KQED's The California Report

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Taiwanese Community Has Trouble Coming To Grips WIth Church Shooting May 19, 2022

Show notes

Sunday’s shooting at a gathering of Taiwanese American Presbyterians in Orange County has shaken that community in Southern California. It's upsetting the older generation the most.

Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC

This week, more than 40 so-called “Documented Dreamers” are in Washington D.C. They’re lobbying lawmakers to pass legislation that would protect young people who’ve aged out of their families’ immigration applications.

Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

Immigrant advocates are pleased with Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal that would make California the first state in the nation to extend safety net health coverage to all residents, regardless of immigration status. But with a massive surplus, advocates say it's time for the state to go even further.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

California has some of the most stringent privacy laws in the country, including protecting the personal data of immigrants. But a two-year investigation by the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology has found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has used a range of surveillance tactics to circumvent state privacy laws, including California’s.

Guest: Dan Bateyko, Research Coordinator, Georgetown Law Center on Privacy & Technology

In response to national shortages of baby formula, President Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to speed production and has authorized the Defense Department to use commercial planes to import formula from overseas that meet U.S. standards. The shortage is also prompting warnings from California health officials.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC

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Man Accused In Orange County Church Shooting Faces Murder Charge May 18, 2022

Show notes

The man accused of opening fire this past Sunday at a church in Laguna Woods in Orange County, killing one man and wounding five others, is facing one count of murder, along with several other charges. The murder charge against David Chou also comes with the special circumstance of using a gun and lying in wait.

Reporters: Robert Garrova and Josie Huang, KPCC

The average price for a gallon of gas in California hit a new record on Tuesday. According to AAA, the statewide average for a gallon of regular gas is now $6.02.

Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED

New Starbucks unions are rapidly forming across California, with workers voting to unionize the first four locations in just the past week. Employees at more than 20 Starbucks locations in the state have petitioned for a chance to unionize since the start of the year.

Reporter: Juan Carlos Lara, KQED

In this third year of the drought, state leaders touted investments in water recycling on Tuesday while visiting a facility in Southern California. By early June the entire state will be under either a local or state mandate to conserve water.

Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED

Despite California’s strong gun laws, ghost guns, which are assembled by their purchasers at home, and difficult to trace because they lack serial numbers, have become increasingly linked to crime in the state.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

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FBI Investigating Orange County Church Shooting As Possible Hate Crime May 17, 2022

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The FBI has opened a federal hate crime investigation into a shooting Sunday at a church in Orange County that left one man dead and five others wounded. Law enforcement officials say they believe the suspect in the case was motivated by political tensions between Taiwan and China.

Reporters: Robert Garrova and Josie Huang, KPCC

A judge in Los Angeles has ruled that California cannot legally require corporations to have women members of their boards of directors. The ruling invalidates a law passed in 2018, which said by this year, companies had to have at least two women on boards of five members, and at least three women on boards or six or more.

Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED

California is hoping to reach carbon neutrality by 2045, and the state is looking to diversify and expand renewable energy projects to meet that goal. One major source of carbon-free energy could come from floating offshore wind turbines. The California Energy Commission earlier this month released a draft target for the amount of wind energy the state would need to help reach its goals.

Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX

California's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office says the state could be headed toward a fiscal cliff, despite a record-breaking budget surplus. The LAO says the new proposed state budget would leave California more than $3 billion over a constitutional limit on spending this year, and more than $20 million over that limit next year.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

Last month, two Fresno council members announced a new pilot program that would equip street vendors’ carts with cameras. This effort comes a year after the murder of street vendor Lorenzo Perez. But it's still uncler if these vendors feel safe.

Reporter: Madi Bolaños, KVPR

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Bomb Plot Case In Northern California Highlights Domestic Extremism Movement May 16, 2022

Show notes

Last year, two Bay Area men were arrested and charged with plotting to blow up the headquarters of the California Democratic Party. Prosecutors say the men planned to launch their attack on or after inauguration day.

Reporters: Julie Small and Alex Hall, KQED

One person, an adult male, was killed and five others were wounded when a gunman opened fire at a lunch banquet at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods in Orange County. The banquet was held by a largely Taiwanese-American congregation.

On Saturday, thousands of people showed up in cities across California, in support of reproductive rights. This comes as the U.S. Supreme Court could vote to overturn Roe v. Wade in the coming months.

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Baby Formula Shortage Leaves Parents In California Scrambling May 13, 2022

Show notes

There’s a nationwide baby formula shortage, driven by supply chain issues and recalls. You can’t buy formula in many stores and in California, that's left many parents are scrambling.

Reporter: Cristina Kim, KPBS

A federal appeals court has ruled that California’s ban on the sale of semiautomatic weapons to people under the age of 21 is unconstitutional. A panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that the law violates the Second Amendment and the right of young adults to bear arms.

Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report

COVID-19 cases rose 20% last week in L.A. County. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said mask mandates could return if the pace of new cases doesn't slow down.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC

With roughly 66,000 people across L.A. experiencing homelessness on any given night, there’s renewed interest in the role of corporate social responsibility and charity.

Reporter: Ethan Ward, KPCC

Seal pup season is coming to a close in California. When adult elephant seals leave the beach, pups are on their own as they prepare to live out at sea for months at a time. This means pups must learn to sleep underwater.

Reporter: Guananí Gómez-Van Cortright, KQED

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Workers At Two Santa Cruz Starbucks Stores Vote To Unionize May 12, 2022

Show notes

Two Starbucks stores in Santa Cruz have voted to become the first in the state to unionize. Since January, more than 20 Starbucks stores in California have started the process to unionize – joining hundreds of others across the U.S.

Resident doctors gathered in front of LA County-USC Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday to protest low pay. It's just the latest in a string of healthcare-related protests across the state in recent months.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC

The June primary is just weeks away, and we have our third story in a series examining the field of candidates running to be California Attorney General. No-party-preference candidate Anne Marie Schubert is a lifelong prosecutor and current Sacarmento County District Attorney.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

Lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday that would get rid of a rule in the state’s constitution that has stymied affordable housing developments in California for decades. It’s called Article 34 and it’s embedded in California’s constitution. It forces cities to get voter approval to build public housing.

Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED

Giant Sequoias are now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Endangered Species Red List due to the threat of drought and wildfires in their natural habitat in the U.S., particularly in California. Now, a group in the UK is planting and nurturing thousands of Giant Sequoias to offer a more secure future for the species.

Guest: Henry Emson, Founder One Life One Tree

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Despite Drought Warnings, Californians Using More Water May 11, 2022

Show notes

According to new numbers out, California's water usage jumped nearly 19% in March, despite pleas for conservation from the governor and local water agencies. Meanwhile, the city of Los Angeles has announced new mandatory water restrictions. Starting June 1st, the city's four million residents will have to cut outdoor water use to two-days a week.

California has a whopping state budget surplus, an estimated $68 billion. But it’s doubtful any of that money will go to fixing the state agency in charge of investigating wage theft. It’s struggling with a backlog of more than 36, 000 cases that stretches back years.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice, in separate but related contests. He's running in one contest to finish out former U.S. Senator Kamala Harris' term, and also competing for a new 6-year term.

Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio

California’s Fair Political Practices Commission could soon open the door for campaigns to accept cryptocurrency donations. California is currently one of nine states that bars campaign contributions in crypto because they’re so hard to regulate and trace.

Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED

Equality isn’t perceived equally. According to a new study from UC Berkeley, historically privileged groups can see opening up pathways of opportunities for some less privileged people as harming their own access to resources.

Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW

The opulent Hearst Castle atop a commanding hilltop on California’s Central Coast draws in about 750,000 visitors every year. But the popular tourist destination has been closed for more than two years because of the pandemic. It's finally reopening on Wednesday

Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX

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Thousands Of Fast Food Workers Still Dealing With Wage Theft In California May 10, 2022

Show notes

A survey released on Tuesday reveals wage theft is still a big problem for more than half a million fast food workers in California. More than 8 in 10 workers surveyed said employers have shorted them on their paychecks.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

Contract negotiations affecting workers at 29 West Coast ports begin on Tuesday. The talks between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association are happening amid pandemic safety issues and growing imports that created long queues of ships waiting to offload cargo.

Reporter: Angela Corral, The California Report

San Francisco’s NAACP chapter is calling on the city to take action in support of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities who’ve faced an increase in hate crimes

Reporter: Maria Fernanda Bernal, KQED

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Financial Justice Advocates Call For End To Traffic Citation-Related Court Fees May 09, 2022

Show notes

Later this week, Governor Gavin Newsom will issue what’s called a "May Revise," updating the governor’s budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. Financial justice advocates in the state hope part of that proposal will include the elimination of court fees known as "civil assessments." These are penalties that courts impose when traffic tickets and other citations aren't paid on time.

Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report

The nation’s largest student-run powwow gathered in-person at Stanford University over the weekend, the first time since the pandemic hit. The theme was intergenerational resilience.

Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED

Bay Area counties are in the midst of an increase in COVID-19 cases. How long will it last? Well, experts say it depends.

Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED

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Bill To Protect Abortion Services For Out-of-State Patients Moves Forward May 06, 2022

Show notes

A bill to protect abortion services for people traveling to California from states where abortion is banned is now on a fast track in Sacramento. Assembly Bill 1666 was introduced after Texas enacted a law to punish women who receive an abortion or anyone who assists her.

Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

The Facing Life project investigates “life after life” in California’s prisons. The lives of eight people are documented. They were released from life sentences in California prisons, following policy changes in the state. But the project sheds light on mass incarceration and its systemic issues.

Guest: Pendarvis Harshaw, KQED, Host of Rightnowish Podcast

The state Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to advance a bill that would let teens get vaccinated for COVID-19 without their parents’ consent. The bill is from San Francisco State Senator Scott Wiener.

Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED

Cable, phone, and wireless companies have dropped their legal bid to block the state’s net neutrality law.

Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

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