KQED's The California Report

Latest Episodes:

New Bill Would Require Imperial County To Offer Spanish Translations Of Agendas Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

A new California bill could force local governments in Imperial County to start translating their agendas into Spanish. The lack of translation has kept many county residents from fully participating in the democratic process.

Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS

An immigrant worker who was arrested during a raid outside a hardware store in Pomona in April has been released from ICE custody. Now, immigrant rights advocates are pushing for the release of two other workers still in detention.

Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR

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One Bay Area City's Answer to Homeless RV Residents Shows Promise for State Jun 25, 2025

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Cities throughout California have taken different approaches on how to deal with homeless residents. That also includes those dwelling in RVs. While many plans have been slow on yielding results, Berkeley's approach may be the solution that city leaders have been looking for.

California legislators have reached a tentative agreement on the state's budget proposal for the coming fiscal year, but its fate hinges on whether Governor Newsom will approve a housing reform plan that lawmakers must submit by Monday.

A bill making its way through Sacramento would raise the fee car buyers in California would pay for processing paperwork, by nearly 500 percent.

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CA Programs That Aid Crime Victims Face Uncertain Future Jun 24, 2025

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When the Trump administration moved in April to cancel about half a billion dollars in Department of Justice grants, it said the programs didn’t align with the administration's priorities. But many of the programs targeted for cuts seem to be doing exactly the things the administration says it’s focused on.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire after more than a week of exchanging bombs and missile fire. But President Trump lashed out at the two sides Tuesday morning, for possible violations of that agreement. This caps a whirlwind of events including the US bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran and Iran’s response, launching more than a dozen missiles at a US airbase in Qatar. Iranians living in LA have mixed feelings about the conflict.

Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb

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LA Small Businesses Struggling Amidst Immigration Enforcement Jun 23, 2025

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The Trump Administration’s immigration raids have cast a cloud of fear over communities across the state. They’ve also dealt a blow to small businesses and economic life, particularly in Los Angeles County.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

The deployment of National Guard troops sent to Los Angeles by President Trump has been at the center of a see-sawing legal battle between California and the Trump Administration. For now, the soldiers are staying as the dispute is before a judge on Monday.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday dealt a blow to California’s ability to set its own vehicle emissions standards. That will likely strengthen the fossil fuel industry’s ability to challenge the state’s energy policies and goals.

Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio

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9th Circuit Rules In Favor Of Trump Administration Over National Guard Deployment Jun 20, 2025

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National Guard troops sent to Los Angeles by President Donald Trump can stay there, for now. That's a result of a ruling late Thursday from a federal appeals court.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

Health care providers in California say they're worried immigration raids are keeping people from getting the medical care they need.

Reporter: Ana Ibarra, CalMatters

Across the country, young scientists are writing to their hometown newspapers—hoping their stories will rally public support and push back against deep federal research funding cuts.

Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED

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Section 14 Survivors Still Awaiting Payments From Palm Springs Jun 19, 2025

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In Palm Springs, a historic reparations effort for Black and Brown families who were forcibly removed from their homes 60 years ago is moving closer to reality. The city made history in November when it agreed to a nearly $6 million settlement with surviving former residents and descendants of the neighborhood known as Section 14. But roughly six months later, they’re still waiting on that money.

Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report

Organizations across Northern California are celebrating Juneteenth Thursday and in the coming days.

Reporter: Jane Vaughan, Jefferson Public Radio

Black Surf Santa Cruz recently hosted their fifth annual liberation paddle-out to celebrate Juneteenth.

Reporter: Erin Malsbury, KAZU

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Non-Profit Help Families Afraid To Leave Their Homes With Food Deliveries Jun 18, 2025

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Many immigrant families in Los Angeles are frightened to leave their homes, as federal immigration agents continue to make daily arrests in public places. So two local non-profit executives decided to do something about it. Deliver meals.

Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW

A group of Democratic congress members, led by Representative Judy Chu of Pasadena, visited the Adelanto Detention Facility in San Bernardino County on Tuesday. They were denied entry there last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR

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Sustainable Farming Practices Could Be Impacted By Federal Funding Cuts Jun 17, 2025

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Federal dollars that help small growers experiment with farming more sustainably are drying up. One farmer in the Salinas Valley wants to find ways to keep her land nourished despite precarious funding.

Reporter: Elena Neale-Sacks, KAZU

A federal appeals court will hear arguments Tuesday on President Donald Trump’s decision to send armed troops to Los Angeles in response to immigration protests.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

Governor Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature are proposing to gut California’s main source of homelessness funding.

Reporter: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters

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Thousands Protest The Trump Administration Across California Jun 16, 2025

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2,000 cities across the country participated in Saturday’s No Kings protest. Organizers say five million people took to the streets. That included cities up and down the state of California.

If you're arrested and charged with a crime, you have a right to an attorney to defend you in court. But what about an investigator to collect evidence to help tell your side of the story? New reporting from our partner CalMatters has found that people accused of crimes in California are routinely convicted without an investigation to verify or debunk the accusations against them.

Guest: Anat Rubin, CalMatters

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Appeals Court Allows National Guard To Remain In Los Angeles Jun 13, 2025

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A federal appeals court has blocked a judge’s ruling regarding the Trump administration's use of the California National Guard in Los Angeles. Federal Judge Charles Breyer ruled late Thursday that President Trump must return control of the National Guard to Governor Newsom. But the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the deployment to continue, scheduling a hearing on the matter for next week.

A Republican senator from Missouri is threatening to criminally investigate one of LA’s leading immigrant rights groups.

Reporter: Frank Stoltze, LAist

California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a Department of Homeland Security press conference Thursday, then pushed to the ground and handcuffed.

Reporter: Juan Carlos Lara, KQED

Legal aid groups that help immigrants are raising alarms over some fine print in the state budget bill, due for a vote Friday.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

California’s Assembly is set to consider a slate of bills that could make it harder for immigration officials to access certain places.

Reporter: Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters

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