KQED's The California Report

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San Diego Homeless Encampment Ban Pushes Many Further Away From Services Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

More and more tents are popping up along the sides of San Diego freeways, on state property managed by the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans. City leaders call it a growing problem.

Reporter: Katie Anastas, KPBS

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the University of California for possible workplace discrimination.

Leaders in Fremont have revised a controversial ban on homeless encampments in the city.

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Immigrant Day Laborers Trained On Safely Cleaning Up After LA Fires Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

The Los Angeles neighborhoods of Altadena and the Palisades are still a mess from the January fires. And some of the people out there struggling to clean it up are immigrant day laborers. They are dealing with toxic ash that can have lead and chemicals in it. What’s the best way to do that safely? One organization is training them.

Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW

Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has lost her bid to get her job back, with the City Council voting 13-2 to deny her reinstatement.

Reporter: Frank Stoltze, LAist

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Bay Area Woman's Legal Victory Challenges State Encampment Crackdown Mar 04, 2025

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An unhoused Bay Area woman and her advocates are claiming a big win after a judge stopped officials from clearing her elaborate shelter. It’s believed to be the first court victory of its kind since the U.S. Supreme Court last year made it harder to stop encampment sweeps.

Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED

California is rolling back its more flexible work from home policies that began during the pandemic. Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order requiring state employees to work from the office at least four days a week.

Reporter: Megan Myscofski, CapRadio

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Challenges Keeping Hollywood Production In California Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

On Sunday night, Hollywood had its biggest night of the year with the Academy Awards ceremony. But here’s a plot twist. None of the ten films that were up for the best picture Oscar were shot in Hollywood or the greater L.A. area. It’s just the latest example of how much film and television production now occurs outside of Los Angeles, costing local jobs and raising questions about the very future of Hollywood.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

On Saturday, people gathered at national parks across the country to protest the firing of 1,000 National Park employees. Some 90 miles east of Los Angeles at Joshua Tree National Park, hundreds joined the movement.

Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR

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San Francisco Judge Temporarily Halts Trump Administration's Mass Firings Feb 28, 2025

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A federal judge in San Francisco has temporarily blocked a Trump administration directive to mass terminate thousands of federal employees. The ruling only covers some federal agencies, including Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

The Sierra Nevada Snowpack is about average for this time of year. Several storms expected in the coming days will likely add several inches.

Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED

President Trump's plans to impose tariffs on imported goods have faced heavy criticism among some experts who warn that the move will raise prices for American consumers and harm U.S. businesses that rely on imports. But the tariffs have also found support among one state industry: California grape growers.

Reporter: Tina Caputo

Shasta County leaders are pushing for voter identification requirements and an elimination of the state's universal mail-in ballots. They advocated for those changes in recent letters to Governor Newsom and President Trump.

Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, KQED

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Teen Court Program Launches In Del Norte County Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

In Del Norte County, starting Thursday, teenagers in trouble will be held accountable by a true jury of their peers. Teen court is a diversion program run by teenagers for teenagers.

Reporter: Jane Vaughan, Jefferson Public Radio

California insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara says he'll make a decision soon on State Farm's request for an emergency rate increase.

Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED

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Danger And Dysfunction Plague California's Homeless Shelter System Feb 26, 2025

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California's homeless shelters are deadlier than the state's jails and only a fraction of the people in them end up in permanent housing. Those are just a couple of the startling findings in a new investigation out this week from our California newsroom partner CalMatters.

Guest: Lauren Hepler, CalMatters

More than 50,000 University of California workers are set to go on strike statewide starting Wednesday.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

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Fire Survivors Face Uncertain Future In Altadena Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

You might think people whose homes survived the recent Los Angeles area fires might feel fortunate. But those homeowners are wrestling with their own problems, like how to make their homes livable again in largely destroyed neighborhoods.

Reporter: Erin Stone, LAist

Governor Newsom on Monday announced hundreds of millions of dollars in new homelessness spending, along with a new website meant to let Californians track whether it’s making a difference.

Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED

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Health Care Facilities Prepare For Potential Immigration Actions Feb 24, 2025

Show notes

Health care workers across California are attending crash courses on constitutional law. They’re preparing for possible encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, who are now officially allowed inside health care facilities.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KFF Health News

After weeks of a fraying relationship, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has fired L.A.’s fire chief, Kristin Crowley.

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Trump Administration Launches Review Of High Speed Rail Project Feb 21, 2025

Show notes

California's long-delayed and over budget high-speed rail project is under threat again by the Trump administration. During his first term in office, Trump tried, without success, to claw back nearly a billion dollars in federal aid for the project, which one day is supposed to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco. Now this second Trump Administration is launching an investigation into high speed rail. That could jeopardize $4 billion in funds that the feds have committed for constructing the project’s first segment in the Central Valley.

Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED

Lawmakers at the state capitol are rolling out proposals to lower Californians' electricity bills, including by taking aim at the rate-increases from investor owned utilities like PG&E and Southern California Edison. But saving money for some ratepayers may come at the expense of other Californians.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

The Los Angeles fires have renewed concerns about how well prepared California is to support older people and people who have disabilities during natural disasters.

Reporter: Ana Ibarra, CalMatters

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