KQED's The California Report

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Creek Fire Survivors Face Challenges In Moving Forward Jan 25, 2024

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Three years ago, the Creek Fire was finally contained. It remains California’s fifth largest blaze, after destroying nearly 400,000 acres and hundreds of homes in the Sierra Nevada east of Fresno. The three years since have been a time of healing and recovery – especially for those involved in a high-stakes rescue the first weekend of the blaze.

Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR

California has been closing prisons to save money. But the state’s spending 90% more per year on each prisoner kept locked up than it was a decade ago. That’s according to a new analysis from CalMatters.

Reporter: Nigel Duara, CalMatters

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Sale Of Skid Row Corner Store Hopes To Provide Some Community Healing Jan 24, 2024

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A corner store in Los Angeles’ Skid Row neighborhood, that’s a crossroads of community life, is being sold. But instead of letting it get snatched up by the highest bidder, the Korean American family that runs the market has worked out a deal with a Black-led nonprofit. The move serves as a small step toward healing historic racial tensions in LA.

Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW

A big blow to journalism in Los Angeles, as the LA Times has cut about 20% of its newsroom. The paper's Washington bureau and sports and photography departments saw big cuts. And several journalists of color were also impacted.

Reporter: Yusra Farzan, LAist

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CSU Faculty Strike Ends With Tentative Labor Deal Jan 23, 2024

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Cal State faculty have called off a strike, after a tentative labor agreement was reached Monday night. Faculty had been scheduled to be off the job this entire week.

The three Democrats vying to represent California in the U.S. Senate went after the only Republican on stage at Monday’s debate -- and clashed over the war between Israel and Hamas.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

Many in Half Moon Bay are gathering Tuesday to commemorate the first anniversary of the mass shooting that killed seven farmworkers in the community south of San Francisco.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero

A controversial school board president in the Riverside County community of Temecula will face a recall election this spring. A group opposed to his conservative agenda collected enough signatures to force a vote.

Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR

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Concealed Carry Permits Now Easier To Come By In California Jan 22, 2024

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In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a New York law that required people to show a need for carrying a gun when applying for a permit to carry a concealed weapon. California’s law was similar to that one. Now to get a concealed carry weapons permit, students receive 16 hours of classroom instruction in gun rules and regulations and then time on the firing range.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

Monday is the first day of the spring semester for most California State University campuses. But instead of teaching classes, tens of thousands of CSU faculty members from all 23 schools are on strike this week.

Reporter: Juan Carlos Lara, KQED

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Bay Area Nonprofit Helps Connect Seniors Needing Assistance With Volunteers Jan 19, 2024

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As we age, our social networks tend to shrink, leaving us feeling disconnected from the world around us. And that can take a toll on someone’s mental health. But recent studies have shown this feeling of loneliness is also linked to an increased risk for heart disease, dementia and early death in older adults. That’s why a coalition here in California is working to change the way we address aging, by bridging the gap between health and social care.

Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report

California lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban investor-owned utilities from passing lobbying costs on to customers. The bill follows a Sacramento Bee investigation that found SoCalGas spent millions lobbying against the state’s clean energy policies, and had ratepayers pick up the tab.

Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED

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Sonoma County District Attorney's Fentanyl Ad Features Made Up Story Jan 18, 2024

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The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office has pulled down a public service announcement from its website warning residents about the painkiller fentanyl. This comes after the California Newsroom inquired about the accuracy of the events depicted.

Reporter: Brian Krans, The California Newsroom

A new poll finds most California voters do not feel that U.S. borders are effective at keeping people from entering the country illegally. Registered Republicans overwhelmingly say the border’s not secure, unauthorized immigrants are a major burden and asylum laws are too lenient. But California Democrats are deeply divided on those questions.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

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As Ridership Increases, LA Metro looks To Improve Transit Experience Jan 17, 2024

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During the COVID pandemic, ridership on California’s public transit systems plummeted. Now, ridership levels for one agency – Los Angeles Metro – are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, but there are still big concerns about quality of service, safety and how to deal with drug abuse and homelessness on subways, buses and light rail. The transportation agency is trying to deal with those concerns by putting a friendly face on mass transit.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

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Kern County Looks To Be Center Of California's Carbon Capture Industry Jan 16, 2024

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Kern County in the rural San Joaquin Valley is facing what one leader calls an existential threat. The county is the largest oil producer in California, but the state wants to eliminate drilling by 2045. As a result, Kern is looking to a new industry – carbon capture and storage – to secure its future. hopes the industry will provide jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue, while helping the state meet its climate goals.

Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR

Environmental groups have successfully pushed for a ‘green terminal’ strategy at the Port of Humboldt outside Eureka. The terminal is where giant offshore wind turbines will be built.

Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio

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Millions Of Mexicans Living In US Can Vote In Mexican Election Jan 15, 2024

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Millions of Mexicans living in the United States are eligible to vote in Mexico’s upcoming presidential elections. Some experts are calling it the most important election in Mexican history.

Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS

Camp Fire survivors now have until April of 2025 to live in trailers full-time on their properties in the town of Paradise. That’s after the Town Council voted to allow RV living for another year.

Reporter: Jamie Jiang, North State Public Radio

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Dealing With Loneliness In California Jan 12, 2024

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Last year the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory, calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country. So how did we get to this point?

Guest: Dr. Carla Perissinotto, Geriatrician, UCSF

The Biden administration is awarding California $168 million for clean vehicle charging infrastructure. Grants will fund projects across the state, from truck charging stations along freight routes in the Inland Empire, to public vehicle charging facilities in low-income communities in Contra Costa County.

Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED

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