KQED's The California Report

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Writer's Strike Could Extend For Months May 04, 2023

Show notes

TV and film writers are taking to the picket lines for the third day, after failing to reach an agreement with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It' still unclear how long the strike will last, but both sides seem to be dug in.

Guest: Michael Schneider, Senior TV Editor, Variety. Host of Screengrab, a podcast from KCRW

The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to pass ambitious plans for new housing in Hollywood and Downtown L.A. The aim is to bring 135,000 new homes to the two neighborhoods.

Reporter: David Wagner, LAist

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Writers Strike Moves Into Second Day May 03, 2023

Show notes

In Hollywood, film and television writers represented by the Writers Guild of America, or WGA, are on the second day of a strike. It’s the first such labor action in more than 15 years, and it could have a devastating economic impact on the industry if it continues.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

On Tuesday, we told you about the lack of affordable child care options, and how it’s keeping women from joining certain industries. A lot of that has to do with how little early educators are paid.

Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED

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Women Face Challenges With Child Care As They Look To Enter Construction Industry May 02, 2023

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The construction industry in California wants to hire more women to meet a shortage of skilled workers. But access to child care is keeping many of these women from joining the trades.

Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED

The state is suingthe city of Elk Grove for allegedly using discriminatory housing practices to deny a proposed affordable housing project.

Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED

Did you know when California communities plan new housing, they don’t have to take the size of their unhoused populations into consideration? A new bill advancing through the state Legislature could change that.

Reporter: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters

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San Bernardino Police Officers Involved In Deadly Shooting Had History Of Excessive Force May 01, 2023

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Last July, San Bernardino police shot and killed a 23-year-old Black man as he ran from them while allegedly holding a gun. The police killing of Rob Adams drew protests and demands for accountability — and is the subject of a $100 million lawsuit filed on behalf of his family. Now, nine months after Adams was killed, San Bernardino city officials confirmed the names of the involved officers.

Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED

Many are calling it environmental justice. California’s air board has passed an ambitious plan to phase out diesel truck fleets, from garbage trucks to Amazon delivery vehicles.

Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED

A recent state audit found the California Department of Public Health has missed opportunities to collect data about people’s sexual orientation and gender identity.

Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio

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Lawsuit Claims California's Prison System Targeting "Foreign-Born" Inmates Apr 28, 2023

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Criminal justice advocates and some incarcerated individuals have filed a lawsuit against the California prison system. What’s at issue? Policies, the plaintiffs argue, that illegally discriminate against inmates who prison officials believe are foreign-born.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

The California Report Magazine is wrapping up their series “Mixed! Stories of Mixed Race Californians,” with a conversation with comedian W. Kamau Bell, and his wife, Melissa Hudson Bell. The couple have a new HBO film ‘1000 Percent Me’ - where Kamau Bell asks mixed race children about their experiences.

Reporters: Sasha Khokha and Marisa Lagos, The California Report Magazine

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Central Valley On Edge As Weather Heats Up Apr 27, 2023

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California is set to see one of its first extended heat waves. That could mean major problems for parts of the state, where flooding is likely from a melting snowpack. Among the communities on edge is Corcoran in the Central Valley, which is already surrounded by rising water.

Guest: Joshua Yeager, Reporter, KVPR

As California wages its fight against smog and climate change, state regulators this week will vote on a plan to start phasing out diesel truck fleets -- from delivery vans, to garbage trucks, to 18-wheelers. The regulators want to see them replaced with zero emission vehicles.

Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED

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Warehouse Boom Focus Of New Legislation In Sacramento Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

On Wednesday in Sacramento, lawmakers will hold a hearing on legislation aimed at creating buffer zones between homes and huge warehouses and logistic centers where companies, like Amazon, store and distribute mountains of goods that a lot of us might order online. This is the latest development in an ongoing debate over warehouses and the health threats they might pose to people who live near them. The center of that debate is the Inland Empire, east of Los Angeles.

Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED

Buckle in for a long summer when it comes to the threat of flooding. That’s what Governor Gavin Newsom told people Tuesday in the San Joaquin Valley, while standing atop a dirt levee holding back millions of gallons of floodwater.

Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR

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Big Melt Could Lead To Flooding In Parts Of State Apr 25, 2023

Show notes

Weather forecasters expect an early-season heatwave this week in many parts of the state. The warmth may cause flooding as the snowpack melts in inland areas of California.

Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED

On the best of days, agricultural work isn’t easy, but in recent years, California farmworkers, in places like the San Joaquin Valley, have also had to deal with record heat waves, wildfires and more recently storms and flooding. But because of chronic illnesses, agricultural laborers also face a growing health crisis.

Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR

As another wildfire season looms, a federal judge will soon decide whether there should be limits on how firefighters drop chemical retardant onto large blazes. Environmentalists say the retardant pollutes rivers, streams and lakes. But some lawmakers and residents in areas of the state prone to wildfires say the retardant saves lives and properties.

Reporter: Jamie Jiang, North State Public Radio

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New Center Will Attempt To Lead Fight Against Air Pollution, Climate Change Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

The California Air Resources Board, which regulates car and truck pollution in the state, will soon fully open its new laboratory and emissions testing center in the Southern California city of Riverside. It's expected to play a crucial role in the state's fight against pollution and climate change.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

A U.S. citizen from Imperial County, who was held in immigration detention for over a year, most of it in solitary confinement, is suing the private prison company that detained him.

Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED

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Voters Weigh In On Calls For Senator Feinstein To Resign Apr 21, 2023

Show notes

For decades U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has been one of the most popular politicians in California. Now 89-years-old and recovering in San Francisco from a bout of shingles, she’s facing calls to resign.

Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

As communities across the state grapple with the long-term impacts of recent floods, added challenges are coming to light. Storm water has flushed more fertilizer and manure into aquifers, which could pollute drinking water in much of the state.

Reporter: Alastair Bland, CalMatters

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