KQED's The California Report

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Young Scientists Make Huge Discovery In Santa Cruz County Apr 04, 2024

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The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History has a new specimen on display. A fossilized bone from a giant creature never before found along the Central Coast. The fossil is at least 11,000 years old and was discovered by some very early career scientists.

Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU

California is home to the western drywood termite. Fumigation is the most common method to kill this pest. That’s when a home is wrapped in a brightly colored tent and pumped full of the pesticide, SO2F2. But the chemical is a far more potent greenhouse gas than previously known.

Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED

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Snow Survey Reveals Good News for Californians Apr 03, 2024

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State water officials say the last snow survey of the season on Tuesday revealed good news for the millions of Californians and farms who rely on snowmelt.

Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED

LA County authorities have a new strategy to help curb gun violence.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, LAist

A parcel of land along the Northern California coast is being restored by the Yurok tribe, who is returning the property to nature. The land has been returned to the tribe in a first of its kind deal – in partnership with the National Park Service and California State Parks.

Reporter: Alec Stutson, North State Public Radio

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Activists Work To Save Historic Border Wall Murals Apr 02, 2024

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Ongoing construction of a new border wall threatened to destroy hundreds of murals that decorate the Tijuana side. But now, a group of activists has found a way to save some of them.

Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS

After promising to put 200 Black workers in government jobs by this June, the city of Los Angeles has found jobs for fewer than 50 workers. Participants of the program say the application process for city jobs is often months long. And at the same time as this hiring effort, LA is facing a nearly $300 million budget deficit.

Reporter: Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, CalMatters

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Companies Look To Buy Backyards To Build Housing Apr 01, 2024

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It was hailed as the official end of single-family zoning in California and decried as a threat to suburban neighborhoods. But two years later, Senate Bill 9 has done little to add new housing, despite a desperate need for it. But a growing number of developers have emerged with an offer: cash for your backyard.

Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED

Nearly 500,000 fast food workers in California start earning at least $20 an hour on Monday. But some restaurants have already started laying people off in response to the change.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero , KQED

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Piano Bar Helps Visitors Feel At Home Mar 29, 2024

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On Grand Avenue in Oakland, musicians are keeping an almost century-old institution alive and thriving. Longtime piano bar The Alley brings in customers old and new, who find comfort in their surroundings.

Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED

State utility regulators have released a proposed plan to reduce the cost of residential electricity for lower income Californians.

Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED

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Progress Being Made On Providing Housing For Farmworkers In Half Moon Bay Mar 28, 2024

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A mass shooting at a pair of mushroom farms in a coastal town south of San Francisco last year exposed the deplorable conditions workers lived in. Now the city of Half Moon Bay is preparing to break ground on permanent farmworker housing.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

California legislators are out for their spring recess. But discussions about their bills are still happening outside of Sacramento committee rooms. One of the most talked about is a bill aimed at curbing retail theft.

Reporter: Lynn La, CalMatters

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RFK Jr. Selects Running Mate in Oakland Mar 27, 2024

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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named a wealthy tech attorney as his running mate at a rally in Oakland Tuesday. 38-year old Nicole Shanahan is also an investor and philanthropist. She was previously married to the co-founder of Google.

Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED

For years, San Diego County residents living near the US-Mexico border have had to deal with polluted ocean water. That's forced the months long closure of beaches and regular episodes of a terrible outdoor stench that's affected people's health.

Guest: MacKenzie Elmer, Voice of San Diego

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Why California Has Such A Hard Time Tracking Homeless Deaths Mar 26, 2024

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As more Californians have fallen into homelessness more have died on the streets — but just how many, nobody knows. That’s starting to change. Spurred in part by the efforts of a few counties, the state recently began taking steps to collect this data.

Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED

A case that could limit access to the abortion pill will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Anti-abortion rights groups sued the Food and Drug Administration over rules that expanded access to abortion pill mifepristone. It’s part of a two-drug regimen used in most medication abortions.

Reporter: Jackie Fortier, LAist

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Port Of Los Angeles' Goal For Zero Emissions Still Faces Some Roadblocks Mar 25, 2024

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When you think about what causes air pollution in California, cars and factories probably come to mind. But what about ports? For instance, the Port of Los Angeles and the neighboring Port of Long Beach, when combined, are the single largest source of pollution in Southern California. But change is afoot.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

Earlier this month, thousands of employees were laid-off off by one of the country’s largest stone fruit producers, which operates in central California. The Prima Wawona layoffs are part of a decades-long shift in farm work.

Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR

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Pop-Up Event In Oakland Brings Artists, Music Lovers Together Mar 22, 2024

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In Downtown Oakland, a pop-up event called couchdate is making room for artists and music lovers to hang out, play and connect with one another.

Reporter: Ariana Proehl, KQED

Worker safety advocates are outraged that Governor Newsom’s administration may delay the implementation of new rules to protect indoor workers from heat illness. California’s deadline to adopt indoor heat regulations was five years ago. But just hours before the vote, news broke that the state Department of Finance declined to sign off

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

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