KQED's The California Report

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LA Residents Track Price Gougers On Their Own Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is continuing to track price gouging in the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades wildfires. On Wednesday, Bonta announced charges against a Southern California real estate agent for gouging a couple who lost their home to the fires.

It's yet another challenge facing people who lost their homes, who are just trying to figure out where to live. And some residents are tracking price gougers on their own.

Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, CalMatters

An organization representing farmworkers has received postcards threatening people without legal status.

Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR

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LA Fires Raise Questions About Why We Build Homes In Fire-Prone Areas Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

This month's devastating wildfires in the L.A. area have once again raised questions in California about the wisdom of building homes and entire communities close to mountainous wilderness areas that burned so easily and tragically in dry conditions.

Guest: Branden Brough, family home was in Pacific Palisades

In one of the first acts of his presidency, Donald Trump ordered cut off of access to the CPB One app for migrants seeking asylum in the United States. That's left many in Tijuana without an idea of their future.

Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS

A new executive order from President Donald Trump on gender identity could complicate travel and employment for California’s transgender and non-binary individuals.

Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED

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Tijuana Not Prepared For Trump's Proposed Immigration Policies Jan 21, 2025

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California immigrant advocates are condemning President Donald Trump’s plans to call out the military for immigration enforcement and challenge the Constitutional right to citizenship for everyone born in the U.S.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

Immediately after his inauguration, Donald Trump’s promise to crack down on immigration started to take shape, with the new administration moving to abruptly shut down the CBP One app. The government app allowed migrants to schedule appointments in their attempts to gain asylum in the United States at legal ports of entry. Looking ahead to the possibility of mass deportations of people already in the U.S. those who run migrant shelters in the border city of Tijuana say they’re not prepared to receive a wave of people.

Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS

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Trump Inauguration And What Lies Ahead For California Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

On Monday, Donald Trump will be again sworn in as President of the United States. And one of his first official trips as president is expected to be to Southern California on Friday to tour fire devastated areas. Beyond that trip, what will Trump’s return to power mean for California?

Guests: California Congressmen Tom McClintock and Jay Obernolte

California lawmakers and advocates for immigrants are bracing for a sharp rightward shift on immigration immediately after Donald Trump’s swearing in.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

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Reflections On Deadly Los Angeles Fires Jan 17, 2025

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Firefighters are still battling the two biggest blazes in Los Angeles - the Palisades and Eaton fires. Crews have been able to get better control of both. As we head into the recovery process, what happens next for people in the region?

Guest: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

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How Politics Could Play A Role In Wildfire Aid Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

Fire crews are still on the front lines battling the Los Angeles blazes, but California’s Democratic state leaders are bracing for a different fight ahead: a potential clash with the administration of President-elect Donald Trump over disaster aid.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

A 14-year-old in Los Angeles is trying to help to restore a sense of normalcy for girls who lost everything in the wildfires there. Her effort to give those girls some free retail therapy has gone viral.

Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW

The fires that have destroyed homes have also burned through thousands of acres of wildland that’s home to bears, mountain lions, squirrels and other animals.

Reporter: Jill Replogle, LAist

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Inmate Firefighters Battling LA Fires Have Trouble Getting Firefighting Jobs After Release Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

Of the army of firefighters trying to contain the blazes in the Los Angeles area, 1000 are incarcerated individuals hacking out fireline with hand tools in rugged terrain. Despite the experience they gain from this work, they face an uphill battle getting hired as firefighters after their release.

Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED

Thousands of families looking for stability after the Los Angeles fires are suddenly confronting another crisis. L.A.’s lack of affordable housing.

Reporter: David Wagner, LAist

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Black Residents In Altadena Deal With Uncertainty After Fire Consumes Community Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

The Eaton Fire tore through the community of Altadena. The city has long been a sanctuary for Black people, who make up about 18-percent of its population. The losses from the fire are felt deeply in the community and beyond.

Reporter: Erin Stone, LAist

Pacific Palisades, where the Palisades fire continues to burn, is often known for its glitzy homes and celebrity residents. But it hasn’t always been that way.

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Animal Rescue Operations Jump Into Action During LA Fires Jan 13, 2025

Show notes

By now, most Californians are aware that animals – pets and wildlife – are also suffering because of the fires raging in Los Angeles County. Whenever a natural disaster strikes, animal rescue operations have to kick into high gear.

Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

California’s insurance commissioner has issued a one-year moratorium on homeowner insurance policy cancellations and non-renewals in areas affected by the Los Angeles fires.

Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED

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LA Fires Once Again Call Evacuation Routes Into Question Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

If you've been following the fires in Los Angeles, online or on TV, you've likely seen videos of gridlocked roads filled with abandoned cars. As the Palisades Fire closed in, residents trying to escape were forced to leave their vehicles behind and flee on foot. Bulldozers were later used to clear the roads. This chaotic scene highlights a troubling reality. Many communities, especially those with narrow, winding roads, are unprepared for large scale evacuations.

Guest: Lauren Sommer, NPR Climate Desk

The fires raging in Southern California have affected thousands of people who have lost their homes. But those losses also affect a wider community of people, namely a population of largely immigrant and Latino workers.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

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