KQED's The California Report

Latest Episodes:

Recall Campaigns Look to Increase Turnout in Final Days Before Election Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

Supporters of Governor Gavin Newsom are working furiously to turn out the “No” vote and keep him in office. They've been canvassing the state in the lead-up to election day.

Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED

With the final day to vote in the gubernatorial recall election just five days away, tensions are flaring on the campaign trail. Republican frontrunner Larry Elder was greeted by angry protesters in Venice on Wednesday.

Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW

The city of San Francisco and irrigation districts in the Central Valley are suing the state over drought restrictions, restrictions that prevent them from drawing water out of creeks and rivers.

Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED

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Recall Campaign Enters its Final Stages Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

Governor Gavin Newsom continues his campaign across the state, as he looks to fight off the recall election. Meanwhile, top candidates to replace the governor are also spreading their message, a week before election day.

Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

California lawmakers wrap up their legislative session at the end of this week. And there are still a flurry of bills that may be in the pipeline.

Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio

California is one of just a handful of states that has laws on the books meant to protect workers from excessive temperatures. But, people are still getting sick and dying from excessive heat and the state agency that's supposed to protect workers has been understaffed for years.

Reporter: Jacob Margolis, KPCC

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What to Know About At-Home COVID Tests Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

When it comes to COVID-19 testing, one increasingly popular option is at-home test kits. But do they really work?

Guest: Katherine Wu, Staff Writer, The Atlantic

Crews continue to build containment around the Caldor Fire in the Sierra foothills. But some communities are still in limbo as it's not safe enough for residents to return to their homes.

Over Labor Day weekend, up to 2 million Californians lost emergency unemployment benefits created to help get them through the pandemic. As people who still haven’t found work try to move forward with less support, some fear they may never recover.

Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report

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Migrant Workers on the Front Line Battling California Wildfires Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

With major wildfires burning across California, fire crews from across the state and other parts of the country are now on the front lines trying to contain them. That includes migrant workers, who are working under some of the most challenging conditions.

Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED

Democrats and Republicans are trying to gather support as the recall election nears. Candidates are trying to make their case to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, who is fighting the recall effort.

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Crews Get Better Handle on Caldor Fire as Conditions Improve Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

Firefighters have taken advantage of lighter winds as they look to get a better handle on the Caldor Fire burning in the Sierra foothills. But thousands remain evacuated from their homes.

Like in so many other fire-scarred areas, one year after wildfires devastated communities in the Santa Cruz Mountains, residents are still struggling. One problem? Strict county building codes that stop fire victims from rebuilding quickly.

Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU

On Saturday, some 2,000,000 Californians will lose emergency federal unemployment benefits that were created to help get them through the pandemic. And as of now, the state has no plan to provide any meaningful extensions for the people losing out, although the state has started to issue a new round of stimulus checks.

Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report

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Healthcare and COVID-19 Response Loom Large in Recall Election Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

With the recall election less than two weeks away, one of the big issues is Governor Gavin Newsom's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. And if a Republican replaces him, the state could be in for major changes when it comes to coronavirus rules and mandates.

Reporters: Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer, KQED

The Caldor Fire continues to challenge firefighters battling the massive blaze. Some residents on the western flank of the fire are finally being allowed back home.

This week marked the formal withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan after two decades -- bringing to an end American involvement in the war. In recent weeks, the world has seen images of Afghans desperately trying to leave the country, and many comparisons have been made to the fall of Saigon.

Guest: Ngoc Nguyen, Ethnic Media Editor at Kaiser Health News and a journalist who has covered the Vietnamese American community

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Many Caldor Fire Evacuees Face Uncertain Future Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate their homes in South Lake Tahoe this week because of dangerous conditions brought on by the Caldor Fire. If the fire does hit the city, many residents are wondering what they'll return to when the fire is under control.

Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED

Another political hot potato has been tossed into the recall election that’s just two weeks away now. State parole board commissioners recently recommended that Sirhan Sirhan, who shot and killed Senator Robert Kennedy in Los Angeles in 1968, be paroled from prison.

Reporters: Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer, KQED

Republicans in the California Legislature held an informal hearing on wildfire prevention Tuesday on the steps of the state Capitol. Democrats in the Legislature have indefinitely postponed a similar hearing, saying they don’t want to pull critical firefighter personnel away during a busy wildfire season.

Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED

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Thousands More Evacuated as Caldor Fire Moves Closer to South Lake Tahoe Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

The Caldor Fire continues to spread quickly across the Sierra Foothills. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate South Lake Tahoe on Monday, as the fire continues to make its way towards the city.

Guest:Ezra David Romero, KQED

California public health experts consider heat-related illness and death to be fully preventable. And California is one of the few states in the country with laws on the books meant to protect workers. But Californians continue to get sick and die.

Reporter: Jacob Margolis, KPCC

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Caldor Fire Prompts Evacuation Warning for Entire South Lake Tahoe Basin Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

There was rapid growth for the Caldor Fire on Sunday as it moves closer to the Tahoe Basin. Even more concerning -- the area is under a red flag warning over the next two days, with low humidity and wind gusts expected across the fire zone.

Guest:Tamara Wallace, Mayor of South Lake Tahoe

More than 8 in 10 residents of Imperial County -- east of San Diego -- are Latino, the highest percentage in the state. The county along California’s southern border also saw the state’s largest voting swing between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections -- in favor of Republican Donald Trump.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

Over the weekend, the remains of U.S. military personnel killed by a suicide bomber outside of Kabul's international airport arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Four Marines from California were killed in the attack.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

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Afghan Family Resettles in Modesto Following Harrowing Flight Out of Kabul Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

Mustafa, who didn't want to reveal his last name because he still has family in Afghanistan, was able to get his wife and daughter out of the country, and they just made it to Modesto this week. He described the whole experience as chaotic, but is glad to have resettled in California.

Guest: Mustafa, Afghan Translator

Two San Diego County families, who were visiting relatives in Afghanistan, have been evacuated from the country amidst the chaos of the Taliban takeover. They are among several groups in the county, including two dozen students who attend the Cajon Valley Union School District, who found themselves stranded in Afghanistan.

Reporter: Alexandra Rangel, KPBS

As the Caldor Fire continues to burn its way east, the first evacuation warning has been issued for the Tahoe basin, specifically Christmas Valley in the South Lake Tahoe area.

Efforts to loosen zoning rules in single family neighborhoods to create more housing have long been a contentious issue in California. But legislation that could create more multi-family housing took a big step forward in Sacramento Thursday.

Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED

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