KQED's The California Report

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California Nursing Homes Struggle With Treating Thousands With Serious Mental Illness Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

Nursing homes typically help people recover after surgeries or provide round-the-clock care for people with physical disabilities. But a new LAist investigation finds that thousands of people with serious mental illness are living in California’s nursing homes. Experts call it “warehousing” and say the practice may violate federal law.

Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist

Farmworker advocates pushing for safer working conditions during wildfires are blasting a decision by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors that could allow crops to be harvested in evacuation zones.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

Indigenous tribes are pushing back against a new plan to create a federal marine sanctuary off the Central Coast. Several years ago, the Northern Chumash Tribal Council proposed a sanctuary that would include Morro Bay. But the new federal proposal leaves it out.

Reporter: Amanda Wernick, KCBX

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Sacramento District Attorney Sues City Over 'Failure' To Enforce Homelessness Laws Sep 20, 2023

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Sacramento County’s district attorney says he’s taking the city of Sacramento to court, for failing to enforce its own homelessness laws. County DA Tien Ho says Sacramento city officials “allowed, created and enabled” a public safety crisis, by not enforcing their own laws, including the city’s ban on blocking sidewalks and camping on public property.

Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio

More water to replenish a natural spring in a California forest - less water for the company that bottles and sells it as Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water. That's the result of a decision by California's Water Resources Control Board.

Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR

California is suing oil and gas companies for deceiving the public for their role in climate change. The lawsuit could be a landmark for holding oil companies accountable.

Reporter: Dana Cronin, KQED

A federal judge this week temporarily blocked a California law meant to protect children when they use the internet. Known as the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, the law would require social media companies to take steps to protect minors’ privacy and would limit the use of their information.

Reporter: Izzy Bloom, The California Report

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Pajaro Residents Know Permanent Fix For Levees Is Still A Long Way Away Sep 19, 2023

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It’s been six months since the levee protecting the small Central Coast farming community of Pajaro burst, flooding the town and forcing thousands out of their homes. And while repairs are underway, a permanent fix is still years in the making.

Reporter: Scott Cohn, KAZU

A group of Democratic state lawmakers is asking California Attorney General Rob Bonta to take the lead on an effort to remove Donald Trump from the March primary ballot.

Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

At its board meeting in Sacramento Tuesday morning, California’s Water Resources Control Board will consider issuing a ‘cease and desist’ order to end the pumping of millions of gallons of water out of the San Bernardino National Forest.

Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR

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Challenges Of Rebuilding For Pajaro, Six Months After Community Was Flooded Sep 18, 2023

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This week marks six months since powerful storms flooded the small farming community of Pajaro in Santa Cruz County, after its aging levee system failed. The community is still facing major challenges with rebuilding.

Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU

At the Climate Week NYC event, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his intention to sign a first-in-the nation climate bill awaiting his approval back in California. The measure would force U.S. corporations doing business in California that make more than $1 billion a year to publicly disclose their annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Reporter: Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters

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Kaiser Workers Vote To Authorize A Strike Sep 15, 2023

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Nearly 60,000 Kaiser Permanente workers have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike if there’s no agreement in contract negotiations by September 30. The healthcare workers -- most of them in California -- are pushing for a 7% wage increase in the first two years of this next contract, and 6.25% the following two years.

A California appeals court has agreed to hear a challenge to the state’s recently adopted solar rules. The groups argued the rules do not recognize all the benefits of solar, encourage solar adoption or expand solar in disadvantaged communities.

Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS

It’s the end of an era along the Klamath River. Labor Day weekend was the last time the whitewater rapids on the Upper Klamath could be rafted during the summer. A group of antiquated dams are coming down on the Klamath, meaning major changes for the river rafting community.

Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED

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Striking California Workers Would Get Unemployment Benefits Under Proposal Sep 14, 2023

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On this final day of the legislative session, a lot of eyes in Sacramento are on one particular measure moving through the State Senate. It would allow workers who are on strike for more than two weeks, like the Hollywood writers and actors, to apply for unemployment insurance.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

In Sacramento, it’s the final day of the legislative session -- and that means the fate of dozens of bills must be decided as the hours and minutes tick down. The Assembly and Senate have until midnight to send bills to the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom.

Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED

A $25 minimum wage is in sight for tens of thousands of California’s lowest-paid health workers. The wage hike would be for people like nursing assistants, medical techs and janitorial workers.

Reporter: Ana Ibarra, CalMatters

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Restoring Meadows In Sierra Nevada A Key To Healthy Ecosystems Sep 13, 2023

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When you think of a meadow, what comes to mind? Probably a peaceful expanse of grass and flowers straight out of a postcard. A perfect place to have a picnic or read a book. But meadows are also key to the health of forests And in the Sierra Nevada most meadows have been degraded or lost.

Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR

Meeting in Long Beach Wednesday morning, California State University’s Board of Trustees is expected to vote on whether to increase tuition at all 23 CSU campuses. The proposal would include a 6% tuition hike over the next five years.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

California currently bans state-funded travel to 26 states because of their anti-LGBTQ laws. But state lawmakers have voted to repeal the travel bans after acknowledging that they haven’t been successful.

Reporter: Izzy Bloom, The California Report

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Fast Food Workers Reach Deal For Increased Pay Sep 12, 2023

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After months of bitter conflict, fast food companies and labor unions have reached a deal that could raise the minimum wage for 500,000 fast food workers in California.

Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

If you’re a parent or caregiver in the state, chances are you’ve seen billboards urging you to talk, read and sing to your baby. Now the agency behind those ads, First Five California, is pushing a new statewide campaign to raise awareness about toxic stress.

Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED

As cities across California struggle with a lack of affordable housing, developers are thinking micro, as in micro apartments, some smaller than 300 square feet. That includes a new five-story building in downtown Sacramento, the city's third micro apartment community.

Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio

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LA Photographer Blames Algorithmic Bias For Shutdown Of IG Account Sep 11, 2023

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The popular social media app Instagram and its parent company, Meta, use artificial intelligence to moderate content. But there are growing concerns that the “training data” for AI is biased against women and people of color. A Los Angeles photographer thinks this “algorithmic bias” is part of the reason Instagram disabled his account.

Reporter: Beth Tribolet, KQED

The California legislature has passed a bill that would ban the hand-counting of ballots in most elections. The legislation was targeted specifically at Northern California’s Shasta County, where supervisors did away with Dominion voting machines earlier this year.

Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio

Much of the world’s highest quality cotton is grown in the San Joaquin Valley. But the return of Tulare Lake could have a devastating impact on the Central Valley's cotton industry.

Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR

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Neighbors Complaints Growing Over Pickleball Courts Sep 08, 2023

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Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. And according to some neighbors, it’s also one of the loudest. Homeowners in the San Diego region, and across the state, are increasingly taking legal action to resolve pickleball noise disputes.

Reporter: Scott Rodd, KPBS

California is set to scale back its electric car rebate program to focus more on low-income car buyers.

Reporter: Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters

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