KQED's The California Report

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Bill to Help Unemployed Californians Moves Through Assembly Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

Hundreds of thousands of out of work Californians are stuck with frozen accounts, and without desperately-needed unemployment benefits after being flagged for fraud by the state’s Employment Development Department. But a bill that could protect innocent people snagged by EDD’s "freeze first, verify later" policy has passed through the state Assembly.

Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report

Economists in California continue to paint a rosy picture for pandemic recovery. The latest UCLA Anderson Forecast finds that a driving force for an economic recovery will likely be a pent-up demand for leisure and hospitality, but those industries have been struggling to hire workers.

Guest: Scott Satterfield, General Manager of Hotel Trio in Healdsburg

During the Trump presidency, California and Washington DC were locked in a bitter battle over the regulation of vehicle emissions and whether the state had the authority to cut pollution from cars and trucks. Now, the state wants control back, and the Biden administration seems willing to allow it.

Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED

Federal legislation introduced by Bay Area Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren would loosen a decades-old system that puts an annual limit on the share of legal immigrants admitted from any one country.

Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED

A bill to offer food assistance benefits to undocumented immigrants is gaining momentum in the state legislature. Advocates say it could benefit up to a million Californians who don’t qualify for federally-funded CalFresh food stamps.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

Mental health services for California children could get a boost under Governor Gavin Newsom’s most recent budget proposal. Health and social service providers say the funding is needed as the state’s youngest residents struggle with mental health challenges created during the pandemic.

Reporter: Sammy Caiola, CapRadio

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New State Budget Proposal Calls for Increased Spending on Child Care Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

Democratic leaders of the state Senate and Assembly say they're in agreement on a state budget proposal. But a final deal still needs to be reached with Governor Gavin Newsom.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

For years, Cal/OSHA, the California agency in charge of protecting workers from health and safety hazards, has been understaffed. But the problem got worse during the pandemic, crippling the agency's ability to protect millions of people on the job, who faced new risks from COVID-19.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

The state Supreme Court will hold a hearing Wednesday on an issue which could change the way the death penalty is applied in California. A ruling, which is expected in 90 days, could impact the sentences for inmates who are on death row.

Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQED

A state task force studying reparations for Black Californians held its inaugural meeting on Tuesday. The group is working to identify and recommend eliminating laws that discriminate against Black people.

Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the end of a Trump administration program known as “Remain in Mexico.” The policy sent back over 68,000 asylum-seekers to Mexican border cities, where they waited while their cases went through immigration court proceedings in the U.S.

Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS

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Debate Over Naming Comes to a Head in Sierra County Jun 01, 2021

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In recent years, Californians have debated whether or not to change the names of places because of their historically racist associations. That debate has now hit the rural Sierra County town of Downieville.

Guest: Brittny Mejia, Metro Reporter, LA Times

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre. Considered one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history, it's spurred growing calls for reparations.

Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED

Even as coronavirus cases steadily decline and more people get vaccinated in Los Angeles County, Black residents are getting sick and dying from COVID-19 at a higher rate than any other race or ethnicity. Latinos had held that spot throughout the pandemic.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC

California’s eviction moratorium is slated to end on June 30. Meanwhile, the state’s rental aid program has gotten off to a slow start. Tenant advocates say that could put renters across the state at risk of eviction.

Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is asking California’s Attorney General to review expenditures of a Fire Victim Trust, after a KQED investigation into its overhead expenses. The Trust is charged with distributing billions of dollars to Pacific Gas & Electric fire victims.

Reporter: Lily Jamali, The California Report

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L.A. Neighborhood Provides Glimpse Into Melting Pot of America May 31, 2021

Show notes

A new book is highlighting the history of the Boyle Heights neighborhood and its importance in shaping L.A. County.

Guest: George J. Sanchez, author of the book, "Boyle Heights: How a Los Angeles Community Became the Future of American Democracy"

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More Details Emerge About Gunman's Past May 28, 2021

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Details continue to surface about the gunman who killed nine people at a Valley Transportation Authority light rail yard in San Jose on Wednesday. According to his ex-girlfriend, he was prone to both physical and sexual violence. Domestic abuse is often linked to mass shootings.

Guest: April Zeoli, Professor with Michigan State University's School of Criminal Justice

California has introduced a more than $100 million incentive plan to get more people vaccinated. An example -- the next two million people who get vaccinated in the state will get a $50 gift card.

Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED

In California, police misconduct records used to be kept hidden but that changed in 2019, when the state implemented a new police transparency law. Lots of agencies are still pushing back against this transparency mandate, but a new investigative podcast from KQED and NPR is shedding light on some of these recently unsealed records.

Guest: Sukey Lewis, Criminal Justice Reporter, KQED and host of On Our Watch

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Ninth Victim Dies in San Jose Mass Shooting May 27, 2021

Show notes

Ten people are now dead including the gunman who opened fire Wednesday at a Valley Transportation Authority light rail yard in San Jose. Investigators have not identified a motive.

Guest: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED

California has some of the strictest gun laws in the United States. That's left many wondering how mass shootings like the one in San Jose on Wednesday continue to occur in the state.

Guest: John Donahue, Stanford University Professor who studies gun laws

The massacre at the VTA light rail yard on Wednesday touched the lives of not only employees and their friends and families, but the entire San Jose community. And many people will struggle with the stress and trauma of the deadly shooting for weeks and months to come.

Guest: Melissa Brymer, Director of Terrorism and Disaster Programs at the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress

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Federal Government to Open California Coastline for Offshore Wind Farms May 26, 2021

Show notes

As soon as next year, the Biden administration plans to sell leases for floating wind farms off the coast of San Luis Obispo and Humboldt counties. But the plan still faces some logistical challenges.

Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED

New polling shows support for the recall of Governor Gavin Newsom is stagnating. The Public Policy Institute of California poll finds 40% of likely voters think Newsom should be removed from office, a number that hasn't changed since March.

Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED

In California, doctors, lawyers and even barbers can lose their license to practice if they do something wrong. There’s no similar recourse for some of the most powerful civil servants around -- police. But advocates are hopeful that new legislation will be passed in Sacramento to change that.

Reporter: MJ Johnson, KQED

With more seniors vaccinated in L.A. County, young adults now make up the greatest share of people in the hospital with COVID-19. Over the past six weeks, there have been more 30- to 49-year-olds hospitalized with the virus than any other age group, a stark contrast to earlier in the pandemic.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KQED

Governor Gavin Newsom is facing increasing pressure to expand health coverage through the state’s Medi-Cal program to all low-income adults, regardless of their immigration status. But the price tag will be high, even with this year’s budget surplus.

Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED

On Wednesday afternoon, the University of California’s center in Washington is hosting Iranian musician Sepehr Haddad for a conversation about his new book “A Hundred Sweet Promises.” The book shares the story of the author’s grandfather - who leaves his homeland in Persia for St Petersberg, where he falls in love with a princess from the Russian royal family.

Guest: Sepehr Haddad, Author of the book "A Hundred Sweet Promises"

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Racial Justice Advocates Reflect on Anniversary of George Floyd's Murder May 25, 2021

Show notes

On this day one year ago, George Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds while Floyd begged for his life. This sparked protests across California and calls for police reform.

Guest: Tanya Faison, the founder of Black Lives Matter Sacramento speaking with The California Report's Mary Franklin Harvin

Many of the protests following the death of George Floyd were led by young people here in California. While they see some progress being made in the state, they know the fight is far from over.

Guest: Jadyn Polk, Member of Black Youth for the People's Liberation in Oakland speaking with The California Report's Keith Mizuguchi

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Coalition Calls for New Entity to Address Los Angeles' Homeless Crisis May 24, 2021

Show notes

Los Angeles is mulling whether a whole new entity devoted to focusing on homelessness might be the way to address the problem. A group of civic leaders called the Committee for Greater LA think it’s worth a shot.

Reporter: Anna Scott, KCRW

California remains on track to reopen on June 15. It's a day many businesses have been waiting for, but some are finding it hard to hire back staff to a pre-pandemic level.

Guest: Margherita Sagan, Co-Owner of Piccino Restaurant in San Francisco speaking with The California Report's Keith Mizuguchi

In the town of Paradise, a hundred or so survivors of the deadly 2018 Camp Fire gathered this weekend for a march along the Skyway - the main road through town. They organized this rally after KQED’s recent investigation into the finances of Pacific Gas & Electric's Fire Victim Trust.

Reporter: Lily Jamali, The California Report

It’s not your imagination -- the Cost of Being Californian is going up.That’s the key finding of a recent study by that name -- released by the Oakland based non profit the Insight Center.

Guest: Anne Price, president of the Insight Center

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Music Venues in California Push for Grant Stimulus Program May 21, 2021

Show notes

The National Independent Venue Association of California, which has more than 600 members, is pushing for state legislators and the governor to support a $250 million stimulus grant program. This comes as they prepare for the state to reopen on June 15.

Guest: Joe Rinaldi, Managing Partner at Music Box in San Diego

The owners of Starline Social Club, a popular venue in Oakland, announced late last month that they would re-open later this year, as a worker-owned co-op. The news took former employees by surprise as they found out through media reports.

Guest: Nastia Voynovskaya, Associate Editor, KQED Arts & Culture

A recent survey from CapRadio in Sacramento and the nonprofit “Valley Vision” has found that Black millennials suffered great financial losses during the pandemic. But they're now looking at investing to build that wealth back.

Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio

If you shopped for health insurance last year and decided you just couldn’t afford it, state officials are now saying: it’s time to check again. Money from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan is bringing the monthly cost of health plans to new lows -– as long as you buy through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, Covered California.

Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED

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