KQED's The California Report

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High School Athletes, Coaches Adjust to Pandemic Guidelines Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

Across California, student athletes are returning to training as public health officials give the green light for both outdoor and indoor sports. But there will be plenty of changes, and new safety guidelines in place.

Guest: Rob Wigod, Commissioner of Athletics, CIF Southern Section

The relief bill passed by Congress earmarks billions for California cities and counties. Some cities already have plans for what to use the money for, as they continue to struggle economically during the pandemic.

Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS

As schools in San Francisco prepare for a return to in-person instruction, San Francisco Unified Superintendent Vincent Matthews has announced he'll be retiring. He has not given a reason for why he's leaving.

Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED

There’s a push to change how members of the San Francisco school board are selected. In fact, questions are being raised statewide, as schools have struggled to reopen during the pandemic.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

Millions more Californians will be eligible for vaccines beginning next week, including people with developmental disabilities. The state is also trying to make it easier for people in this group to have the necessary paperwork ready when they do get their shot.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC

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Newsom Defends Pandemic Response in State of the State Address Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

Governor Newsom delivered his annual state of the state address at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. He focused on the pandemic's toll on California and how the state will recover.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

Governor Newsom also talked about the problem of rising numbers of homeless people in California in his State of the State address. He says they're working on the crisis, and knows more needs to be done.

Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED

When the pandemic hit, many home-based childcare providers in California saw their businesses fall apart overnight. But in San Diego, a coalition of local organizations has helped many childcare providers stay in business, and, in some cases, thrive.

Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS

State legislation has been introduced that would require health companies to pay frontline health care workers a bonus. The compensation would help those who have become burned out by working during the pandemic.

Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQED

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors wants to expand the hours of county-run COVID-19 vaccine sites. Many essential workers work night or early morning shifts, making it harder for them to schedule time to get vaccinated.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC

Disneyland hopes to open sometime next month. The Anaheim theme park has been shuttered for nearly a year due to the pandemic.

Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW

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California Republican Party Hopes to Benefit From Recall Effort Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

Governor Gavin Newsom will deliver the State of the State address from Dodger Stadium on Tuesday evening. It comes as the deadline to gather signatures supporting a recall approaches.

Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

The school reopening bill signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last week sends money to districts to help them re-start classroom learning, but it doesn’t force schools to reopen. Some critics said the state needs to abandon its hands-off approach when it comes to local control and education.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

Governor Gavin Newsom was in the Central Valley Monday talking about vaccine distribution. He said plans for a mass vaccination site in the region have stalled, in part because other states don't even have a single site up and running.

Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED

The Kern County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a controversial ordinance Monday night, allowing the addition of 40,000 oil and gas wells over the next 15 years. But before the vote, supervisors heard eight hours of public comments

Reporter: Madi Bolanos, Valley Public Radio

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California Officials Still Concerned About Vaccine Supply Mar 08, 2021

Show notes

President Joe Biden said last week the U.S. is on track to have enough COVID-19 vaccine to cover all American adults by the end of May. But California officials are tempering expectations of an abundant supply of doses in the state, at least for the short term.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

A new study looked at the program's first year and found that it measurably improved participants' job prospects, financial stability and overall well-being. Independent researchers determined that full-time employment rose among those who received the guaranteed income of $500 per month.

Guest: Michael Tubbs, Former Mayor of Stockton

California will begin allowing attendance at outdoor sporting events, concerts and amusement parks starting April 1. There will be limited capacity and the openings will occur gradually.

Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio

Google is under scrutiny after a new report from NBC News. It alleges that Google advised mental health care as a solution, when workers complained about racism and sexism there.

Guest: April Glaser, Reporter, NBC News

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School Reopening Bill Approved by Lawmakers Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

California school districts could soon get billions of dollars, if they restart classes in-person . But it does not require that schools have to reopen.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

Attorneys representing student athletes said the state has agreed to relax restrictions, part of a settlement that would allow kids to play both outdoors and indoors. There will be safety protocols in place, including regular testing.

Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS

Despite suggestions that Californians have been leaving in droves during the pandemic, that may not be the case. A new report from the California Policy Lab finds that most people are moving are staying in California.

Guest: Natalie Harris, PhD Student, UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy

California plans to almost double vaccine allocations to vulnerable populations, with state officials vowing to send 40% of doses to communities hit hardest by the pandemic. Officials said this will also help the state reopen more quickly.

Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED

A state lawmaker wants to make it easier for people who have been convicted of a crime and completed their sentence to erase that conviction from their record. An estimated 8 million Californians have criminal or arrest records that prevent them from doing fundamental things like getting a job, or securing housing.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

The city of Pacific Grove near Monterey has long been known as “Butterfly Town USA”. But conservationists there suffered a double blow last year - when both state and federal governments refused to grant monarch butterflies protections as an endangered species.

Reporter: Erika Mahoney, KAZU

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California Will Send More COVID-19 Vaccines to Vulnerable Areas Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

Governor Newsom is working with Major League Baseball and county health officials on a plan to allow fans at California's five ballparks. This comes as his administration is dedicating more vaccine doses to vulnerable communities, in an effort to reopen businesses sooner.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is one step closer to becoming the nation's next Secretary of Health and Human Services. This follows an important vote Wednesday in the Senate Finance Committee.

Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

Anti-Asian hate crimes have been on the rise since the pandemic began last year. In Sacramento, an incident at a Chinese-owned butcher shop is under investigation as a hate crime and several businesses are struggling in the Little Saigon neighborhood.

Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio

New research from UCLA looks at what businesses received loan money and how much they received. It shows ZIP code and race played significant roles in determining how much loan money small business owners in California secured from the federal Paycheck Protection Program last year.

Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW

New PG&E CEO Patti Poppe said it took some convincing to take the job. But she said watching media reports and investigations about the deadly fires caused by utility equipment played a big role in accepting the position.

Guest, Brandon Rittiman, Reporter, ABC 10 in Sacramento

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Indoor Dining Can Proceed in San Francisco, Two Other Bay Area Counties Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

An investigation is underway after an SUV carrying more than two dozen people, some of whom were citizens of Mexico, collided with a big rig Tuesday in a rural area about ten miles from the US-Mexico border. 13 people died in the crash.

Guest: Faith Pinho, Reporter, LA Times

The volunteers in Southern California are helping seniors and other eligible people find coveted COVID-19 vaccine appointments. One started out by helping her parents and is now helping others navigate the system.

Reporter: Carla Javier, KPCC

Seven California counties, including San Francisco, have moved to a less restrictive coronavirus tier. While that means restaurants and movie theaters can reopen for indoor service, not every owner is jumping to do so.

Guest: Yuka Ioroi, Owner of Cassava restaurant in San Francisco

California was the first state in the nation to require gender diversity in corporate boardrooms. And according to a new report from the Secretary of State, compliance with the law is on the rise.

Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW

The section of roadway was washed out by a powerful rain storm. The scenic highway is a lifeline to local residents and critical to tourism in the area.

Reporter: Erika Mahoney,

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Newsom's Schools Reopening Plan Draws Rebuke Mar 02, 2021

Show notes

Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders have reached an agreement that could restart in-person learning for the state's youngest students. The hope is to reopen by April 1.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

District Attorney George Gascon won last year promising to upend the tough on crime policies of his predecessor. But prosecutors both in and outside his office are fighting to stop those same reforms he campaigned on.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

Many older Californians looking to get the COVID-19 vaccine are feeling frustrated and left-out by the appointment process. That's because they don't have broadband at home, and access in their community is limited.

Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio

A new study from the California Policy Lab looks at unemployment benefits Californians are receiving at a county level. It shows that regions with populations who need the most support, and who’ve already been harder-hit by COVID-19, are less likely to get help.

Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report

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For Farmworkers Hoping to Get Vaccinated, Information is Scarce Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

Lawmakers Reach Deal on Reopening Schools

Under the deal, schools that reopen by the end of March stand to get a cut of money earmarked by the state legislature. The deal would not mandate students and staff to get vaccinated before returning to the classroom, nor does it require districts to get approval from teachers unions before returning.

California Farmworkers Now Eligible for Vaccines

Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced an initiative to get more Central Valley farmworkers vaccinated for COVID-19 as part of his plan to make distribution more equitable. Farmworkers are showing interest in getting the vaccine, but it's not always clear how to do so.

Reporter: Madi Bolaños, Valley Public Radio

Three Fresno Janitors Win Settlement Against Nation's Largest Cleaning Company

One of the plaintiffs in the case, Araceli Sanchez, says she endured 14 years of harassment, including sexual assault and attempted rape, from her supervisor while working the night shift.

Reporter: Sasha Khokha, The California Report

Advocates Locate Parents of 112 Migrant Children Separated From Parents Under Trump

Attorneys searching for parents whose children were taken away from them at the border under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy say they have made significant progress.

Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED

New State Bill Could Severely Limit Corporate Role in Rental Market

In the wake of the Great Recession, investors scooped up thousands of single-family homes across the country, including in California. A new state bill would impose limits on corporations that own 10 or more residential properties across the state.

Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED

Fresno Bee Investigation Shows Police Stop Black Drivers More Often

The analysis shows Black drivers are stopped by police at twice the rate of white and Latino drivers, and were also searched and arrested more than other races.

Guest: Manuela Tobias, Fresno Bee reporter

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Has the Campaign to Support Black Businesses Faded? Feb 26, 2021

Show notes

Millions of people marched to support the Black Lives Matter Movement following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. With that came a call to support Black-owned businesses, which saw an initial surge of new customers, but many are now struggling to stay afloat.

Guest: Hank Jenkins, Owner of Plant Provocateur in Los Angeles

Governor Newsom said he hopes to inoculate 75,000 teachers a week. Priority would go to educators currently working at schools or those who are about to head back to their classrooms.

Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED

Psychiatric experts are warning Bay Area obstetricians to be on the lookout for higher rates of postpartum psychosis. They believe the condition, characterized by paranoia and confusion, is being exacerbated by the pandemic.

Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED

Horse racing on tracks in California has continued throughout the pandemic. While live spectators have not been allowed, that hasn't stopped people from placing their wagers.

Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio

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