KQED's The California Report

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Criminal Justice Reform Measure Saves California Millions Of Dollars May 16, 2024

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Proposition 47, California's landmark critical justice reform measure, has received plenty of recent criticism. Many blame Prop 47 for shoplifting, drug use and homelessness in the state -- and are trying to roll it back with a new initiative this fall. But Prop 47 has also resulted in $800 million in state savings, because fewer people are being sent to prison and jail for drug and low-level property crimes under the law.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

Sonoma State University President Mike Lee has been placed on indefinite leave by Cal State University's Chancellor. It comes a day after Lee reached a divestment agreement with pro-Palestinian student protesters on campus.

Reporter: Noah Abrams, KRCB

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One Central Valley Hospital Sees Record-High Profits During Pandemic May 15, 2024

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Hospitals across the state were hit hard during the pandemic, which disrupted their operations and chipped away at their finances. Maybe the most glaring example is Madera Community Hospital, which shuttered its doors over financial challenges and filed for bankruptcy in 2022. But one nearby hospital saw record profits, financial investments and executive compensation.

Reporter: Omar Sheikh Rashad, Reporter Fresnoland

Good news for visitors and residents of Big Sur. Caltrans has completed temporary repairs on Highway 1 over a week ahead of schedule. Storms in late March caused one lane of the highway to fall into the ocean.

Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU

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State Lawmaker Tries To Close Loophole In Gun Ownership Rules May 14, 2024

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California has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation, but a Democratic state lawmaker says there’s a big loophole for some people deemed mentally ill by a state court - and he wants to fix it. The loophole - while California law prohibits someone from possessing a gun if a court finds them mentally incompetent to face a felony charge, it doesn’t apply to people being prosecuted for a misdemeanor.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office says the state could save up to a billion dollars a year by closing more prisons. This as California faces a budget deficit in the tens of billions. But Governor Gavin Newsom is taking a more cautious approach to trimming prison beds.

Reporter: Nigel Duara, CalMatters

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Food Stamp Farmers Market Program Could Be On Chopping Block May 13, 2024

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A multi-billion dollar budget deficit in California is putting organizations across the state at risk. One program facing an uncertain future is Market Match. It works with EBT, or food stamps, to give recipients vouchers they can use at local farmers markets.

Reporter: Ava Norgrove, North State Public Radio

Governor Gavin Newsom says he has a plan to deal with a staggering $27 billion state deficit next year --without cutting core services or raising taxes. Newsom says California is facing a $56 billion shortfall over the next two years. He wants lawmakers to approve a spending plan that spans those two years.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

An encampment to protest the war in Gaza was set up at the University of California Merced on Sunday. It came after the school held its commencement ceremony over the weekend.

Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR

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Regulators Approve Fixed Charge For Utility Bills May 10, 2024

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State regulators have approved a controversial proposal that will add a monthly charge of $24 to many Californian's electricity bills. But in exchange, utility customers should see reductions in charges per kilowatt hour of electricity used.

As college campus protests continue over Israel's War in Gaza, students at UC Merced are asking the university to refrain from what they say is over-policing.

Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR

It’s finally warming up in California. As more bugs come out in the heat, so do bats to feed on them. And one bat species is emerging from hibernation with a new distinction -- the pallid bat is now the official state bat of California.

Reporter: Alix Soliman, KQED

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Long Historical Ties Between Silicon Valley And Israeli Tech Cultures May 09, 2024

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As the conflict between Israel and Hamas rages on, American protesters are accusing Silicon Valley companies like Intel and Google of complicity in the violence, and urging them to divest. But US tech has been deeply involved with Israeli tech for half a century.

Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

The California Public Utilities Commission votes Thursday on a controversial flat electricity rate. Regulators say the change would lower bills for many, but critics argue it could do the opposite.

Reporter: Alix Soliman, KQED

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Imperial County Community Fights For Local Post Office To Be Rebuilt May 08, 2024

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Two years ago, the northern Imperial County town of Niland lost its only post office in a fire. It was supposed to be a temporary closure. But residents are still fighting to get it back.

Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS

California prison officials say it will cost billions of dollars to enforce new indoor heat regulations that the state’s proposed for workers. But they have declined to share exact cost estimates.

Reporter: Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters

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How Have Wage Increases Affected Fast Food Workers? May 07, 2024

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It’s been over a month since California started requiring most fast food employers in the state to pay a minimum wage of $20 dollars an hour -- a big jump from the state’s general minimum wage of $16 dollars.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED News

San Francisco State University’s top administrator is promising to provide more transparency about financial ties to Israel … and to explore school divestment. That’s in a public meeting Monday with pro-Palestinian student protesters... who’ve camped out on campus for the past week.

Reporter: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, KQED News

The Shasta County Board of Supervisors is set to meet today to discuss next steps now that the longstanding County Registrar of Voters has retired, but it’s unclear exactly how her position will be filled.

Reporter: Alec Stutson, North State Public Radio

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Small Houses Pose Solution to Housing Crisis May 06, 2024

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Can solutions to California's housing crisis be found in how we used to design and build homes in the past, namely smaller multifamily dwellings in neighborhoods and cities with fewer zoning restrictions. That topic is explored by Los Angeles urban planner Max Podemski. In his new book, A Paradise of Small Houses. I met up with Podemski in the L.A. neighborhood of Eagle Rock.

In California, tens of thousands of immigrants with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals will soon be able to get health insurance. That’s after President Joe Biden on Friday announced that those with DACA can enroll in Affordable Care Act coverage.

The union representing some 48 thousand academic workers in the UC system is planning to hold a strike authorization vote as early as this week over what they say is the university’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests. The decision to consider striking gained momentum after police action at UCLA that led to more than 200 arrests early last week.

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College Protests Draw Cross-Generational Support May 03, 2024

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As pro-Palestinian student movements persist on college campuses up and down the state, the movement at UC Berkeley has drawn cross-generational support.

Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald

The Cal Poly Humboldt campus remains closed, even after the arrests of 30 Pro-Palestinian protesters, who took over two university buildings last week. But the student-run radio station is still up and running, thanks to some quick thinking.

Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report

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