KQED's The California Report

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Young Voters Could Decide Key Central Valley Congressional Race Oct 31, 2024

Show notes

Young voter turnout across the U.S. has historically been low. But this year, youth voter registration has surged. And that could make a difference in the Congressional District 13 race in northern San Joaquin Valley. Two years ago, Republican John Duarte beat Democrat Adam Gray by less than 600 votes.

Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR

Another demographic that could sway the vote in California’s 13th District is Latinas. They make up 1 in every 4 voters in the District, according to Lucete Latina, a Federal Political Action Committee.

Guest: Roxana Pantoja, 19-year-old Merced resident

The Los Angeles Dodgers won in dramatic fashion Wednesday night, coming from behind to beat the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 of the World Series. It's the franchise's eighth World Series championship.

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Shasta County's Top Election Official Looks To Ease Voter's Concerns Oct 30, 2024

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California election officials are bracing for Election Day amidst concerns about distrust. Officials have been investing in outreach and education. One county that's dealt with a lot of distrust is Shasta County in far northern California. The county's longtime registrar of voters, Cathy Darling Allen, retired in May this summer. The board appointed a new registrar to replace her.

Guest: Alex Hall, KQED

Proposition 35 is one of ten statewide ballot measures that Californians will be voting on this election. It would put new guidelines around Medi-Cal spending to help secure better pay for doctors who serve low-income Californians.

Reporter: Kristen Hwang, CalMatters

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Organizers Try To Boost Voter Turnout In Imperial County Oct 29, 2024

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Over the last few months, voting rights advocates have been hitting the ground across the Imperial Valley as part of a new effort to get more people ready to cast their ballots in November. They’re fighting an ongoing battle: decades of low voter turnout.

Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS

More than 37,000 University of California service and patient care workers are voting this week on whether to authorize a statewide strike.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a win away from a World Series Championship. L.A. defeated the New York Yankees in Game 3 Monday night, 4-2, to take a 3-0 lead in the series.

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Northern California Town Considers Name Change Oct 28, 2024

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Should a California town change its name because of its association with a murderous settler? That’s the question at the heart of a ballot measure this election season, in Lake County. It’s a rural area about two hours drive north of Sacramento. Voters are being asked if the small town of Kelseyville should be renamed Konocti.

Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio

Southern California’s largest Asian American advocacy group is training its poll monitors to keep an eye out for racist rhetoric and bullying.

Reporter: Josie Huang, LAist

Californians will vote on ten statewide ballot propositions this fall. Among them is Proposition 2, which would let California borrow $10 billion through a state bond to pay for updates to school facilities.

Reporter: Carolyn Jones, CalMatters

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US Forest Service Stops Prescribed Burns In California Oct 25, 2024

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The U.S. Forest Service this week directed its employees in California to stop prescribed burning "for the foreseeable future," a directive that officials said is meant to preserve staff and equipment to fight wildfires if needed.

Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED

Californians will vote on ten statewide ballot propositions this fall. Among them is Proposition 3, which would enshrine the right to same-sex marriage in the California constitution.

Reporter: Yue Stella Yu, CalMatters

Voter support appears to be waning for a ballot measure that would increase the state’s minimum wage.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

The head of the federal agency in charge of securing our nation’s election infrastructure is on a speaking tour, trying to instill confidence in the integrity of the coming vote.

Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

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A Trip To The Border As Election Day Looms Oct 24, 2024

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In the final weeks of the presidential campaign, migration at the U.S.-Mexico border remains a heated topic. Former President Donald Trump calls it an “invasion.” And Vice President Kamala Harris is vowing tougher enforcement. So what is actually happening at the border?

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

The editorials editor of the Los Angeles Times has resigned after the newspaper’s owner, billionaire biotech entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong, blocked the editorials team’s plan to endorse Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election.

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Orange County Congressional Race Is Tale Of Two Cities Oct 23, 2024

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Orange County is once again poised to help decide control of Congress this November. The 47th district is one of the swing seats up for grabs. And college education levels are dividing voters in the district’s two largest cities.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

America, Mexico and Los Angeles have all lost an athletic and cultural icon with the death of former L.A. Dodgers player Fernando Valenzuela at the age of 63.

Embattled Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do has resigned from his position and agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy to steal millions of taxpayer dollars, funds that were intended to feed seniors.

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What's Next For California's Offshore Wind Industry? Oct 22, 2024

Show notes

Earlier this year, state energy officials approved a strategic master plan to start developing enormous offshore wind farms in the waters off the coast, with hundreds of wind turbines each the size of the Eiffel Tower sitting atop floating platforms. But what's on tap for the growing industry?

Guest: Adam Stern, Executive Director of Offshore Wind California

It's day 2 of a strike by thousands of Kaiser Permanente mental health care workers in Southern California. More than 100 picketed outside the healthcare provider’s medical center on Sunset Blvd. Monday.

Reporter: Robert Garrova, LAist

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A Small Business Owner Weighs in on California's "Tough on Crime" Legislation Oct 21, 2024

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Weeks Ago, We Heard From an Opponent of Prop 36, Now, We Speak With a Supporter

We hear from the owner of a 7-Eleven franchise in Los Angeles, whose store has been targeted by thieves at least twice. He tells us how his experience shaped how he feels about Prop 36.

The bill would undo criminal justice reforms that voters approved more than a decade ago; that means tougher sentencing on non-violent crimes, reclassifying some misdemeanors as felonies, and placing harsher penalties on repeat offenders.

Kaiser Permanente Workers in Southern California Go on Strike

More than 2,400 mental health workers with Kaiser Permanente in Southern California went on strike this morning, setting up picket lines at facilities from Los Angeles to San Diego.

Represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, the mental health professionals mobilized to strike over the weekend, after rejecting Kaiser's terms on Friday.

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Rent Control is Back on the Ballot Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

Proposition 33 once again puts rent control on the ballot. The previous initiatives failed, but the idea is gaining momentum in California, and nationally. Even President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have embraced it. Still, rent regulations remain controversial.

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