KQED's The California Report

Latest Episodes:

More Hot Weather On The Way Sep 08, 2022

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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 several California school districts got a win this week. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill requiring certain districts make time for an equity impact analysis before closing schools.

Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED

Governor Gavin Newsom signed an emergency budget package Tuesday authorizing $41 million to fight the spread of the monkeypox virus.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC

A bill that could make California a refuge for transgender youth seeking gender-affirming care is on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Advocates and lawmakers who support the legislation say it provides life-saving care. But opponents say it interferes with a parent’s authority over their child’s health decisions.

Reporter: Ariel Gans, CalMatters

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Heat Wave Continues Across California Sep 07, 2022

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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, KQED

Starting this week, millions of people in Southern California are dealing with big new water restrictions. The Metropolitan Water District says that's necessary so that a broken pipeline that carries water from the Colorado River to the region can be repaired.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

California's eviction moratorium ended earlier this summer, but some cities in L.A. County have also banned rent hikes. But tenants are still getting demands to pay more. In many cases, whether they can fight those rent hikes depends on where they live.

Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC

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Heat Wave Continues, Power Grid Stressed Sep 07, 2022

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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, passed away at his home near Santa Cruz. He was 92.

Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED

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Can Churches Help With Affordable Housing Crisis? Sep 05, 2022

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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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Bill That Aimed to End Prison-to-ICE Transfers Fails in California Legislature Sep 02, 2022

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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

Californians Could Receive First Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Next Week

The unique booster is different from any COVID shot you’ve gotten before. One half is the original shot and the other half is designed specifically for omicron sub-variants that are still infecting thousands of people every day.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC

Bill That Aimed to End Prison-to-ICE Transfers in California Fails

The last days of California’s two-year legislative session ended with a flurry of votes this week. One of the bills that did NOT make it would have ended the practice of transferring non-citizens to immigration custody when they’re released from jail or prison.

Tyche Hendricks, KQED Immigration Editor

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California Prepares for Extreme Temperatures Sep 01, 2022

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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 health correspondent

On Overdose Awareness Day, Advocates for People Who Use Drugs Remain Defiant

More than a week after Governor Newsom vetoed a bill that would provide safe consumption sites for people who use drugs, advocates used Overdose Awareness Day on Wednesday to reaffirm their commitment to continue the fight.

Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED

How Nonprofits Use a Legal Loophole to Flip California Homes — for a Profit

The state legislature approved dozens of bills this week. If history is any guide, some of those laws will have unintended consequences. That’s the story of a law passed in 2020, which was meant to keep foreclosed homes out of the hands of corporate investors, and increase the chance they would be used for affordable housing.

Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED

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CARE Court Plan Passes State Assembly Aug 31, 2022

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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 Venton, KQED

A bill that would restrict solitary confinement for all incarcerated people in California, including at federal immigration detention centers, is headed to the Governor’s desk after clearing the state Senate Tuesday.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

A bill establishing tough new privacy rules for children under 18 is headed to the governor's desk, after it passed the state Assembly unanimously on Tuesday.

Reporter: Rachael Myrow , KQED

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Bill To Help Fast Food Workers Heads To Governor's Desk Aug 30, 2022

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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 Monday that will make it easier for farmworkers to vote in union elections, but getting the governor’s signature is far from a done deal. During a march to Sacramento in support of the bill, farmworkers picked up some allies on the way.

Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report

The Biden administration is looking for new ways to shield DACA recipients, in case the courts overturn the program that protects these undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

More and more dead fish are piling up on beaches around the Bay Area, spanning from Vallejo to San Jose. Scientists fear a giant toxic algae bloom could lead to permanent impacts.

Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED

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Counties Prepare For The End Of Juvenile Lockups Aug 29, 2022

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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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California Sets Historic Policy On Zero Emission Vehicles Aug 26, 2022

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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. But Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, on the Central Coast, is home to one of the most successful collegiate rodeo programs in the country. It holds 45 national titles.

Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX

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