KQED's The California Report

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Tornado Touches Down In LA County, Damages Several Buildings Mar 23, 2023

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It was a rare sight in the LA County city of Montebello on Wednesday after a tornado ripped through the city, damaging 11 buildings. One person was injured.

As the latest atmospheric river ravaged the state this week, some communities are left with more mess to clean up. Farming communities have been especially impacted by this year's wet weather -- from Planada in Merced County to Pajaro in Monterey County. And this will likely have a major impact on farmworkers.

Guest: Sarait Martinez, Executive Director, Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indí-gena Oaxaqueño

Bids are due on Friday to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for Silicon Valley Bank’s assets, and liabilities. But there’s no word yet as to whether purchasers will be required to honor the company's $11 billion community benefit agreement.

Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

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Storm Once Again Batters California Mar 22, 2023

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Downed trees, widespread power outages, flooded roadways -- it was all part of the latest atmospheric river to hit California. At least two people died due to falling trees in the Bay Area on Tuesday.

In Tulare County, where signs reading “pray for rain” line the highway, many communities are still underwater. And so are agricultural fields.

Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR

We’re still waiting to hear whether the Service Employees International Union will appeal last week’s court ruling upholding most of Proposition 22. That's the voter approved measure that lets Uber, Lyft and the like classify their drivers as independent contractors, rather than employees.

Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

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LA Unified Employees Begin Three Day Strike Mar 21, 2023

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Los Angeles Unified School District workers have begun a three day strike on Tuesday, a labor action that will affect hundreds of thousands of students and families across the city.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

The 12th atmospheric river this winter is set to once again pummel California. During past storms, washed out roads and fallen trees have isolated many residents in rural communities. But that hasn’t stopped emergency responders from rescuing people.

Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED

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Is Carbon Capture And Storage A Possible Solution For Climate Change? Mar 20, 2023

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Is this a possible solution to climate change? Capture the greenhouse gasses heating our planet and bury them deep underground? Well such a carbon storage facility has been proposed for part of Kern County.

Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report

The historic Black community of Allensworth in Tulare County is the latest to be placed under evacuation orders. This comes after a breach in some waterways over the weekend. All told, more than 11,000 people in Tulare County have been ordered to evacuate their homes.

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At The Start Of Harvesting Season, Many Pajaro Farmworkers Are Without Work Mar 17, 2023

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Governor Newsom is taking a public policy road trip over the next few days. Instead of giving the usual State of the State address from inside the State Capitol building, he’s visiting several California cities to highlight policy proposals and to crow about successes. Newsom started yesterday in Sacramento and highlighted the state’s latest effort to combat homelessness. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED

The California Reinvestment Coalition, which supports more investment in low-income communities, is calling on federal regulators to ensure whoever buys failed Silicon Valley Bank honors an $11 billion dollar community benefit agreement SVB signed on to. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED

In Pajaro, on the Central Coast, thousands of people were evacuated after a nearby levee broke almost a week ago. Some of them are now starting to trickle back to assess the damage and start planning for what comes next. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED

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Governor Newsom Surveys Flood Damage in Pajaro Mar 16, 2023

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Governor Newsom visits the flooded farm community of Pajaro in Monterey County and talks about how all the weather has been wearing people down. On the positive side, mandatory water restrictions were lifted for nearly 7 million people in Southern California.

Snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada sent water gushing into Valley communities last week. With a break in the storms, communities in the eastern San Joaquin Valley are assessing the damage. Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KQED

It's been a rough winter for California's mountain communities as storm after storm has struck the state. Truckee Mayor Lindsay Romack is telling her blizzard-stressed constituents to be kind to hard-working snow plow drivers and advising outsiders to stay away until conditions improve.

A recently released study funded by the California Health Care Foundation finds Black patients have to work harder to deal with possible bias when seeking medical care. Reporter: Stephanie O’Neill, Kaiser Health News

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Pajaro Levee Breach Nearly Repaired, But Work Continues Ahead Of More Storms Mar 15, 2023

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As the breached levee is nearly repaired in the Monterey County community of Pajaro, residents are being told it might take weeks before they can return to their homes. Reporter: Anna Marie Yanny, KQED

The sudden failure of California’s Silicon Valley Bank, the second largest bank collapse in American history, has lawmakers in Sacramento calling for hearings into what happened. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED

A former San Diego resident is now suspected by police in an antisemitic incident that took place at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam last month. Reporter: Jill Castellano, inewsource

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Silicon Valley Bank's Black Swan Event Mar 14, 2023

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As another enormous storm front sweeps across the Golden State, authorities are warning Californians about the threat of flooding in already water-saturated regions.

Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED

In the wake of Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, how did this one financial institution become so dominant in California's tech industry? Old-fashioned word of mouth, particularly by the venture capitalist class.

Guest: Ben Bergman, Business Insider

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Thousands Evacuated In Monterey County By Levee Break, Flooding Mar 13, 2023

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The town of Pajaro in Monterey County is underwater after a levee broke on the Pajaro River during this weekend’s storms. Officials say they have evacuated more than 2000 people and rescues are ongoing.

Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED

After three years of living in a drought, many Californians are celebrating rain and snowfall. But you might be feeling overwhelmed with the drastic change in weather. For those of us experiencing climate anxiety, what should we do?

Guest: Laura Klivans, KQED

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Hospital Closure Upends Residents In Paradise Mar 10, 2023

Show notes

Throughout California, hospitals are being forced to reduce services and even shut down. For many, the pandemic created financial stressors that led hospitals to bankruptcy. But in Paradise, the company that runs the city's only hospital received millions in compensation from insurance after the 2018 Camp Fire destroyed much of the city. But Adventist Health doesn't plan to reopen its doors.

Guest: Marisa Endicott, Reporter, Press Democrat

This week, Madera County supervisors declined to hire a consulting group, which could have outlined options for reopening Madera Community Hospital. The hospital closed earlier this year, leaving many residents in the lurch.

Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR

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