KQED's The California Report

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Warehouse Industry Booming in Inland Empire Despite Concerns Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

Southern California’s Inland Empire has been transformed in recent years by the growth of the warehouse and logistics industry. While many argue it's a job creator, those living in the region have major environmental concerns.

Guest: Orlando Mayorquin, Journalism Student, Report for CalMatters

The L.A. City Council voted 14 to 1 to approve a hazard pay ordinance requiring workers at supermarkets and drug stores to be paid an extra $5 an hour. Several other cities and counties have passed similar legislation.

Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW

Officials with the San Diego Unified School District have unveiled a plan to reopen schools for classroom instruction starting in April. But not all parents are impressed.

Reporter: Joe Hong, KPBS

Kaiser Permanente is using the mountains of health data it has on millions of Californians to help figure out who’s at higher risk of getting COVID-19. It's also helping the health provider pinpoint who should get vaccinated first.

Reporter: Polly Stryker, KQED

Many have been targets of people who don't agree with health orders or think the pandemic is a hoax. While the problems were elevated during the height of the pandemic, some are still taking added precautions to this day.

Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED

The new lawsuit has been filed by a trust for survivors of wildfires started by Pacific Gas & Electric equipment. They claim these officials were negligent when it comes to ensuring the public's safety.

Guest: Lily Jamali, The California Report

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California Surgeon General Pushes for Health Equity During Pandemic Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris was sworn in as California's first Surgeon General back in 2019. She's been helping lead the response to the coronavirus pandemic and has been especially concerned about the toll it's taking on communities of color and children.

Guest: Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, California Surgeon General

The vaccine code system that was designed to help people in hard-hit communities across California get access to vaccinations may need a makeover. The codes are being shared and people who don't qualify are taking up spaces reserved for those communities.

A national environmental group is suing the Newsom Administration. The Center for Biological Diversity claims thousands of oil and gas drilling permits have been illegally approved.

Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED

A new report has found that regulators overstated reductions in the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. A key problem is that emissions from the transportation sector have increased in recent years.

Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED

A report by the Energy Institute at Berkeley's Haas School of Business and the nonprofit Next 10 found rates are much higher for Californians. In fact, Pacific Gas & Electric customers pay 80% more than the national average.

Reporter: Lily Jamali, The California Report

With the death Monday of Lawrence Ferlinghetti at the age of 101, San Francisco has lost a figure synonymous with more than a half century of the city’s cultural history. His lasting legacy will go far beyond just the City Lights Book Store.

Guest: Chloe Veltman, KQED Arts and Culture Reporter

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Becerra Expected to Face Tough Questions on Capitol Hill Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

California Attorney General Xavier Becerrra begins the Congressional confirmation process to become the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services on Tuesday. He's expected to face lots of questions from Senate Republicans, who have pushed to block his confirmation.

Guest: Ryan Levi, Journalist and Producer of the Tradeoffs podcast

State lawmakers have passed a $7.6 billion COVID relief plan. Among the items in the package, direct payments to the state's lowest earners.

Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED

The "tougher" test was seen by some as an unnecessary barrier to becoming an American citizen. Now, the Biden administration is going back to the 2008 version that they argue was carefully developed.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

Governor Newsom said the San Joaquin Valley will get a big boost to its COVID-19 vaccine allocation. It's in part due to the region’s farm workers, who are now eligible for the vaccine.

Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio

The facility in Santa Barbara County was the site of the worst COVID outbreak in a federal prison last year. And while conditions have improved, officials and some former inmates are questioning the response to the pandemic.

Reporter: Dena Montague

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Governor Admits to Problems With Vaccine Rollout in Hard-Hit Communities Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

Out of the more than seven million vaccine doses that have been administered thus far, more than 32 percent have gone to white Californians. Governor Newsom said the state is not doing enough to help the hardest-hit communities, when it comes to vaccinations.

State legislators will begin a busy session in Sacramento on Monday. Among the agenda items -- a possible plan to reopen schools, that has already received pushback Governor Newsom.

Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED

Improving coronavirus reached the threshold on Friday to allow for schools to reopen. In addition to public elementary schools, private ones like those within the San Bernardino Catholic Diocese can now reopen as well.

Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KVCR

One of the Trump administration’s most controversial changes to U.S. immigration policies was its so called “Remain in Mexico” program, but it's being rolled back by the Biden administration. A group of asylum-seekers was processed at the San Ysidro Port of Entry late last week.

Reporter: Max Rivlin Nadler, KPBS

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Governor at Odds With Legislature On Plan to Reopen Schools Feb 19, 2021

Show notes

The proposal would get California school kids back in classrooms by mid-April. But Governor Newsom said it doesn't go far enough or fast enough.

Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED

The biography of the Marvel Comics icon sheds light not only on Stan Lee's immense success, but also his failures. While Lee had a lasting impact on the world of comics, his influence also extends to the global entertainment industry.

Guest: Abraham Reisman, Author of "True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee"

California Republicans will gather for a virtual convention this weekend. It comes following a strong election year and renewed enthusiasm surrounding the recall effort.

Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED

U.S Senator Alex Padilla and other California members of Congress introduced the bill on Thursday. It's backed by President Biden and would offer a path to citizenship for more than 2 million immigrants in California.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

Journalist Brandon Rittiman with ABC10 in Sacramento reviewed an internal report from Pacific Gas and Electric's material lab. He said it shows the utility knew old parts like the one that caused the fire needed replacing.

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New Stimulus Deal Would Include Checks for Low-Income Workers Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

The $9.6 billion relief package includes nearly $3.7 billion for the state's lowest earners and another $2 billion for small business grants. Lawmakers are expected to vote on it next week.

Reporter: Katie Orrr, KQED

The Sacramento City Unified School District said almost a thousand of its students are connecting with school just two days a week or less. There's growing concern it will affect their ability to graduate.

Reporter: Pauline Bartolone, CapRadio

Earlier this month, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and his counterparts in dozens of other states announced a major opioid settlement against the influential consulting firm McKinsey. But lawyers for Native American tribes say they're not part of the agreement, even though the community has been among the hardest hit by opioids.

Guest: Lloyd Miller, Attorney representing tribes in the litigation

A new bill in the California legislature would give victims of online sex trafficking a new tool to fight back against their exploitation. They would be given the option of suing to force the explicit content to be removed.

Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED

A new poll by U.C. Berkeley’s Institute on Governmental Studies shows that Californians' view of the pandemic will likely be swayed by their political party. There is still a wide spread from Democrats and Republicans when it comes to even contracting the virus.

Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED

West Hollywood is the latest city in California that plans to shut down a busy thoroughfare during the pandemic. The hope is to increase foot traffic at local businesses.

Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW

Facebook announced this week it will block people in Australia from reading or sharing news content on its platform. It comes as the Australian parliament debates whether news outlets should be paid for work that's featured on websites.

Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

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Lawmakers Approve Mailed Ballots for 2021 Elections Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

California voters will get a ballot in the mail for any election this year under a bill heading to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. Voters were mailed ballots last year over safety concerns due to the pandemic.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

Some contributors to Governor Gavin Newsom also happen to be corporations that have secured valuable no-bid contracts with the state. It's raising questions about possible favoritism for big donors.

Guest: Scott Rodd, CapRadio

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez's legislation would protect workers in warehouses from unsafe quotas and productivity standards. Right now, workers for companies like Amazon can be fired for failing to collect, box, and ship enough orders fast enough.

Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED

Two new mass vaccination sites opened Tuesday in California, with help from the federal government. The Biden administration's goal is to open 100 vaccinations sites in 100 days nationwide.

Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED

Millions of Texans remain without power as rolling blackouts continue amid a massive winter storm. California faced a similar situation last summer, during an extended heat wave.

Guests: Former CPUC President Loretta Lynch, Reliability Expert Rick Humphries

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Non-Disclosure Agreements Targeted by State Lawmaker Feb 16, 2021

Show notes

The tech industry is infamous for making prospective and departing employees sign agreements designed to prevent them from speaking out on just about everything. But social movements have exposed the way non-disclosure agreements have served as a cover for illegal behavior.

Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

For the first time since the pandemic, the average cost of gas in the state is going up. Demand is rising faster than production, as more people return to commuting and traveling long distances by car.

Reporter: Emily Hung, KQED

It's one of two sites that opened on Tuesday, with the other in Los Angeles. The goal is to eventually vaccinate 6,000 people a day at each location.

Reporter: Julie Chang, KQED

Communities of color have been hit especially hard during the pandemic. For queer Latinos, there's an extra cost - the loss of places to gather, like LGBTQ bars.

Guest, Andrea Castillo, L.A. Times Reporter

The state is investing more than $200 million in the Salton Sea project that will create flooded ponds and other habitat on the exposed lakebed at the Southern edge of the lake. The hope is to complete the project by 2023.

Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS

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Verification Process Leaves Nearly a Million Unemployment Claims Up in the Air Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

At the end of 2020, the state’s unemployment agency froze almost a million and a half accounts in an attempt to prevent fraud. Now, many of those account holders could have their claims disqualified, even if there applications are legitimate.

Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report

The campaign to recall Governor Gavin Newsom has another month to collect the million and a half valid signatures needed to trigger an election. While big business has had gripes with the governor's handling of the pandemic, for the most part, they've steered clear of the recall effort.

Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED

Governor Newsom has yet to unveil the location of a new vaccination site in the Central Valley. But leaders in the region say there should also be added focus on rural areas, where access to vaccines is extremely limited.

Reporter: Alex Hall, The California Report

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L.A. Closes Mass Vaccination Sites Over Shortage of Doses Feb 12, 2021

Show notes

The City of Los Angeles has temporarily closed five of its COVID-19 vaccination super-centers, including the one at Dodger Stadium, because of a shortage of vaccine supplies. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti is urging state and federal officials to fix the problem.

A professional vocalist is doing her part to help people during the pandemic. Nova Jimenez is serenading the elderly at a retirement home, just in time for Valentine's Day.

Reporter: Chloe Veltman, KQED

Governor Gavin Newsom is currently negotiating with legislators over a deal that could be reached as early as Friday. The $6.6 billion deal could send students back this year, starting with the youngest, perhaps up through elementary school.

Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED

Dozens of community and business leaders have sent a letter to Governor Newsom and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, demanding that school staff get COVID vaccines before they can reopen. But there could be a delay in getting the doses to teachers.

Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW

Although he lost the election and is in the midst of a post-presidential impeachment trial, Donald Trump maintains his grip on the GOP. But a group of Republicans and former party officials are discussing the possibility of forming a new center-right party.

Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

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