KQED's The California Report

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Oakland Program Invests in Mobile Classroom for Homeless Students Jun 27, 2024

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Hundreds of thousands of health care workers in California who’ve been expecting a minimum wage increase will have to wait until at least October to get it. The delay comes as a result of the state's new budget deal.

Reporter: Ana B. Ibarra, CalMatters

In Oakland, nearly 20 percent of young children enrolled in Head Start are going through homelessness. That makes it hard for their families to get to the preschool program consistently and on time. So the city found a way to reach these children where they’re at.

Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED

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Sephora Kids Trend Draws Growing Concerns From Parents Jun 26, 2024

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If you’ve found yourself at a makeup store recently, especially in a mall after school, you might’ve noticed more young people around you. Like really young. Like elementary and middle school young. This is a trend and it has a name: Sephora Kids. And their purchases are doing damage to more than just their parents’ bank accounts.

Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW

Fresno's Police Chief has resigned. This follows an investigation that cleared Paco Balderrama of wrongdoing, after an internal complaint stemming from an affair with an officer’s wife.

Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR

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Glitchy App Could Worsen Migrant Situation Under New Biden Policy Jun 25, 2024

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President Biden's recent executive actions point asylum seekers toward existing legal pathways. But those pathways, like the CBP One app, aren’t working for the most vulnerable migrants.

Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS

State fire officials say so far this year, the number of acres consumed by fires in California is four times the five-year-average. Meteorologists are predicting a hot, dry summer that could lead to a very active, dangerous fire season.

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California Recycling Centers Are Dwindling Jun 24, 2024

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Recycling centers have been shutting down across California for years. That means fewer opportunities for people to recycle their bottles and cans — and get back their deposits. And the state is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in unclaimed bottle deposits.

Reporter: Scott Rodd, KPBS

State leaders say they’ve reached an agreement on the state budget. In a press release, Governor Newsom said the deal involves $300 billion in expenditures, while filling a nearly $47 billion budget deficit. The deal proposes to use more than $12 billion from the state’s rainy day fund over the next two years to help shore up the deficit.

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FBI Raid Home Of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Jun 21, 2024

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Information is still scarce regarding the FBI's raid of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's home on Thursday. It was one of a number of raids conducted by the agency in the city.

School districts in California are under pressure to reduce chronic absenteeism. But getting kids back to the classroom can be a challenge for districts with limited resources.

Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED

Baseball fans are saying bye to the "Say Hey Kid" Willie Mays. Thursday night’s San Francisco Giants game was held at the historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham Alabama, where Mays made his professional debut in 1948. But at Oracle Park in San Francisco, fans old and young came together to watch the game on the scoreboard, root for their team - and grapple with the loss.

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Affordable Options Available To Rent Or Buy Electric Vehicles Jun 20, 2024

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About a quarter of all new vehicles sold in California last year were zero emission. But there are big regional differences in where electric vehicles are bought and driven in the state. You see a lot of them on the road in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Orange County, but it’s harder to spot them in the Central Valley or Imperial County. But there are programs aimed at addressing the EV gap.

Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED

California workplace regulators are expected to vote Thursday on new protections from dangerous heat for millions of indoor workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is considering new rules that would require most employers to keep indoor work areas below 87 degrees when feasible, or if it's not, change workers’ shifts or use protective equipment to reduce the risks.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

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San Francisco Giants' Legend Willie Mays Dies At 93 Jun 19, 2024

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Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays passed away on Tuesday. He was 93. Mays spent 21 years with the Giants and is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Reporter: Brian Watt, KQED

Today is Juneteenth, the day that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. at the end of the Civil War. In Humboldt County, the group Black Humboldt is ready to shift its Juneteenth focus to a broader celebration of the Black experience on California’s North Coast. That's after four years of Juneteenth events aimed at educating the local community about the holiday.

Reporter: Kelby McIntosh

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Will Voters Have Change Of Heart When It Comes To Tax For Improvements At Fresno State Jun 18, 2024

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Fresno State calls itself the Central Valley’s university, but campus buildings and infrastructure are increasingly dilapidated. And twice now, Fresno County residents have voted down ballot measures that would have provided the university with more than a billion dollars for repairs and maintenance. Will voters ever change their mind?

Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR

Wildfires are burning up and down the state. In Sonoma County, crews are beginning to get a better handle on the Point Fire, which has burned more than 1,200 acres. And staff from around a dozen wineries in Sonoma County are anxiously waiting to learn the fate of their businesses, after they fled the fire on Sunday.

Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED

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Survivors Of Burned Down Palm Springs Neighborhood Seek Reparations Jun 17, 2024

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Palm Springs is known as a wealthy city filled with luxurious hotels and casinos. But lesser known is the history of its violent racism against a predominately Black and Latino neighborhood. Now, former residents are seeking reparations.

Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report

Several large wildfires broke out across the state over the weekend, burning thousands of acres in the process.

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Proposed Regulations Could Impact Rock Climbers In California Jun 14, 2024

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Federal agencies are considering a controversial rule that would restrict rock climbers from leaving gear attached to cliff walls in designated wilderness areas. This could affect some of California’s iconic routes in Yosemite and other historic climbing destinations.

Reporter: Alix Soliman, KQED

The state legislature passed a placeholder state budget Thursday, just ahead of a mandatory deadline. But lawmakers must still negotiate with Governor Newsom on the final deal.

Reporter: Alexei Koseff, CalMatters

A bill that would ban “forced outing” or “parental notification” policies in California schools has moved forward in the state legislature. At least six California school districts in the past year have adopted measures that require staff to tell parents if their child changes their gender identity at school.

Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio

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