KQED's The California Report

Latest Episodes:

Karen Bass Wins LA Mayoral Race Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

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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LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva Concedes Election Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

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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Inside One of the Biggest Strikes in History of U.S Higher Education Nov 15, 2022

Show notes

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 of states across the West, mostly sends every voter a ballot in the mail, and it just takes longer to count mail in ballots. You have to take it out and compare the signature on the blue to the one on file to make sure that it matches.

Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters politics reporter

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Californians Elect Latino Candidates To Key Offices Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

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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California Proposes Cutting Compensation For Solar Power Owners Nov 11, 2022

Show notes

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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After Red Wave Fails To Materialize, McCarthy's Future Is Uncertain Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

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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McCarthy Promises Republican Majority, But Many California Races Are Still Too Close To Call Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

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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Newsom Signs Controversial Bill That Will Change California's Approach To Mental Health Care Nov 08, 2022

Show notes

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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Tug-Of-War Over Values In Some School Board Elections Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

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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UC Student Worker Strike Looms Ahead of Final Exams Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

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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