KQED's The California Report

Latest Episodes:

Embattled LA City Councilman Kevin de Leon Says He Won't Resign Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

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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Tentative Deal Reached Between Mental Health Workers And Kaiser Permanente Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

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 Latinos have not swung as far to the right in recent years. But concerns about inflation and gas prices are playing big in California’s Latino-majority 22nd congressional district, where both candidates are running to the center.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

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Card Rooms May Face Uncertain Future If Gambling Proposition Passes Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

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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Proposition 28 Would Increase Funding For Arts And Music Education Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

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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Los Angeles Councilmembers Resist Calls for Resignation Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

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 Stolze takes a deep dive into the tenure of controversial LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

Reporter: Frank Stolze, KPCC

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LA City Councilmember Nury Martinez Resigns Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

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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L.A. Residents Call For Councilmembers To Resign Following Use Of Racist Language Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

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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Outrage Grows Over Leaked Racist Comments From L.A. City Councilmembers Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

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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Janitors For Meta Strike Amid Mass Layoffs Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

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 became the first native woman to reach space last week as commander for the NASA Space X Crew 5 mission to the International Space Station. Mann is enrolled with the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in Northern California.

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California is Giving Out $9.5 billion in Tax Rebates Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

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 bus many in the Vietnamese American community informally call the “Bánh Mì Bus” because of the importance of food to many of the passengers on the trip. Reporter Christine Nguyen takes us on a mouthwatering journey from San Jose to little Saigon in Orange County, a route that connects the two largest Vietnamese communities outside Vietnam.

Host: Sasha Khokha, The California Report Magazine

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