KQED's The California Report

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Could Kamala Harris' Next Move Be A Run For CA Governor? Feb 20, 2025

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris has returned home to Los Angeles after losing to Donald Trump in the November election. The question now is what will she do next? Many pundits are speculating about a possible run for California governor.

Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

Insurers have already paid out around $7 billion in claims to people who lost homes or suffered property damage in the LA fires.

Reporter: Levi Sumagaysay, CalMatters

Another fire flared up Tuesday night at a Monterey County battery storage facility, one month after a massive blaze damaged it and caused major health concerns in the region.

Reporter: Joseph Geha, KQED

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Will Families Separated At The Border Continue To Be Protected Under Trump? Feb 19, 2025

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During Donald Trump’s first term in office, his administration pursued a controversial policy of forcibly separating migrant family members, including young children, at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden Administration then set up a task force to help reunite those families.

But with Trump’s return to office, one of his first executive actions dissolved that Biden family reunification task force. This has legal experts and immigrants’ rights advocates worried.

Guest: Mark Betancourt, The California Newsroom

California’s U.S. Senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, are both “demanding answers” from the Trump administration about the abrupt cutoff of federal funding meant to expand zero emission vehicle infrastructure in the state

Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED

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Lawsuit Accuses San Diego-Based Soap Company Of Fostering Drug Culture Feb 18, 2025

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In recent decades, Dr. Bronner’s evolved from a niche soap company to a powerhouse home brand with a worldwide following. But a recent wrongful death lawsuit makes some troubling allegations against the San Diego County-based company. The lawsuit alleges the company has turned a blind eye to an internal culture of drug use.

Reporter: Scott Rodd, KPBS

Riverside County’s firebrand sheriff is the first high-profile Republican to join the 2026 race for California governor. Chad Bianco kicked off his campaign on Monday at a banquet hall in Riverside.

Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR

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Northern California Biomass Plant Fuels Climate Debate Feb 17, 2025

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The tiny town of Scotia, California on the state’s remote redwood coast was built up entirely around a large sawmill. An attached biomass plant that burns the wood waste for electricity stands in the middle of a climate debate in the region.

Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio

Some college aid experts in California are tying a recent drop in student aid applications to fears around immigration enforcement.

Reporter: Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters

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Madera County Community Rallies Around Unique "Landmark" Feb 14, 2025

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American society often feels divided. But sometimes, even the most surprising things can bring us together. For a small Central Sierra Nevada community, residents recently found themselves rallying around an unlikely source.

Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR

Communities across California are waking up this morning to the damage left behind from Thursday's powerful storm system. The brunt of the damage was in Southern California.

We'll learn on Friday the results of a strike vote by 20,000 University of California healthcare and other workers.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

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AI Aims to Bring Farming Into the Future Feb 13, 2025

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Artificial Intelligence is being touted as the next big advancement to take almost every industry into a new direction, and at one of the world's largest agriculture expos, AI evangelists see the new tech as the next big advancement in farming.

Authorities in Southern California have issued evacuation warnings for parts of Los Angeles County that were scorched by wildfires last month, as heavy rains in the region increase the risks of dangerous mudslides in those areas.

Meanwhile, in the Bay Area, an atmospheric river is pounding the region, causing roadway flooding and blackouts across the region. The National Weather Service said the storm could bring down as much as an inch of rain per hour in some parts of the Bay Area, as well winds reaching up to speeds of 60 to 70 miles per hour.

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World Ag Expo Kicks Off In Tulare County Feb 12, 2025

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Thousands of people are attending this week's World Ag Expo in Tulare County. There’s plenty to choose from, depending on what you’re looking for. And for many in the farming industry, a big issue right now is bird flu.

Guest: Lucas Fuess, Senior Dairy Analyst, Rabobank

California's FAIR Plan, the state's insurer of last resort, is asking for help paying customer claims due to the Eaton and Palisades fire.

Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED

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Environmental Impacts From Moss Landing Plant Fire Still Unknown Feb 11, 2025

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The flames have died down at the Moss Landing battery storage plant in Monterey County, after a massive fire last month. But the environmental impacts may be just beginning. In neighboring Elkhorn Slough, a sanctuary for endangered wildlife, researchers have already found heavy metal concentrations up to a thousand times higher than before the fire.

Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED

Starting Tuesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and US Army Corps of Engineers will begin removing fire debris from private properties that were damaged or destroyed in the January wildfires in Los Angeles. The federal agencies will enter the properties of residents who submitted a Rights of Entry form.

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Survivors Link Up To Help One Another Following Natural Disasters Feb 10, 2025

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There’s a growing club you don’t want to be a part of. They’re the people who’ve lost their homes and had their lives turned upside down because of natural catastrophes. But getting through these events, whether they’re fires or floods, also means you can be a source of hope for others in their moment of crisis. One group is linking these extreme weather survivors, the veterans with the newcomers.

Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED

On Tuesday, the Bay Area city of Fremont is expected to vote on a new ordinance that would make it a crime to “aid or abet” an illegal homeless encampment.

Reporter: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters

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EV Sales Stall In California Feb 07, 2025

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After three straight years of growth, the rate at which Californians are buying electric vehicles is flattening. That’s according to data from the California Energy Commission. Slowing demand for EVs could be a big barrier to California reaching its ambitious EV goals.

Reporter: Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters

A major lithium project in Imperial County is moving forward again, after a judge rejected a legal challenge by two environmental justice groups.

Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS

Does the state of California stop many of its residents from spelling and pronouncing their names correctly? It does. Because in California, diacritical marks can't be used to spell names on many official documents.

Guest: State Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco

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