KQED's The California Report

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Federal Cuts Left Seasonal Employees at Yosemite Unpaid for Weeks Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Yosemite National Park welcomes millions of visitors per year, according to the National Parks Service. The massive figure means that seasonal workers are integral for all of the park's services to function smoothly. But an NPR investigation revealed that dozens of seasonal workers at Yosemite were on the job for weeks, without getting paid for it.

More than 2,000 DACA recipients in California are on track to lose their health insurance at the end of August, after the Trump Administration axed a rule that allowed them to obtain health coverage through Covered California.

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Proposed Federal Cuts Could Devastate Thousands Who Rely On Housing Assistance Programs Aug 06, 2025

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Federal housing cuts could leave thousands of California families without a place to live. And in Fresno County, where more than half of residents rent, the impact could be devastating.

Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report

The Marine Corps has changed its longstanding agreement with an Oceanside-based credit union, following a KPBS investigation last year.

Reporter: Scott Rodd, KPBS

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California Organization Fights For Community-Based Solutions To Tackle Plastic Pollution Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

In Geneva, world leaders are back at the table for the latest round of UN negotiations aimed at drafting a first-of-its-kind treaty to tackle plastic pollution. The goal? A legally binding agreement that addresses the entire plastic life cycle, from how it's produced to how it's disposed of. But one California group is calling on negotiators not to leave front line communities behind.

Guest: Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder & Executive Director, Azul

State lawmakers have proposed a bill that would require police officers to disclose when they use generative AI for report writing. Departments across California have started testing or using these tools.

Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQED

California Democrats are considering new political maps that could help them pick up as many as five additional House seats in the 2026 mid-term elections. It's their answer to redistricting moves in Texas that are expected to favor Republicans. But a California Republican congressman wants to put a stop to it all, by banning states from redrawing their maps mid-decade entirely. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report

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Thousands Of California Police Records Now Publicly Available Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

Monday is a milestone for police accountability in California. Anyone can now look up incidents of serious use of force and police misconduct in the state in a new free database. It makes once confidential records from about 12,000 cases gathered from the state's nearly 700 law enforcement and oversight agencies publicly available. It was seven years in the making and brought together teams of journalists, data scientists, and advocates from across California.

Guests: Sukey Lewis, KQED and Lisa Pickoff-White, the project's Director of Research out of Berkeley's Investigative Reporting Program

A federal appeals court has rejected efforts by the Trump administration to halt a temporary restraining order limiting some immigration-related stops and arrests in Southern California.

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Grateful Dead Fans Descend On San Francisco For Three Days Of Shows Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

This weekend, San Francisco will once again become the center of the deadhead universe. That’s because it’s the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. Dead & Co., the band’s latest iteration, will be playing three shows in Golden Gate Park, starting Friday.

Kamala Harris' decision not to run for California governor has opened up the field ahead of next year's election.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

Duplexes will no longer be an option for homeowners starting to rebuild in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood.

Reporter: David Wagner, LAist

California lawmakers are poised to ban the sale of new Glock handguns.

Reporter: Ryan Sabalow, CalMatters

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Trump Administration's Immigration Crackdown Threatens CA Renters Jul 31, 2025

Show notes

California's tenant protection laws are among some of the strongest in the nation. But the recent increase in immigration enforcement is impacting the dynamic between landlords and undocumented tenants. That's according to a story from our California newsroom partner, Cal Matters.

Guest: Ben Christopher, CalMatters

California politicos are reacting to a decision by former Vice President Kamala Harris not to run for governor of California.

Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

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Unhoused Senior Population Grows In Los Angeles As Services Are Cut Jul 30, 2025

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More older adults in Los Angeles are falling into homelessness. That’s according to recently released data from the region’s annual point in time count. Meanwhile, organizations that serve vulnerable seniors are being forced to cut back in the face of funding cuts.

Reporter: Makenna Sievertson, LAist

California's coastal areas are on alert after a massive earthquake Tuesday off the eastern coast of Russia. Much of the coast remains under a tsunami advisory and there's a portion of northern California under a tsunami warning.

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Stargazers Treated To Star Party In Central Valley Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

On a recent night in the town of Kerman in Fresno County, hundreds of people gathered at the local football field. They were there for an event that has happened in Kerman only twice before. And it left the community star-struck.

Reporter: Samantha Rangel, KVPR

California will deploy almost $2 million to prevent thousands of people from losing their health insurance, as White House cuts hit the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Reporter: Carly Severn, KQED

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Immigrant Adoptees Who Never Became Citizens Fear Possible Deportation Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

Imagine growing up in the U.S., going to high school, starting a career, having a family - only to learn that you’re not an American citizen. That’s exactly what happened to thousands of children born in other countries and adopted by American parents in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. And now, with the increased immigration crackdown from the Trump administration, many fear possible deportation.

Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS

The battle over immigration raids across much of Southern California will have another day in court Monday afternoon. The Trump administration is looking to end a temporary restraining order that’s in place, barring indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests.

Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi , The California Report

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Riverside County Hosts Midnight Adoption Event To Help Clear Overcrowded Shelters Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

The kennels at the Riverside County Animal Shelter are packed with dogs and cats. So last week, Riverside County waived adoption fees and stayed open until midnight to help more furry friends find a forever home.

Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, which is the largest affiliate in the country, is closing five of its clinics in California.

Comic-Con is taking over San Diego this week. And yeah, it’s got all the usual stuff: celebrities, superheroes, and lots of cosplay. But there’s more to it than just fanfare.

Reporter Katie Anastas, KPBS

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