
Ensenada is the birthplace of Mexican surfing. It has a rich history, but many people don’t know about it. Now, two surfers from Ensenada have set out to change that.
Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS
Los Angeles is receiving millions in state funding to help launch a program to combat homelessness among the formerly incarcerated.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi
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Sep 28, 2022
Gas Prices Rising, But Rebate Checks On The Way
Gas prices remain stubbornly high in California. In fact, over the last week, the average price of a regular gallon of gasoline has jumped more than 40 cents. But some help is on the way in the form of a one-time state refund payment.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
In San Diego, some Black residents talk about how the city used to be known as “Harlem of the West.” Now, the city is attempting to pay homage and respect to that era – before the community was devastated by redlining and other racist policies. One way the city is doing that is by empowering one neighborhood as the newly-formed “San Diego Black Arts & Culture District.
Reporter: Jacob Aere, KPBS
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Sep 27, 2022
PG&E Faces Criminal Investigation For Possibly Starting Mosquito Fire
Pacific Gas and Electric says it's facing a criminal investigation, for possibly starting the state's largest wildfire so far this year. The company says in a new filing with federal securities regulators that the US Forest Service has reached an "initial assessment" that the fire started near a PG&E line.
Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED
Affordable housing is hard to come by for most Californians. In Sacramento, there’s also a severe lack of affordable housing for low-income seniors. But construction is underway to help ease that shortage.
Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio
When we hear about homeowners in trouble or losing their homes, it’s usually a story about foreclosure. But there’s another process that can penalize homeowners – and sometimes result in people losing their homes. That process is called receivership. A new investigation from The Sacramento Bee found a company called the Bay Area Receivership Group has left some homeowners staring at massively excessive f…
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Sep 26, 2022
Thousands of Californians Protest the Death of Iranian Woman Mahsa Amini
Protests have erupted across Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely, and later died in custody. Demonstrations here in California took place over the weekend.
Reporter: Kyana Moghadam, KQED
After a summer break, the State Task Force studying Reparations for Black Californians has resumed its groundbreaking work. Over the weekend the panel met in Los Angeles to move the conversation forward -- and talk about lessons they can draw from historical reparations work -- plus the actual economics of the plan.
Guest: Annelise Finney, KQED reporter
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the passage of Paid Family Leave in California -- the first state to offer this benefit to workers taking time off to bond with a new child or care for an ill relative. Newsom is deciding now whether to sign or veto a bill that would increase payments to 90% of a person’s wages if they are low…
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Sep 23, 2022
Governor Newsom Signs Legislation Ending Parking Requirements Near Transit
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that eliminates the state's decades-old parking requirements for new developments near public transit stops. Environmentalists and housing advocates say this will drive down California's dependence on cars, improving the state's chances of meeting its climate goals.
We're nearing the end of banned book week, an annual awareness campaign promoted by the American Library Association and Amnesty International. And at the top of the most challenged books list in the United States is "Gender Queer: A Memoir."
Guest: Maia Kobabe, Author of the book "Gender Queer: A Memoir"
A bill is sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk that would allow people who receive an unsolicited sexually explicit image on their phone or electronic device, to sue the person who sent it.
Reporter: Amanda Stupi, The California Report
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Sep 22, 2022
Wildfire Smoke Exposing Millions To Extreme Air Pollution
Orange skies choked with soot from wildfires have become more common in the Western U.S. In a new paper, a team based at Stanford University estimates that millions of people now live where this smoke has made breathing unhealthy.
Guest: Molly Peterson, The California Newsroom
Changes are coming to California's masking policies. Effective on Friday, the state will be further easing its recommendations and leaving more to personal choice.
Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW
Attorney General Rob Bonta is creating an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The attorney general said the new initiative will use data and public health measures to implement measures aimed at reducing gun violence.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
A new bill sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk could help street vendors get permits and comply with the state's food code system, essentially making it easier for them to conduct business.
Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report
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Sep 21, 2022
Governor Newsom Signs Bills That Gives Redistricting Power To Community Commission
County supervisors in Fresno, Kern and Riverside counties will no longer have a hand in drawing district maps. That’s after Governor Newsom signed three bills transferring the power to citizen-led commissions.
Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
California is one of 10 states that doesn’t require schools to screen students for dyslexia. Educators say leaving learning disabilities unaddressed can overwhelm and often frustrate students, sometimes leading to behavioral problems down the road.
Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC
In California, we’re used to home prices going one direction -- up. But in recent months, the residential real estate market has cooled, with home prices falling and properties staying on the market longer.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
This week, the Newsom administration identified five state-owned properties that it hopes can be used for affordable housing. The administration is looking for developers to build what it believes will be hundreds…
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Sep 20, 2022
Water Restrictions Lifted For Millions Of Southern Californians
Millions of L.A. County residents and businesses can resume outdoor watering, after news that urgent repairs to a pipeline that brings water from the Colorado River to Southern California have wrapped up early.
Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW
Open agricultural burning is a useful tool for farmers, but its high particulate emissions are harmful to San Joaquin Valley residents. Air regulators plan to phase out the practice by 2025, but air quality advocates have doubts after years of inaction.
Reporters: Kerry Klein and Monica Vaughan, KVPR
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a package of bills aimed at reforming the state’s cannabis regulations. This comes as the governor is directing state officials to study the health impacts of high-potency cannabis.
Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED
Experts at UC San Diego studying extortion in Tijuana are saying that crime is much more rampant than previously believed. Researcher Romain Le Cour spent a year walking the streets of Tijuana,…
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Sep 19, 2022
State Workers No Longer Required To Test For COVID
With the start of the work week, many state workers who are unvaccinated will not have to undergo regular testing for COVID-19. Since July of 2021, unvaccinated state employees have had to submit to weekly testing.
Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW
Open agricultural burning is due to be phased out in California by 2025, in an effort to reduce harmful emissions. But many farmers are apprehensive of a future without burning.
Reporters: Monica Vaughan and Kerry Klein, KVPR
The San Francisco Police Department may have collaborated with a federal surveillance center that uses facial recognition and social media monitoring – without a contract or oversight. That’s according to public documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED
The mother of a man who died in a jail in Los Angeles last year is suing LA County and its Sheriff, Alex Villanueva. An official report says Jalani Lovett died from a drug overdose, but his family claims that he was…
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Sep 16, 2022
Kaiser Strike Continues As Talks Break Down
Some 2,000 Kaiser Permanente mental health care professionals are a month into a strike. This week, negotiations between labor and management have broken down.
Reporter: Sara Hossaini, KQED
Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have significantly lowered what California families pay for state subsidized childcare. The legislation would have capped the amount low income families pay at 1% of their monthly income.
Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED
An energetic new rhino calf at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park represents another step in the effort to save a related rhino species that’s nearly extinct.
Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS
Because of a new state law, San Francisco’s Superior Court has eliminated about $50 million in debt due to late fees for things like traffic tickets.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
With a nationwide rail strike averted, the Port of Los Angeles is shifting its attention to the movement of cargo ahead of the fall and winter holiday sh…
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Sep 15, 2022
California Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Amazon
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing Amazon, alleging the online retail giant engages in anticompetitive contracting, in violation of state laws.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED
Across the country, many families and dyslexia advocates are pushing for something called “structured literacy,” a type of early reading instruction that’s attuned to how the brain learns to read, with an emphasis on phonics. Experts say this type of reading instruction can benefit all students, especially those with dyslexia. But it’s not the norm in most California classrooms, or in teacher prep programs.
Reporter: Julia Barajas, KPCC/LAist
Governor Gavin Newsom celebrated a major legislative accomplishment on Wednesday. He signed his CARE Court bill into law, which seeks to improve mental health care in California, especially for people who are homeless with severe mental illnesses.
Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED
In November, California voters will vote on Proposition 30. It’s…
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Sep 14, 2022
Change In Weather Sparks Activity On Front Lines Of Mosquito Fire
A shift in wind led to increased activity on Tuesday, as firefighters continue to battle the Mosquito Fire in Placer and El Dorado counties. The fire jumped the Middle Fork of the American River, threatening the community of Foresthill.
State health officials are advising Californians to get a flu shot, in addition to the COVID-19 vaccination or booster.
Reporter: Nimah Gobir, KQED
If you lost your job during the pandemic and you still aren't making as much as you used to, there's a new state grant that could help boost your professional skills. And -- hopefully -- your earning potential.
Reporter: Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters
Like other big California ports, L.A., Oakland, San Diego, the Port of Long Beach is filled with fleets of big, loud diesel trucks. They’re vehicles that carry cargo containers from the docks to warehouses and logistical centers inland. But there's a new type of vehicle that's supposed to become much more common at California ports in the coming years…
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Sep 14, 2022
Drilling Deeper For Water In The Central Valley
Most Californians are feeling the effects of the drought.. But in big areas of the state, where people rely on groundwater, the pain of this drought is especially severe. Wells are going dry and there’s intense competition to find more water that’s underground.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
Federal and Los Angeles County health officials have confirmed the first death of a person with monkeypox in California. The L.A. County resident was severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized with the virus.
Unlike the rest of the country, gas prices in California have been on the rise. That's after they dropped from record highs earlier this summer.
Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED
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Sep 12, 2022
Crews Get Better Handle On Mosquito Fire
In Placer and El Dorado counties, fire crews are making progress fighting the Mosquito Fire, which has burned more than 46,000 acres. Meanwhile, in Southern California, firefighters took advantage of wet conditions to help in the fight against the Fairview Fire.
One of the bills that’s passed through the legislature on Governor Newsom’s desk would offer cash benefits to unemployed undocumented workers, currently excluded from the state’s unemployment insurance program. It’s an idea that not so many years ago would have been considered out of the question. Today? It’s a different story.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
San Francisco's representatives in the State Assembly say they’ll be keeping an eye on Pacific Gas & Electric’s possible role in the Mosquito Fire, burning in the Sierra Nevada foothills in El Dorado and Placer counties. PG&E filed notice with state regulators last week, saying that electrical activity occurred on one of its lines close to the time t…
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Sep 9, 2022
Wildfires Threatening Communities Across California
Governor Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Riverside County due to the Fairview Fire and for El Dorado and Placer counties due to the Mosquito Fire. Firefighters have been struggling to control both fires, which have grown explosively and forced extensive evacuations.
Reporter: Jonathan Linden, KVCR
LA County health officials are investigating the death of a person with monkeypox. Few details are being released about the case. What we do know is that this person died in LA and had monkeypox but it’s unclear if the virus caused the death.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
The Biden Administration has rolled back a Trump-era rule that penalized immigrants who used a wide range of government benefits – and led to fear in many California immigrant communities.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
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Sep 8, 2022
More Hot Weather On The Way
California's extended heat wave will continue on Thursday, with temperatures topping out over 100 in many inland areas. The state's power agency is also issuing another call for power conservation, for the ninth straight day.
As the heat wave drags on, broken cooling systems are disrupting the school day in many parts of California. That’s forced many school districts to bring in fans and portable AC units to lower classroom temperatures.
Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
A new report out from the Prison Policy Initiative reveals unexpected data about incarceration rates among rural Californians. Per capita, the highest rate of incarcerated people comes from small, rural counties in the state.
Guest: Nigel Duara, Reporter CalMatters
Opponents of a first-of-its-kind state law that could raise wages for fast food workers have officially started an effort to delay and potentially block it.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
Parents fighting against school closures in Oakland and se…
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Sep 7, 2022
Heat Wave Continues Across California
The statewide heat wave continued on Tuesday as records were broken across California, with much of the state once again facing triple digit temperatures. But the state did not have to order rolling blackouts, despite a deeply stressed power grid.
Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED
While cities across the state continue to break heat records this week, there are a few places that are still comfortable, if not downright cool.
Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED
The hot weather across the state has brought added concerns about wildfires sparking. And a pair of fires that are burning in the Inland Empire in Southern California are now forcing residents to flee their homes.
Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW
President Joe Biden has come out in favor of a California bill that Governor Gavin Newsom has said he’s not ready to sign. The bill aims to make it easier for farmworkers to choose whether to unionize, including by mail-in ballots -- without fear of reprisal.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, K…
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Sep 7, 2022
Heat Wave Continues, Power Grid Stressed
The brutal heat wave taking over the state is expected to last longer and reach higher temperatures than forecasters had anticipated. And that's putting a lot of stress on California's power grid, with state officials asking Californians to conserve as much as possible.
Guest: Jan Null, Meteorologist, Golden Gate Weather Services and Adjunct Professor at San Jose State University
Two people have died and hundreds of residents around Weed remain under evacuation orders because of the Mill Fire burning in Siskiyou County.
Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio
Last week, state lawmakers approved a plan to extend the life of the state’s last nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon. Many are applauding the legislature’s decision to keep its carbon-free energy on the grid — but it’s had mixed reactions in San Luis Obispo County, where the plant sits.
Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX
On Friday, Frank Drake, the radio astronomer who dreamed of finding life on other planets,…
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Sep 5, 2022
Can Churches Help With Affordable Housing Crisis?
As California’s housing crisis becomes more dire and cities feel mounting pressure to build more housing, many are eyeing church-owned real estate as a potential solution.
Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED
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Sep 2, 2022
Bill That Aimed to End Prison-to-ICE Transfers Fails in California Legislature
California's State of Emergency Continues Amid Massive Heat Wave
For the third day in a row officials, have issued a so-called Flex Alert, which is a call to reduce energy consumption between the hours of 4-9pm when the power grid is most stressed and solar declines.
Voters to Weigh in on a Constitutional Amendment That Could End Barrier to Building Public Housing
Since 1950, Article 34 of the state constitution has required local officials to get voters’ approval to build public housing. The rule was rooted in racist fears about integrating neighborhoods and it’s hindered low-income home construction for decades. Now, California voters will get a chance to repeal it.
Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED
Blistering Heat Has the Central Valley's Only Children's Hospital Busy
Young kids have more trouble regulating their body temperature than adults do, and they’re more susceptible to dehydration because a larger percentage of their weight is water.
Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
Calif…
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Sep 1, 2022
California Prepares for Extreme Temperatures
California Awaits Excessive Heat and Potential Blackouts
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for California as a heat wave takes hold of the state. Elliot Mainzer, president of the state’s power grid operator, says Californians need to reduce electricity use throughout the holiday weekend, especially during late afternoon and early evening.
New Test Project in a Central Valley Town Could Bring Partially Solution to Shortages
The idea behind solar canals is to build canopies over miles of aqueducts and place solar panels on top of those canopies. The shade from the canopies limits water evaporation and the solar panels produce renewable energy. Research out of U.C. Merced found that canopies lower evaporation in aqueducts by as much as 82%.
Amanda Stupi, The California Report
Kaiser Nurses Join Mental Health Workers Nearing 3rd Week of Strike
22,000 Kaiser nurses are protesting, calling for improved safety conditions and increased staffing.
Lesley McClurg, KQED h…
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Aug 31, 2022
CARE Court Plan Passes State Assembly
A controversial bill to overhaul California’s mental healthcare system cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night. The governor’s CARE Court proposal would allow judges to oversee treatment for people diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders who are not receiving care.
Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED
Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by crime and gun violence -- but historically say they’ve been left out of many conversations and programs meant to help victims of crime in California. But that's starting to change.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
Millions of residents in Los Angeles County will need to suspend outdoor watering in September. That’s the message from the Metropolitan Water District, which is set to repair a leak in a critical pipeline.
Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill designed to protect more homes from wildfire by bolstering the State’s defensible space inspections.
Reporter: Danielle Ve…
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Aug 30, 2022
Bill To Help Fast Food Workers Heads To Governor's Desk
The California legislature has passed what supporters call a first-of-its kind bill that could benefit half a million fast food workers. AB 257 would bring fast food worker and employer representatives together on a council that could boost wages to up to $22 an hour next year at large chains.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
The Biden administration will pause its program to send Americans free at-home COVID-19 tests this week, blaming Congress for failing to fund another round of shipments. People who have yet to request all of their free rapid tests through the Department of Health and Human Services federal portal have until Friday to place their orders.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
Small theaters with less than 100 seats were hit particularly hard during the pandemic. In Los Angeles, the highest concentration of these venues was in North Hollywood, but half of its 22 theaters have now closed permanently.
Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW
The state senate passed a bill…
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Aug 29, 2022
Counties Prepare For The End Of Juvenile Lockups
Over the past two decades California has completely reimagined its approach to dealing with young people who commit crimes. That remaking of juvenile justice will culminate next summer in the closure of California’s troubled state youth prisons, known as the Department of Juvenile Justice or DJJ.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
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Aug 26, 2022
California Sets Historic Policy On Zero Emission Vehicles
Two years after Governor Gavin Newsom mandated it, the California Air Resources Board has approved a plan requiring 100% of new vehicle sales in California beginning in 2035 be zero emission. Automakers say they support California, but have encouraged the state to build out car charging infrastructure and incentives.
Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED
According to the United Nations, solitary confinement beyond 15 days can amount to torture and should be banned. But it's still happening right here in California.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED\
In what’s believed to be a first in this country, Anaheim has formally recognized part of the city as an Arab American district. In a nearly unanimous vote this week, the Anaheim City Council has designated an area of Brookhurst Street as Little Arabia – a name that many locals have already used for years.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
Think college athletics and likely football, basketball and volleyball come to mind.…
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Aug 25, 2022
State Regulators Poised To Approve Plan To End Sale Of New Gas-Powered Cars
The California Air Resources Board is set to approve a plan on Thursday to phase out the sale of new gasoline cars by the year 2035.
Reporter: Daphne Young, KQED
Last week, we brought you an investigation into the U.S. Forest Service that found a stalled project could have helped protect the town of Grizzly Flats in Northern California from the Caldor Fire. Now, we head to Big Bear, a Southern California mountain vacation destination, where officials are hoping to avoid that same fate. But are they moving fast enough?
Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW
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Aug 24, 2022
Abortion Access Will Play Important Part Of How Californians Vote In November
There’s a new poll out that shows Californians overwhelmingly support abortion access and that the issue will impact how they vote in the elections this fall.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
A little over a week ago, normal life in the border city of Tijuana came to a halt as a drug cartel launched a campaign of terror in the city. Vehicles were set ablaze and gunmen blocked major thoroughfares. That’s raised new questions about the power of Mexico’s criminal underworld.
Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS
In recent years, the Sacramento region has debated plans for creating thousands of new affordable housing units and shelter spaces for the homeless. But opposition from neighborhood groups has made carrying out those plans a difficult challenge.
Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio
With a week left in this year’s legislative session in Sacramento, California immigrant advocates are pushing hard for a bill to end the transfer of non-citizens to immigration custody after they…
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Aug 23, 2022
Governor Newsom Vetoes Safe Consumption Site Bill
Proponents are calling Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of a bill that would have allowed supervised drug injection sites in San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles a tragic, “missed opportunity” to prevent overdose deaths.
Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED
A new report finds that most early childcare workers in California make far less than a living wage and that many earn less than they did before the pandemic. The report from UC Berkeley found that providers running small, daycare centers out of their homes make between $16- 30 thousand a year.
Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED
Once a reliable stronghold for Republicans, Orange County has become a contested battleground for congressional races in recent election cycles -- and this year is no different.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
California voters think the state is headed in the wrong direction -- according to a new poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. 52% of voters say California is on the wrong track, but Go…
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Aug 22, 2022
California Issues New Guidance On Monkeypox Isolation
The California Department of Public Health is issuing new home isolation guidance for people with confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox. State public health director Dr. Tomás Aragón says the state’s guidelines are more detailed than the CDC’s national recommendations.
California is adding Georgia to its already lengthy list of states where publicly-funded travel is banned because of anti-LGBTQ legislation. The travel restrictions come in response to a bill passed by Georgia lawmakers earlier this year that allows the state's athletic association to ban transgender girls from competing in girls' sports.
Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED
Both the Biden Administration and California have big goals when it comes to getting more people to drive electric vehicles as a way to fight climate change. There is one big challenge that may not be getting as much attention -- it’s the kind of housing millions of people live in and whether they can find or install electric vehicle cha…
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Aug 19, 2022
Siskiyou County Residents Sue Utility Over McKinney Fire
Residents of a Siskiyou County community, ravaged by wildfire last month, are suing the Oregon-based electrical utility they say is to blame. The McKinney Fire started the afternoon of July 29th just outside the hamlet of Klamath River, near power lines owned by Portland's Pacificorp.
Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED
Starting next year, Californians will be able to sue people who distribute ghost guns and assault weapons illegally. The law is modeled on Texas abortion legislation and both of the laws offer private citizens a chance at financial rewards for reporting other peoples’ activities.
Guest: Nigel Duara, Justice Reporter with CalMatters
Democrats in California are split on whether President Joe Biden should run again in 2024 and if he doesn’t, Governor Gavin Newsom has a strong base of support for a presidential run.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
Monkeypox cases in L.A. County continue to climb. New cases have jumped 33% since last week, and more than a thousand people have t…
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Aug 18, 2022
Monkeypox Vaccine In Short Supply In Central Valley
Monkeypox cases have tripled in California over the past month. Most vaccine doses have been sent to larger cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. But other communities across the state say they're feeling left out.
Reporter: Kristen Hwang, CalMatters
LA County will get far fewer monkeypox vaccine doses than it expected. The county's monkeypox vaccine shipment is being slashed to just 40% of the doses public health officials requested from the federal government.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
It’s been one year since a family from Afghanistan escaped their war torn country and landed in the United States. They fled last August, leaving behind their belongings, their careers and their hopes and dreams. The kindness of strangers on California’s Central Coast helped make their journey to the U.S. possible.
Reporter: Doug McKnight, KAZU
The Port of Oakland says a protest by truck drivers that shut it down for several days in July had a significant impact on its business. The…
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Aug 17, 2022
State Asks Californians To Conserve Energy
The state’s power grid operator is calling on Californians to conserve energy on Wednesday. The California Independent System Operator, which oversees the state's electrical grid, says it expects above average temperatures to increase demand for electricity.
Reporter: Angela Corral, The California Report
Former Central Valley Congressman TJ Cox pleaded not guilty Tuesday to more than two dozen federal counts including wire fraud, money laundering and campaign contribution fraud.
Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR
California has begun a big push to get more 4-year-olds enrolled in transitional kindergarten, or “TK.” But not every parent of an eligible child is ready to sign up.
Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
The oil industry has dropped its opposition to a bill that would increase fines on California refineries that violate air quality rules. That's after lawmakers watered down the legislation behind closed doors.
Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED
Sidewalks in front of Kaiser facilities…
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Aug 16, 2022
Effort To Recall LA District Attorney Fails To Qualify For Ballot
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon will not face a recall election, county officials announced on Monday. Critics of Gascon, led by prosecutors in his own office, have once again failed to get the more than 560,000 signatures necessary to place a recall before voters.
Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED
New research suggests climate change is increasing the likelihood of California-wide megafloods. Warming temperatures have already doubled the risk of this type of inundation brought on by a succession of storms, lasting for as long as a month.
Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED
A year ago, the Caldor Fire burned through the small town of Grizzly Flats in Northern California. The fire destroyed more than 400 homes. A new investigation from CapRadio and The California Newsroom found that the U.S. Forest Service predicted — for decades — a wildfire could devastate Grizzly Flats. But its plan to protect the town didn’t get done.
Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio
There's no end…
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Aug 15, 2022
Newsom Wants To Extened Life Of California's Last Nuclear Power Plant
Governor Gavin Newsom has a plan to extend the operation of California’s last nuclear power plant. Diablo Canyon on the Central Coast is scheduled for closure by 2025.
Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX
For several years now, undocumented immigrants in California have been able to get a driver’s license, which doubles as a critical piece of ID. But what about immigrants who don’t drive?
Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC
A year ago today, the Taliban entered Kabul and the U.S. military began a frenzied airlift to evacuate tens of thousands of people out of Afghanistan. Now, many of those Afghans are trying to build new lives in California.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
California is one of ten states that doesn’t screen all students for the most common learning disability. Advocates have pushed for mandatory dyslexia assessments for years.
Reporter: Mariana Dale, KPCC
Mexican cities, just across the border from California, were rocked by a wave of violent incidents over the w…
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Aug 12, 2022
State Senate To Vote On Affordable Housing Bill
One of the most closely watched housing bills has cleared a key legislative hurdle and is now headed to the state senate for a vote. Supporters say it could help developers build millions of housing units across the state.
Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED
Roses are red, violets are blue. Most flowers smell nice, but not all of them do. And that’s especially true for a rare tropical flower at the UC Santa Cruz arboretum.
Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU
Pepper spray was supposed to be phased out of L.A. County’s juvenile halls nearly two years ago. But probation department staff are still using the spray.
Reporter: Emily Elena Dugdale, KPCC
A former Los Angeles County assistant sheriff is suing Sheriff Alex Villanueva for alleged retaliation, and is seeking at least $3 million in damages. She was among the whistleblowers who accused Villanueva of trying to cover up an incident where a deputy knelt on an inmate's head.
Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW
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Aug 11, 2022
Judge Rules Walgreens Contributed To Opioid Crisis In San Francisco
San Francisco has won a landmark lawsuit against Walgreens pharmacy over its role in fueling the opioid epidemic in the city. A federal judge found that Walgreens filled hundreds of thousands of suspicious prescriptions for powerful painkillers over 15 years, without taking steps to prevent their misuse.
California’s Supreme Court may soon get its first Latina Chief Justice. Patricia Guerrero currently sits on the state’s supreme court as an associate justice and she’s held that role since March.
Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED
This year, potentially tens of thousands of Californians who couldn’t work because of health reasons, including pregnancy, have been forced to wait weeks -- or even months -- to get their “State Disability Insurance” payments.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
Supporters of a bill to create safe injection sites are urging Governor Gavin Newsom to sign SB 57. The idea behind SB 57 is to address the growing toll on city streets, where people a…
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Aug 10, 2022
LA City Council Approves Ban On Encampments Near Schools During Raucous Meeting
An L.A. City Council meeting turned chaotic Tuesday when members of the public started shouting at council members and one person made an attempt to lunge at the dais. The council was preparing to vote on an ordinance that would ban homeless encampments near schools and daycare centers.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
More than 4,250 COVID-19 deaths in California could have been prevented in one year if the entire state met National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter. That’s according to a new study by the Public Health Institute.
Guest: Dr. Paul English, Director of the Public Health Institute’s Tracking California program
The Inflation Reduction Act could bring billions of dollars in drought relief to California. At $4 billion, the largest pot of drought funds would help watersheds like the Colorado River, which Southern California relies on.
Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED
With lackluster resources and rising costs, supportive homes for pe…
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Aug 9, 2022
New Report Blasts California's Employment Development Department
California’s Employment Development Department was too slow delivering unemployment insurance payments to roughly 5 million workers during the pandemic. That’s from a new report by the Legislative Analyst's Office.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
More than 22,000 Ukrainians have crossed the border from Mexico into California since the Russian invasion in February. Many have come to the Sacramento area, which already has a large and tight-knit Slavic community.
Reporter: Pauline Bartolone, CapRadio
A State Senate committee focused on California’s response to monkeypox will hold its first hearing on Tuesday afternoon. The committee is chaired by State Senator Scott Wiener, who’s been a vocal critic of the government's failure to act quickly when the monkeypox outbreak first occurred.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
Hate crimes are up for the fourth straight year in a row across the U.S. That’s according to new data from Cal State San Bernardino, which found that in C…
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Aug 8, 2022
Hotels Could Be Required To Provide Rooms For The Unhoused Population In LA
Los Angeles voters will decide whether they want to require hotels across the city to provide vacant rooms to unhoused people. The City Council voted Friday to put the contentious hotel voucher program on the 2024 ballot.
Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW
Farmworkers from across the state have joined the “March for the Governor’s Signature,” a 335 mile trek from Kern County to Sacramento, to show support for a voting rights bill. Although farmworkers say the bill is critical for unionization, some argue that it will not accomplish what it’s intended to do.
Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR
California women are more likely than men to be rent burdened, meaning they spend a third or more of their income on rent and other housing costs. That’s according to a new study from the Gender Equity Policy Institute.
Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED
The California Air Resources Board held a series of public listening sessions across the state last week. Its part of the board's l…
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Aug 5, 2022
As Monkeypox Cases Surge In California, Feds Look To Increase Vaccine Supply
Federal health officials are considering breaking single doses of monkeypox vaccine into smaller doses to stretch the current supply. The Food and Drug Administration may allow healthcare providers to split a one-dose vial of the monkeypox vaccine into five doses.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
Throughout history, struggling Americans have looked for greener pastures, with many striking out for California. But some powerful people in the state have actively tried to keep the migrants out by setting up border checkpoints.
Guest: Bill Lascher, Author of the book "The Golden Fortress: California's Border War on Dust Bowl Refugees"
California is offering $20,000 stipends to recruit and train more mental health clinicians to work in public schools. The program is a response to the student mental health crisis.
Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED
A bill that provides some protection for immigrants in court is heading to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. The measure said if an attorney wants…
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Aug 4, 2022
Childcare Crisis Hits Home For Many California Families
Long waitlists. Parents lining up overnight in hopes of landing an open spot in daycare or preschool. These are some of the stories that have emerged since the pandemic, highlighting the nation’s childcare crisis.
Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
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Aug 3, 2022
Dodgers Legendary Announcer Vin Scully Dies At 94
He was the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers for decades. On Tuesday, Vin Scully died at the age of 94.
Guest: Bill Shaikin, Reporter, L.A. Times
California faces increased wildfire danger across much of the state into the fall months. This comes as crews continue to battle the biggest fire of the year in Siskiyou County.
Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED
Farmworkers from across California are beginning a march up the Central Valley on Wednesday morning. It’s all to support a voting rights bill.
Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR
Some state courts appear to be dragging their feet following a new law, that’s intended to give relief to people piling up late fees for infractions like traffic tickets.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
It’s an election year, with control of Congress in play. In one of Orange County’s most competitive congressional districts, the sitting Republican Congresswoman and her Democratic challenger don’t agree on much. But they do see eye-to…
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Aug 2, 2022
California Declares State Of Emergency Over Monkeypox Outbreak
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency as part of California's ongoing response to the monkeypox outbreak. Meanwhile in San Francisco, the city’s main public hospital plans to distribute more monkeypox vaccine on Tuesday.
Reporter: Sara Hossaini, KQED
State lawmakers have reconvened in Sacramento after a month-long summer recess for the final, frenzied month of the legislative session. There are a number of bills that will be voted on, from abortion to gun rights.
Guest: Emily Hoeven, Author of the WhatMatters newsletter for CalMatters
Crews saw much calmer weather on Monday as they continue to battle the McKinney Fire in Siskiyou County. But there's still no containment on the fire, which has burned more than 55,000 acres.
Guest Erik Neumann, Interim News Director, Jefferson Public Radio
A bill to allow so-called “safe injection sites” where addicts can use drugs with supervision is on its way to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED…
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Aug 1, 2022
Two People Killed In The McKinney Wildfire That Burns Out Of Control In Siskiyou County
Authorities say two bodies have been found inside a burned vehicle in the path of a raging California wildfire that is one of several major blazes burning across Northern California.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are headed to the Golden State for Climate Change and infrastructure. The mix of fires, drought, and even record rainfall in some parts of California are taking a toll on the state's infrastructure. But, a new federal program unveiled last week, could funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to the Golden State to help safeguard its roads and bridges.
Reporter Caleigh Wells, KCRW
California Health officials are not ready to declare a statewide emergency for Monkeypox. The State of California has reported nearly eight hundred cases of Monkeypox - the majority in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Eleven people in California have been hospitalized - but, no one has died. So, health officials in California say they don't see the need - at least not yet - to declare a statewi…
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Jul 29, 2022
L.A. County Decides Not To Re-Implement Mask Mandate
L.A. County health officials have pushed the pause button on reinstituting an indoor public mask mandate. The data show that LA is right on the cusp of dropping into the CDC’s medium COVID risk level. That’s due to hospitalizations dipping slightly.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
Farming in California has not been a friendly place to Black people, let alone Black women. Only one percent of farmland in the state is Black owned.
Reporter: Ariana Proehl, KQED
In San Jose, a program that sent 1500 kids to day camp for free is wrapping up on Friday. It’s paid for with COVID-19 relief money.
Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED
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Jul 28, 2022
Monkeypox Vaccine Extremely Limited In L.A. County
L.A. County health officials closed the online waiting list for the monkeypox vaccine Thursday, just one day after it went live. Some qualified people are being turned away at vaccine sites and given conflicting advice.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
Truckers at the Port of Oakland continue to protest for the second straight week over AB5, the state law that reclassifies many independent contractors as employees. But truckers have agreed not to block access to terminals and plan instead to rally in designated "free speech" zones set up by the port.
Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED
The Oakland City Council is expected to vote Tuesday to urge state lawmakers to put a measure on the ballot that would officially repeal Prop 8.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED
Customs and Border Protection say a record number of migrants have been injured while trying to cross the border illegally into San Diego County.
Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS
Nevada’s Lake Mead, which is fed by the C…
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Jul 28, 2022
Families Deal With Devastating Losses From Oak Fire
As firefighters make gains on the Oak Fire burning near Yosemite National Park, families are beginning to reckon with the devastation. California’s largest fire of the year so far, has consumed nearly 19, 000 acres and forced thousands to flee.
Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR
The chief justice of California's Supreme Court says she will not seek a second term in November. Tani Cantil-Sakauye says she will retire at the end of her term on January 1.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
Organizers rallied outside the Glendale offices of State Senator Anthony Portantino on Wednesday to call for support of a bill that would put restrictions on the use of solitary confinement.
Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC
Seven of the ten most expensive areas for housing in the nation are in California, with San Francisco being the most expensive and out of reach metropolitan area in the country. That’s according to a newly released report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Reporter: Adhiti…
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Jul 27, 2022
Audit Finds Thousands Of Californians Without Safe Drinking Water
A state audit report shows hundreds of thousands of Californians are drinking water that is unsafe, and many live in disadvantaged communities in the Central Valley. The state auditor’s report found nearly a million people in California face possible long-term health problems, like liver or kidney damage, or cancer, because their water comes from a failing system with some sort of contaminant, like nitrates or arsenic.
Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED
As the drought persists, many farmers are making the decision to fallow or set aside land that isn't being used to grow crops. But what does that actually mean and how does that impact residents living near these fields?
Guest: Andrew Ayers, a research fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California's Water Policy Center
Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Teachers Association are opposing Proposition 30, a “clean air initiative” on the November ballot that would tax the wealthiest Californians to pay for electric car…
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Jul 26, 2022
California Man Details Monkeypox Experience
The U.S. monkeypox outbreak is swiftly expanding. The CDC reports over 3400 known cases concentrated mainly among men who have sex with men. And in these early days of its spread, people can spend days in search of the right diagnosis.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
San Francisco Supervisors on Tuesday are expected to urge U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to suspend plans to shut down Laguna Honda Hospital. It’s the largest skilled nursing facility in California.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva refused to testify before the Civilian Oversight Commission on Monday. The county’s top cop says he’ll speak with the watchdog group about alleged deputy cliques only if certain conditions are met.
Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW
As the city of Pasadena struggles with an increase in gun violence, it's turning to gang interventionists for help. The latest effort to stem the violence was a three on three basketball tournament a…
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Jul 22, 2022
Governor Newsom Signs A Package Of Bills Aimed At Reducing Gun Violence
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of Bills on Thursday aimed at reducing gun violence across the state. Of the 8 bills Newsom signed, one targets the sale of gun parts made from 3D printers, another prevents those convicted of child abuse or elder abuse from having a gun for 10 years … a third requires schools to report student threats or perceived threats of violence.
Politics Editor Scott Shafer, KQED Radio
This week's protests by truckers at the Port of Oakland follows a U-S Supreme Court decision that rejected an industry bid to exclude truckers... who often own their own vehicles. Truckers are demanding either a repeal of AB5, or clarification as to how it will be enforced. Governor Gavin Newsom says truckers should work to implement the transition to AB5.
Mexican-American lowrider cruising enthusiasts are working to roll back a decades old cruising ban. If you’re of a certain age, you might remember the 1973 George Lucas film “American Graffiti” which celebr…
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Jul 21, 2022
State Assembly Speaker Calling On Feds For More Urgent Response Regarding The Spread Of Monkeypox
At a press conference in Los Angeles yesterday, State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon called on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Xavier Becerra, to declare a public health emergency. As of yesterday, San Francisco has 141 cases of Monkeypox more than any other county, followed by LA County with 132.
UCLA’s departure will leave just UC Berkeley as the only UC campus in the Pac 12. In a statement, Newsom says he wants to know from UCLA how moving to the Big Ten will benefit its student-athletes and preserve college sports rivalries and traditions along the Pacific Coast?
Rob Adams was fatally shot by police in a San Bernardino parking lot on Saturday while running away from officers. Police say Adams was carrying a gun and was displaying the weapon when officers drove up. But family members dispute that story and say he was holding his cell phone, not a firearm. The San Bernardino police department reported to the state Department of Justice that officers shot and ki…
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Jul 20, 2022
New Report Documents Harassment and Discrimination in Asian American and Pacific Island Communities
Health Officials Expand Access for Monkeypox Vaccine
In Los Angeles, some high-risk people can now sign up for shots to combat Monkeypox online.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
California Trees Dying at An Alarming Rate
The loss of California trees is posing a direct threat to one of the state’s climate solutions.
Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW
The Aftermath of the Creek Fire
As we warily prepare for what might be another devastating wildfire season in California, many communities are dealing with the aftermath of past blazes. It’s been almost two years since the state’s massive Creek Fire destroyed nearly half of the homes in one tight-knit mountain community in Fresno County.
Alice Daniel, KVPR
New Report Documents Harassment and Discrimination in Asian American and Pacific Island Communities
More than 11,000 incidents of harassment, discrimination, and hate crimes against members of the nation’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities were reported in the last two y…
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Jul 19, 2022
Inflation Hits California Renters
With summer in full swing, vacationers are heading to places like Lake Tahoe. But seasonal workers at vacation spots around the lake are feeling the effects of the rising cost of living.
Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio
Inflation has been hitting Californians at the gas pump and the grocery store. Now many are facing another new expense - double digit rent increases.
Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC
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Jul 18, 2022
Mask Mandates Back At Some California Schools
With highly infectious subvariants of Omicron, like BA.5, increasing the spread of COVID-19, mask mandates continue to be re-introduced in the state. Starting Monday, the San Diego Unified School District will require indoor masking for thousands of students and staff involved with summer school activities.
A ballot initiative that would’ve taxed the wealthy to fund public health programs won’t make it to the ballot this year. But that doesn’t mean the idea is dead.
Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW
A group of foster youth gave a presentaton to the state public health director last week about why it's important to include young people in COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED
New sales numbers are out showing Americans are buying EVs at record levels, and they'd actually be buying a lot more if it weren’t for supply chain problems affecting the availability of vehicles. California, perhaps not surprisingly, is leading the electric vehicle buying spree.…
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Jul 15, 2022
Los Angeles County Could Face Mask Mandate In The Coming Weeks
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across the state. And now, federal health officials say L.A. County’s COVID community risk is high.
Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC
Housing is an issue across the state and it's been aggravated by the pandemic. A new podcast, Undocumented and Unhoused, released in partnership with El Timpano and Latino USA, looks at how COVID-19 and rising rent prices has led to an increase of undocumented and unhoused people in the Bay Area.
Guests: Madeleine Bair, Founder of El Timpano, and Marta Martinez, Senior Editor, Latino USA
Lawyers for five women suing Uber over its response to sexual assaults by drivers, say they plan to file similar claims on behalf of more than 500 people. The complaint alleges women were stalked, harassed, kidnapped, and raped during their rides.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED
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Jul 14, 2022
CA Attorney General Has Plan For Nearly 1.5 Million California Tenants At Risk Of Eviction
One in seven California tenants are behind on their rent. So, Attorney General Rob Bonta is issuing instructions to sheriff and police departments across the state on how to respond when someone reports an illegal eviction.
Reporter Erin Baldassari, KQED
Overall, 91 percent of jobs at daycare centers in California have come back. That might sound good, but the state lags behind the rest of the U.S. economy.
Reporter Daisy Nguyen, KQED
Starting January 1, the University of California and Cal State school systems will offer *all* students medication abortions through their student health centers. Thanks to a law that passed in 2019, the new policy will connect more than 62-hundred students statewide with those services. And for some, including those in the UC system, student insurance plans will cover all associated costs.
Reporter Danielle Chiriguayo, KCRW
Big money donors supporting Proposition 30 include San Francisco venture capitalist Ron Conway and former President…
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Jul 13, 2022
The BA Five Variant Is Outcompeting Other Strains Of COVID-19 Across The Bay Area
BA.5 is now the most dominant variant showing up in wastewater in the South Bay, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Sacramento and elsewhere. The latest data from researchers who study sewage shows clues into how COVID-19 is spreading across the Bay Area.
Science Editor Kevin Stark, KQED
There's a 25% increase in COVID hospitalizations in Los Angeles County. Health officials say on Thursday LA County could move into the CDC’s high risk category for COVID community spread due to high hospitalizations.
Reporter Jackie Fortier, The California Report
The FDA has revised its Emergency Use Authorization to let licensed pharmacists prescribe Paxlovid, the treatment given to those at risk of serious illness from COVID.
Reporter Carly Severn, The California Report
City attorney David Chiu announced that Allergan and Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed to pay $34 million-dollars in cash, and another $20 million dollars worth of Narcan, a treatment for opioid overdose. Walgreens is the only rema…
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Jul 12, 2022
The Washburn Fire In Yosemite National Park Is Now More Than 2700 Acres, But Fire Crews Are Optimistic About Saving The Giant Sequoias
At a community meeting on Monday night, fire officials remained hopeful that they could protect trees in the Mariposa Grove like the Giant Grizzly.
Reporter Soreath Hok, The California Report
New heat maps show how hot weather is harming out health. On the hottest days in California, there are around 8,000 more daily ER visits than on typical days. In LA County alone, there are more than 1,500.
Reporter Caleigh Wells, KCRW
City Officials in San Diego start the firing process for about 10 employees who refuse COVID vaccinations and tests. San Diego requires all employees to be vaccinated for COVID, they but let about 1,000 employees skip the vaccine for religious reasons. Those employees then have to get tested weekly, but a small group refused that, too.
Investigative Reporter Claire Trageser, KPBS
New report on new cyber-social threat for regions with large Hindu communities, like the San Francisco Bay Area, reveal real world security concerns. Rutgers University report finds…
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Jul 11, 2022
LA County Ramping Up Its Distribution Of Monkeypox Vaccines
Los Angeles County's approach to Monkeypox vaccines is different from other parts of the country. L.A. County is taking a more targeted approach by giving out doses only to people who have the disease and their close contacts.
Reporter Jackie Fortier, The California Report
A judge in Alameda County has ordered the state to temporarily stop issuing denials to rental relief applicants... and to hold off on finalizing many others.
Reporter Erin Baldassari, KQED
More than 2,000 acres have burned and residents and campers near the Washburn fire have been evacuated. The wildfire, which started on July 7th, threatens at least 500 giant sequoias in the Mariposa Grove.
Last week's order from a Federal Judge came after an environmental organization, The Earth Island Institute, sued the National Park Service. The organization says the Park Service failed to provide proper public notice or assess environmental risks.
Reporter Felicia Alvarez, LA Times
Over the weekend, the new Sixth St…
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Jul 11, 2022
L-A County Could Reinstate Mask Mandate Due To Increase In COVID Hospital Cases
The number of COVID-19 positive hospital patients continues to climb in L.A. County. So, the county could be headed for another public mask mandate.
Reporter Jackie Fortier, KPCC
More than a third of Monkeypox cases are in San Francisco, where vaccine supply isn’t. But, health officials have just received over 2,000 new vaccine doses this week.
Reporter Vanessa Rancano, KQED
New tax breaks from the State could help stabilize California's struggling Cannabis industry. Plenty of people in the industry are still not convinced the shifts will make enough of a dent for small businesses in the cannabis market. We talk to David Downs, Senior Editor at Leafly… who covers cannabis policy and legalization.
Reporter Madi Bolanos, KQED
Friendship Park on the US-Mexico border is a place where families separated by the border can see and talk to each other through the fence. But, a new plan by the Biden Administration may change all that and activists are angered by the new develo…
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Jul 7, 2022
Test Launch At Vandenberg Space Force Base Ends With Huge Explosion
A military rocket test launch on California’s Central Coast ends in failure Wednesday night, with the rocket blowing up seconds after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Reporter Lance Orozco, KCLU
Evacuation orders have been lifted in parts of Amador County as fire crews begin to get a handle on the Electra Fire, which is now 40-percent contained.
Wildfire smoke is likely one reason Lake Tahoe was a little murkier last year. The head of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center says the lake has not fully recovered from a spike of fine particles that flowed into its waters after the extremely wet year of 2017.
Reporter Steve Milne, CapRadio
The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District serves many communities like Calabasas and Hidden Hills , home to celebrities. And, it’s also home to some of the state’s top water wasters.
Reporter Keith Mizuguchi, KQED
Damages that led to a power outage and the release of 5- thousand gallons of oil at an unmanned substation n…
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Jul 6, 2022
Electra Fire Officials Say Wildfire Is Now 10-Percent Contained
The Electra Fire which broke out on Monday is now 10-percent contained, according to Cal Fire officials. Nearly 1000 residents in Amador and Calaveras Counties are under mandatory evacuation as 4,000 acres have burned and another 1200 structures are threatened.
Dr. Bob Wachter, UCSF Chair of Medicine says people should continue to vaccinate and get boosters because it’s easy to get the newest variant. Wachter also recommends people continue to wear masks in an effort to avoid getting the B-A 5 Omicron subvariant.
University of California researchers found thousands of prisoners and prison workers were infected with COVID-19, despite the high number of those vaccinated at prison facilities across the state.
Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED
Advance Notice of Termination letters have gone out to at least three dozen employees, half of them in the San Diego Police Department, for failing to take COVID tests and/or get vaccinated, for religious reasons.
Claire Trageser, KPBS Invest…
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Jul 5, 2022
Fire Danger Higher Than Normal In Northern, Central California
California has entered the hottest and driest months of the year, and the Bay Area faces a treacherous fire season. According to the latest wildfire forecast, the potential for wildfire is above normal across Northern and Central California.
Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED
As of July 1, millions of renters in Los Angeles received stronger protections against eviction. The new rules will provide a stronger defense for many L.A. renters who’ve been vulnerable to eviction since April, when a last-minute change in state law temporarily revoked the county’s protections.
Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC
With the Supreme Court decision last month overturning Roe v. Wade, California has pegged itself as a sanctuary for abortion services. But in many parts of the state, including the Central Valley, those services are hard to come by.
Guest: Lauren Jennings, Reporter, Visalia Times-Delta
The state budget approved by Governor Gavin Newsom last week includes $100 million to help children whos…
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Jul 4, 2022
Company In California Desert Looking To Help With Next Moon Mission
Masten Space Systems is helping develop a line of rockets that could be used for spaceflights without a crew and eventually, the next mission to the moon.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
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Jul 1, 2022
Supreme Court Decision On Carbon Pollution Not Expected To Impact California Rules
A Supreme Court ruling out this week sharply limits the Biden administration’s ability to limit carbon pollution from power plants. But it will not affect California’s aggressive climate laws.
Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED
California is adding four new states to the list of places to which state-funded travel is banned due to anti-LGBTQ laws. Attorney General Rob Bonta has added Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana and Utah to California’s do-not-travel list.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
Governor Newsom and the state legislature have agreed to eliminate more than $500 million in late payment fees on traffic violations for Californians. The penalties are known as civil assessments. They get tacked on as fines when someone doesn’t pay off things like speeding tickets on time.
Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report
More people are getting infected with COVID-19 at work in Los Angeles County. With more than 300 workplaces reporting clusters of COVID-19 cases in the pa…
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Jun 30, 2022
Two Sports Gambling Bills To Be On November Ballot
This fall, California voters will decide on two different proposals to legalize and tax betting on sports. Four years after the U.S. Supreme Court made it possible, voters will decide whether to legalize the multi-billion dollar industry here.
Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED
A controversial state bill that would make it easier to build housing in office spaces or strip malls has passed out of a Senate Committee. The bill has split the state’s construction trade unions.
Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED
Sacramento County’s homeless population hit a new record high this winter at nearly 9300 people. That’s according to the Homeless Point-In-Time-Count, which was released earlier this week.
Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio
California officials urged the federal EPA to let the state enforce its own ambitious clean truck standards at a hearing on Wednesday. The EPA is considering a waiver allowing California to impose strict regulations, forcing manufacturers to limit die…
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Jun 29, 2022
Thousands Waiting For Help As Eviction Moratorium Set To Expire
The last of California’s eviction protections expires on Friday. Lawmakers extended the deadline back in March, to give the state more time to pay out emergency rental assistance. But thousands of people who applied are still waiting, and could soon face eviction.
Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED
Reported hate crimes in California rose significantly last year, according to a report issued Tuesday by Attorney General Rob Bonta. Overall reports of hate crimes rose nearly 33% last year – to the highest level since right after the 9/11 attacks.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
As California's craft liquor scene grows, some of the state's smaller distillers say their growth is limited by laws preventing them from shipping direct to consumers. Now, a new bill, headed back to a state assembly committee, could change that.
Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX
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Jun 28, 2022
California Voters Get To Decide On Abortion Issue in November
In November, California voters will decide whether to enshrine a right to abortion in the state constitution, after the state Assembly voted on Monday to place the question on the November ballot.
Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED
While abortion in California will remain legal, and the state says it will champion reproductive freedoms, Arizona is looking to enact some of the most draconian abortion laws in the country. What does this mean for both states?
Guest: Howard Fischer, Reporter Capitol Media Services in Arizona
Los Angeles County has allocated $50 million to start making purchases for 5,000 affordable housing units to help families reduce two big expenses - housing and transportation.
Reporter: Janaya Williams/KCRW
Undocumented immigrants, ages 26 to 49, will get health coverage beginning in 2024. Roughly 700-thousand people are expected to sign up – at a cost of about 2 billion dollars a year.
Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED
Advocates are hopeful that Gov. Newsom's bud…
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Jun 27, 2022
Californians Prepared To Help People From Out Of State With Abortion Care
California, which has positioned itself as a bastion of reproductive rights, plans to welcome people from states where abortion services are now restricted or banned altogether, following last week's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The state may even help them cover the costs of traveling here.
Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED
This is an election year with control of Congress at stake. And progresssive political activists say in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion and reproductive freedoms will be the biggest issue shaping the political landscape.
Guest: Emiliana Guereca, CEO of the Women’s March Foundation
Legal scholars say it’s unsettled whether Californians could be held legally liable for helping people from out of state get abortions. At issue is whether states have authority to criminalize behavior outside of their borders.
Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED
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Jun 24, 2022
After the Supreme Courts Ruling This Week California Lawmakers Gearing Up To Tighten Gun Laws
California has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Next week state lawmakers are expected to pass a bill that will make carrying a concealed weapon her even harder.
Reporter: Kris Hooks, CapRadio
Nathan Hochman, a former prosecutor and defense lawyer, has won enough votes to face California's Democratic Attorney General, Rob Bonta, in the November general election in California. Hochman won 18% of the vote in the June 7th primary, while Bonta garnered 54.8%, according to the latest figures released on Thursday by the California Secretary of State's Office.
Prosecutors say the accused gunman who attacked a Taiwanese congregation in Laguna Woods was motivated by hate. The shooting shows a painful and complex past for Taiwanese immigrants and their American children.
Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC
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Jun 23, 2022
New Program Helps Paradise Residents Rebuild With Wildfire Prepared Homes
A Paradise homeowner is one of the first to get her home fire proofed. It's part of a program that helps residents who lost homes during the 2018 Camp Fire pay for safety improvements.
Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED
The trustee for a more than $13-billion-dollar fund set up to compensate Pacific Gas and Electric wildfire victims is stepping down. Retired Judge John K. Trotter has overseen the "Fire Victim Trust" for the past two years, but next week he leaves the post.
Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED
California’s public pension systems won’t have to divest their funds from fossil fuels anytime soon. A bill that would have forced the state's public pension systems to sell their oil and gas holdings by the end of the decade died in the state assembly this week.
Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW
Los Angeles renters may have to start paying back payments owed for rent during the pandemic now that the LA City Council is considering reversing measures that protected renters for the past t…
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Jun 22, 2022
California Firefighters Dealing With Mental Health Crisis On The Job
Cal Fire is not only dealing with an increasing amount of wildfires across California, but many of its firefighters are facing their own mental health crisis. An investigation by CalMatters looked at the trauma these firefighters are facing and how it's affecting fire crews across the state.
Guest: Julie Cart, Reporter, CalMatters
Governor Gavin Newsom's plan to compel severely mentally ill Californians into treatment has cleared its latest legislative hurdle, despite concerns from civil liberties advocates. The CARE Court proposal is now headed to its next committee hearing in Sacramento.
Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED
Los Angeles County health officials are being urged to be more aggressive in their efforts to help stop the spread of Monkeypox. Currently, there are at least a dozen confirmed, or suspected, Monkeypox cases in LA County, and 37 total cases across the state. California health authorities are being asked to work harder on getting the word out about the disease, and…
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Jun 21, 2022
Legislators Announce Committee To Investigate High Gas Prices
California has the highest gasoline prices in the country. Now, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers is investigating whether price gouging by energy companies is the biggest factor.
Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio
Cal Fire responds to thousands of fires every year, often at great risk to firefighters. That’s earned the agency a heroic image in the public’s eye. But Cal Fire is also responsible for work that helps prevent catastrophic fire damage, and an investigation by the California Newsroom has found that the agency has failed to meet many of those responsibilities.
Guest: Danielle Venton, KQED
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Jun 20, 2022
Thousands Of Warriors Fans Expected For Victory Parade
Thousands of people will line the streets of downtown San Francisco on Monday to celebrate the Golden State Warriors NBA Championship. This is the team's fourth title in the last eight years.
At least one bill that would legalize sports betting in California will go before voters in November. And while California could join more than two dozen states with some form of legalized wagering on sports, some are concerned it could have a negative effect on those struggling to kick the habit of sports betting and gambling addiction.
Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report
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Jun 17, 2022
Warriors Win Fourth Championship In Last Eight Seasons
The Golden State Warriors went on the road and defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, 103-90, to clinch their fourth NBA title in the last eight seasons. Guard Stephen Curry was named Finals MVP, after leading the team with 34 points in the finale.
A Bay Area state senator is introducing a bill that would require California gun owners to have liability insurance. The bill from Senator Nancy Skinner of Berkeley would make gun owners take out policies similar to car insurance, that would make them financially responsible for injuries, damages, or deaths caused by the negligent or accidental use of their weapons.
Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED
Immigrant detainees who work at two privately run detention facilities around Bakersfield have confirmed they are on strike. This comes as California’s workplace health and safety regulators have opened an investigation into their working conditions at one of the detention centers.
Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED
Glenn…
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Jun 16, 2022
Opinions Over Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Remain Mixed
For nearly a decade, the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant has been the only active nuclear plant in California -- and the state’s single largest source of electricity. It's been set for decommissioning over the next three years, but recently Governor Gavin Newsom has discussed delaying its closure, to help offset possible energy shortages predicted in the next few years.
Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX
The city of Sacramento has adopted an emergency ordinance aimed at better protecting patients and staff at reproductive health care clinics from harassment.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
In a win for California employers, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday placed limits on a state law that lets workers sue over certain labor law violations, even if they agreed to arbitration.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED
An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously on Wednesday to recommend both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for young child…
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Jun 16, 2022
Mortgage Relief Program Expands In California
More California homeowners could get mortgage relief, as the state expands access to a program designed to help those who have struggled to make payments during the pandemic.
Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED
Southern California’s sizzling real estate market may finally be getting a little cooler. As mortgage rates and inflation rise, some sellers now find themselves slashing asking prices to make a sale.
Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW
Despite the cooling market in parts of Southern California, rent and property prices still remain out of reach for some Californians. Among them -- many child care providers in San Diego.
Reporter: Claire Trageser, KPBS
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Jun 14, 2022
Lawmakers In Sacramento Approve Budget
Legislators in Sacramento have passed a new state budget, just in time for Wednesday's constitutional deadline. The $300 billion package is the largest spending plan ever.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Richmond have all adopted rules to stop landlords from harassing their tenants. Now, the city of Concord is the latest to take up these protections for renters.
Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED
This past weekend, there were multiple incidents across the country involving right wing groups targeting Pride Month events. And we had at least two notable examples of LGBTQ hate here in California. It's something that many say is happening far more frequently.
Guest: Ari Drennen, LGBTQ Director for Media Matters for America
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Jun 13, 2022
As Abortion Ruling Looms, Counties Near Arizona Border Prepare For Influx Of Patients
The Supreme Court’s ruling on a Mississippi case that could alter the future of abortions in this country could come any day now. With the decision likely to overturn Roe v. Wade, states across the country are already looking to severely restrict or outright ban access to abortions. That includes California’s next door neighbor, Arizona.
Guest: Darrah DiGiorgio Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest
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Jun 9, 2022
A Closer Look At Extremist Behavior In California
On Thursday, the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol will start sharing its findings, in the first of six public hearings. Dozens of people, here in California, have been criminally charged for their alleged involvement in the insurrection.
Guest: Brian Levin, Director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino
A far right militia led the charge to recall a supervisor in Shasta County earlier this year. Far right activists started an organization meant to back candidates that shared their views in the primary election. But all six lost their races this week.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
The town of Susanville, about 200 miles northeast of Sacramento in Lassen County, is a former mining and logging area best known for the two state prisons it’s home to. The facilities are a driving force for Susanville’s economy, even with a third of the town’s population being incarcerated. But one of tho…
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Jun 8, 2022
Incumbents Dominate In Primary Election
During Tuesday's primary election, incumbents had strong showings in statewide races, as they head to runoffs in November. And several closely contested congressional seats will also be up for grabs in the general election.
Guests: Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos, KQED
Congressman David Valadao, who represents the 22nd District in the Central Valley is locked in a tight battle for his seat, with Democratic State Assemblyman Rudy Salas.
Guest: Sorreath Hok, Valley Public Radio
Attorney General Rob Bonta is headed to a November election date with one of his Republican challengers, although that race is still too close to call.
Guest: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio
The 45th Congressional District race covers much of Orange County. It's expected to be a close battle in November, with Republican incumbent Michelle Steel taking on Democrat Jay Chen.
Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC
Developer Rick Caruso and longtime politician Karen Bass are heading for a November faceoff to see who will be the next ma…
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Jun 7, 2022
California Voters Head To The Polls For Primary Election
The primary election is being held Tuesday in California. While a number of statewide offices are up for grabs, there are also several key Congressional races across the state.
Guest: Scott Shafer, KQED
California tenants rights groups have sued the state, claiming its process for denying emergency rental assistance isn’t fair. The lawsuit comes as pandemic-related eviction protections are set to expire at the end of the month.
Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED
A bill in the House of Representatives would help non-citizen military veterans who are being threatened with deportation stay in this country.
Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED
It’s been nearly a year since thousands of Afghan nationals fled their home country, as the Taliban seized power, following the U.S. withdrawal. Many have made California their new home. But in one Central Valley community, it's been an everyday struggle for these refugees.
Guest: Deepa Fernandes, Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle
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Jun 6, 2022
Community Able To Voice Opinions On Reparations
Recently a few dozen Black Californians gathered in Oakland to discuss their visions for reparations. It was the first "listening session" hosted by the State Task Force studying reparations for descendants of enslaved Americans.
To vote in Tuesday’s primary election, Californians must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen. But you don’t need to have a permanent address to cast a ballot.
Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio
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Jun 3, 2022
Alameda County Reimplements Indoor Mask Mandate
Due to rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Alameda County is now requiring masks in most indoor public settings. With more California counties entering the CDC's highest community level for COVID-19 danger, it's unclear if more counties will do the same in the weeks ahead.
The Summit of the Americas convenes in Los Angeles next week. It's a gathering of heads of state from across the Western Hemisphere. But this year, it's unclear how recent tensions between the U.S.and Mexico could affect the gathering.
Guest: Arturo Sarukhán, Mexico's Former Ambassador to the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Education is canceling student loan debt for some 500,000 students who attended Corinthian Colleges. Corinthian was accused of targeting low income students, leaving them with a mountain of debt and too often without the jobs promised with the degrees offered.
Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED
Dancers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood could be the first strip club workers…
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Jun 2, 2022
With Worsening Drought, Long-Delayed Reservoir Project Gets New Life
As California's drought conditions worsen, the state is looking for more answers beyond just asking residents to conserve. There's now renewed debate about whether or not to build the Sites Reservoir, a massive reservoir project in the western Sacramento River Valley.
Guest: Ann Willis, Senior Staff Researcher, Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis
California’s Reparations Task Force released its first report on Wednesday. The report has preliminary recommendations including the establishment of an Office of African American/Freedmen Affairs to address past and potential future harms, and to assist people in filing eligibility claims.
Reporter: Lakshmi Sarah, KQED
State officials are warning people seeking abortion services about potential misleading information offered by so-called crisis pregnancy centers. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a consumer alert about these facilities.
Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report
UCLA researchers have an…
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Jun 2, 2022
Los Angeles Clears The Way To Ban Homeless Encampments Near Schools
The Los Angeles City Council has voted in favor of drafting new municipal ordinances that will ban homeless encampments within 500 feet of all schools and daycare centers in the city.
A new state audit has found major problems with the state's Child Abuse Central Index. The audit only reviewed six of California’s 58 counties, but found information gaps in tens of thousands of cases.
Reporter: Sara Hossaini, KQED
Our sister station KVPR in Fresno has launched a new podcast series called “The Other California.” It profiles small towns around the San Joaquin Valley. One recent episode focuses on the expansion of the cannabis industry in the community of Woodlake in Tulare County.
Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR
After a very long meeting Tuesday, Democrats in the State Assembly have settled on a new Speaker to succeed Anthony Rendon. But it's still unclear when Robert Rivas will actually become the next Assembly Speaker.
Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED
This week the Biden Admin…