KQED's The California Report

The Republican National Convention came to an end Thursday night with a speech from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. The Trump campaign is gaining momentum as we head to November. But will the national GOP agenda resonate in deeply blue California, particularly in a region that had long been a GOP stronghold, Orange County? Guest: Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Politics Editor, Orange County Register Departments of the University of California must now post opinions on a separate page instead of their website homepage. The new rules would require academic departments to only post research, course information and other administrative announcements on their homepage. Reporter: Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Republican National Convention wraps up Thursday night in Milwaukee with a speech from presidential nominee Donald Trump. The talk around the convention this week is the importance of congressional races in California, and how the state can be involved in the GOP's national agenda. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED A state ballot measure set to go before voters this November could trigger a wage hike for California prisoners. Reporter: Shaanth Nanguneri, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most migrants and asylum seekers, San Diego is not a final destination. It's a layover. But more migrants are choosing to stay in San Diego. And many are becoming homeless. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS California will have to build public charging stations at an unprecedented — and some experts say unrealistic — pace to meet the needs of the millions more electric cars expected on its roads in the next decade. Reporter: Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, the city of Fontana hired a private contractor to help enforce its strict new street vending law. Officials say it’s working. But some vendors say the crackdown is affecting their livelihoods. Reporter: Anthony Victoria, KVCR California delegates to the Republican National Convention are cheering former president Donald Trump's pick of Ohio Senator JD Vance as his vice presidential nominee. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom has signed landmark legislation prohibiting forced outing policies in schools, making it the first state to do so. The bill bans schools from requiring educators to disclose information regarding a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity to parents. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a fast-moving fire broke out over the hills near the town of Mariposa earlier this month, residents rushed out of their homes. The French Fire started on the Fourth of July, and was the latest fire to hit so close to the town. And for residents, fire is becoming a part of life. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR California Republicans are in Milwaukee this week for the Republican National Convention, just days after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peso Pluma’s new album Éxodo just dropped and it hit the Billboard 200. The artist sings corridos, a type of Mexican traditional music that was once relegated to Spanish language radio. But today, a younger generation of artists like Peso Pluma and Xavi are bringing the music into the mainstream. And California's demographic change is helping to fuel this movement. Reporter: Aisha Natalia Wallace-Palomares, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism The U.S. Postal Service has until Friday to put forward a plan to reopen two rural California post offices. For over two years, the town of Niland in Northern Imperial County has been cut off from daily access to the mail, after the local post office burned down in 2022. Reporter: Kori Suzuki, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California State Fair kicks off this week in Sacramento. This year's State Fair will have something new that no state fair in the U.S. has ever had. For the first time, marijuana sales and on-site consumption will be allowed. Guest: James Leitz, Executive Producer of the State Fair’s cannabis competition and exhibit As calls continue from some elected officials for President Biden to drop out of the presidential race after his poor debate performance, Governor Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that he remains steadfast in his support of the president as the Democratic Party’s nominee. Former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer is also dismissing calls for Biden to step aside. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED A new law will mandate California high schools teach students about the dangers of fentanyl. Reporter: Heidi de Marco, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uprooting Almond Trees in California Could Impact Bees’ Ability to Pollinate Fruit Trees Further North Yesterday we told you how over-production in California's almond industry was hurting local growers, with some resorting to uprooting almond trees to maintain their livelihoods. That’s been a buzzkill for some beekeepers in the Pacific Northwest. In Washington and Oregon, bee populations rely on the nectar they get from California almonds trees, which ultimately help keep fruit trees productive at home, and hive populations thriving. After Ripping Through Thousands of North California Acres, Thompson Fire 100 Percent Contained The toll of a wildfire that broke out last week near Oroville in Butte County has been released. State fire officials say the Thompson Fire destroyed 13 single family homes and destroyed or damaged several other buildings. The fire, which scorched nearly 4,000 acres was declared 100 percent contained on Monday of this week. California Bills Aimed to Regulate Artificial Intelligence on Track for the Governor’s Desk In Sacramento, a number of bills involving the regulation of artificial intelligence have a good chance of making it to Governor Newsom’s desk, Including one that would limit what can be done with AI replicas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last decade, almonds have turned up everywhere. Even at the Super Bowl, where a commercial showed actor Jeremy Renner supercharged by almond milk. Even so, California almond producers have been struggling. Growers have in some ways been the victims of their own success - although the outlook might be improving. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR A sweltering heat wave continues in much of our state this week. Now, a new report from the state’s insurance commissioner takes a long view on the dangers of high temperatures, reporting that nearly 140,000 Californians visited the hospital because of extreme heat in the last decade Reporter: Olivia Zhao, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The state uses the billions raised from the gas tax every year to pay for the constant work of freeway and highway maintenance and new road construction. But the gas tax faces a reckoning. Newer vehicles are ever-more fuel efficient, meaning less revenue is raised from taxing the fuel that’s pumped into them. So the state could eventually move to a model where drivers pay a fee for every mile they travel. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report A $10 billion bond for California’s schools will go before voters this November. If it passes, the multi-billion dollar bond would pay for repairs and upgrades at thousands of K-12 school and community college buildings across California. Reporter: Carolyn Jones, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Breakdancing has been part of American culture for decades. Introduced in the Bronx in the 1970’s, it's synonymous with the birth of hip hop in this country. And it's about to be in the spotlight again this summer. For the first time, breaking will be a sport in the Summer Olympics in Paris. While New York has long been the home of breakdancing and the B-Boy and B-Girl culture here in the U.S., the West Coast played a significant role in the movement as well. Guests: Zulu Gremlin, DJ Hazze, Asia One Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that we're in the heart of summer, and given that this is California, probably a lot of us are going to go to the beach and plunge ourselves into the Pacific, or maybe will splash into a backyard or public swimming pool. But in California's wilderness areas, there are lots of other places to find bliss in the water, like lakes, waterfalls, ponds, and hot springs. Guest: Dillon Seitchik-Reardon, Author "Places We Swim California" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California now has an official state mushroom. The designation went into effect this year thanks to a new law signed by Governor Newsom. The Californian Golden Chanterelle was chosen in a poll by the California Institute for Biodiversity which pitted five other mushrooms against the winning chanterelle. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 6400 Latinos died in police confrontations or in police custody between 2000 and 2022. That's according to La Raza Database project, which seeks to uncover the true number of Latinos who have died in violent confrontations with police. Still, the project's researchers say that number is likely much higher. Guests: Roberto Camacho, Reporter and Ivette Xochiyoti Boyzo, Project Manager, La Raza Database Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting Monday, a new law goes into effect in California that will require businesses to disclose all costs up front. Basically a ban on so-called junk fees. This would impact the next time you stay at a hotel, buy concert tickets, or book a short term rental, as you should in theory, know the entire price beforehand. Restaurants were supposed to be included in this new law, but a fast track bill was passed last week and signed by Governor Newsom that exempts them. So they're allowed to continue using service charges as long as the nature of that fee is clearly stated on its menu. Guest: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The program allowing Californians to borrow a state parks pass from their local library has received funding for another year. The program started in 2021 as a way to make access to state parks easier for Californians who might not be willing or able to pay 195 dollars for an annual pass. Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio A woman from Michigan will become the first hijab-wearing athlete to attempt the oldest 100-mile ultramarathon in the country, right here in California. While the race is considered one of the most prestigious in the running world, it’s also one of the most exclusive. Reporter: Mark Nieto, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of thousands of health care workers in California who’ve been expecting a minimum wage increase will have to wait until at least October to get it. The delay comes as a result of the state's new budget deal. Reporter: Ana B. Ibarra, CalMatters In Oakland, nearly 20 percent of young children enrolled in Head Start are going through homelessness. That makes it hard for their families to get to the preschool program consistently and on time. So the city found a way to reach these children where they’re at. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve found yourself at a makeup store recently, especially in a mall after school, you might’ve noticed more young people around you. Like really young. Like elementary and middle school young. This is a trend and it has a name: Sephora Kids. And their purchases are doing damage to more than just their parents’ bank accounts. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Fresno's Police Chief has resigned. This follows an investigation that cleared Paco Balderrama of wrongdoing, after an internal complaint stemming from an affair with an officer’s wife. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden's recent executive actions point asylum seekers toward existing legal pathways. But those pathways, like the CBP One app, aren’t working for the most vulnerable migrants. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS State fire officials say so far this year, the number of acres consumed by fires in California is four times the five-year-average. Meteorologists are predicting a hot, dry summer that could lead to a very active, dangerous fire season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recycling centers have been shutting down across California for years. That means fewer opportunities for people to recycle their bottles and cans — and get back their deposits. And the state is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in unclaimed bottle deposits. Reporter: Scott Rodd, KPBS State leaders say they’ve reached an agreement on the state budget. In a press release, Governor Newsom said the deal involves $300 billion in expenditures, while filling a nearly $47 billion budget deficit. The deal proposes to use more than $12 billion from the state’s rainy day fund over the next two years to help shore up the deficit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Information is still scarce regarding the FBI's raid of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's home on Thursday. It was one of a number of raids conducted by the agency in the city. School districts in California are under pressure to reduce chronic absenteeism. But getting kids back to the classroom can be a challenge for districts with limited resources. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Baseball fans are saying bye to the "Say Hey Kid" Willie Mays. Thursday night’s San Francisco Giants game was held at the historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham Alabama, where Mays made his professional debut in 1948. But at Oracle Park in San Francisco, fans old and young came together to watch the game on the scoreboard, root for their team - and grapple with the loss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About a quarter of all new vehicles sold in California last year were zero emission. But there are big regional differences in where electric vehicles are bought and driven in the state. You see a lot of them on the road in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Orange County, but it’s harder to spot them in the Central Valley or Imperial County. But there are programs aimed at addressing the EV gap. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED California workplace regulators are expected to vote Thursday on new protections from dangerous heat for millions of indoor workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is considering new rules that would require most employers to keep indoor work areas below 87 degrees when feasible, or if it's not, change workers’ shifts or use protective equipment to reduce the risks. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays passed away on Tuesday. He was 93. Mays spent 21 years with the Giants and is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Reporter: Brian Watt, KQED Today is Juneteenth, the day that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. at the end of the Civil War. In Humboldt County, the group Black Humboldt is ready to shift its Juneteenth focus to a broader celebration of the Black experience on California’s North Coast. That's after four years of Juneteenth events aimed at educating the local community about the holiday. Reporter: Kelby McIntosh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresno State calls itself the Central Valley’s university, but campus buildings and infrastructure are increasingly dilapidated. And twice now, Fresno County residents have voted down ballot measures that would have provided the university with more than a billion dollars for repairs and maintenance. Will voters ever change their mind? Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Wildfires are burning up and down the state. In Sonoma County, crews are beginning to get a better handle on the Point Fire, which has burned more than 1,200 acres. And staff from around a dozen wineries in Sonoma County are anxiously waiting to learn the fate of their businesses, after they fled the fire on Sunday. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Palm Springs is known as a wealthy city filled with luxurious hotels and casinos. But lesser known is the history of its violent racism against a predominately Black and Latino neighborhood. Now, former residents are seeking reparations. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report Several large wildfires broke out across the state over the weekend, burning thousands of acres in the process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal agencies are considering a controversial rule that would restrict rock climbers from leaving gear attached to cliff walls in designated wilderness areas. This could affect some of California’s iconic routes in Yosemite and other historic climbing destinations. Reporter: Alix Soliman, KQED The state legislature passed a placeholder state budget Thursday, just ahead of a mandatory deadline. But lawmakers must still negotiate with Governor Newsom on the final deal. Reporter: Alexei Koseff, CalMatters A bill that would ban “forced outing” or “parental notification” policies in California schools has moved forward in the state legislature. At least six California school districts in the past year have adopted measures that require staff to tell parents if their child changes their gender identity at school. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a county’s only hospital closes, you might expect there to be dire, immediate effects on public health. However, since Madera Community Hospital closed its doors in early 2023, the consequences haven’t been so clear. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR California insurance regulators are sharing the next phase of their plans to fix the state’s ailing insurance market. The new regulations propose to let insurance companies use the catastrophe models they want, but in exchange, require them to offer more coverage in wildfire-prone areas of the state. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is expanding transitional kindergarten with a vision of making it available to every four-year-old in the state by fall of 2025. The state has a long way to go to reach its goal of serving 300,000 students. And while many families are eager to sign up, they face complicated logistics. Reporter: Blanca Torres, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom has removed an outspoken occupational safety expert from the regulatory body that adopts California’s workplace health and safety rules. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When school starts in 2025, every 4-year-old in the state will be able to attend public school. It’s a new grade known as transitional kindergarten. But in the lead-up, many schools are struggling to find the necessary classroom space for these additional classes. Reporter: Elly Yu, LAist A California law that set guidelines for classifying workers did not unfairly target Uber and other gig companies. That’s according to a federal appeals court ruling that came down on Monday. Reporter: Levi Sumagaysay, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is in the middle of an ambitious plan to offer transitional kindergarten to all four-year-olds by the 2025-2026 school year. It's poised to be the largest free preschool program in the country. A lot of the kids heading to TK are dual language learners. But a shortage of bilingual teachers could hamper the state's ambitious goals. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED A Superior Court judge has granted a temporary restraining order to the University of California, pausing the strike by thousands of academic workers who walked out over the UC’s response to pro-Palestinian protesters. But some legal experts are questioning that decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Supreme Court has ruled that UC Berkeley can start construction on student and supportive housing in People’s Park -- and also gave the green light to a much larger campus expansion project. The case has brought mixed reaction from the wider Berkeley community. Reporters: Adhiti Bandlamudi , KQED and Billy Cruz, The California Report A new report shows Sacramento County’s homeless population dropped 29% compared with two years ago. That’s one of the largest reductions statewide. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio California has funded over 4 million tax-free savings accounts for students to pay for college. But many families don’t seem to know the money’s there. Reporter: Jacqueline Munis, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are stars exploding all around us. They burst, flash and fade. Some leave visions of their spectacular journeys in telescopes. A high school student recently turned supernovae data into a piece of music. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED President Joe Biden signed an executive order this week that shuts off asylum to most migrants who enter the country illegally. But it has critics on both sides of the political divide. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles' tourism industry, still trying to rebound from the pandemic, has gotten a gift in the form of Shohei Ohtani. Japanese fans have come by the thousands to see the superstar play for his new team, the Dodgers. Reporter: Josie Huang, LAist Votes in the election to recall the controversial conservative school board president in Temecula are still being counted. Early results show the effort to recall Joseph Komrosky winning by a 54-46 percent margin. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With two-thirds of California’s unhoused population living unsheltered, cities are increasingly turning to tiny homes to get people off the streets quickly. Now lawmakers are considering a plan to make it easier to build them. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED For the second time, state labor officials have rejected the University of California's request to get a court order to stop the UC academic workers strike. This comes as workers from three more campuses are going on strike this week. Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republicans in California have struggled to gain power at the state capitol, but they’ve found more success recently on school boards. Conservatives have made gains in these local seats -- but now they’re facing pushback in the form of recall elections -- including two underway right now in Riverside County and the Bay Area. Reporters: Guy Marzorati, KQED and Madison Aument, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reaction was not surprisingly mixed to Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts, marking the end of the former president’s historic hush money trial. Republicans are still standing strong behind Trump, while many Bay Area residents said they were surprised and pleased by the verdict. Analysts say that Trump’s guilty verdicts may not sway his GOP base, but they could change how swing voters view him and the coming November election. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Looking to fix the state’s insurance crisis, Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a bill to speed up insurance premium rate reviews this week. Under the bill, the Insurance Department would have up to 120 days to review insurers' requests and provide a rate estimate. Reporter: Levi Sumagaysay, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

175 tiny homes for the unhoused are expected to be unveiled in South Sacramento this fall. That’s a year past Governor Gavin Newsom’s projected launch. But it turns out, it’s the only project delivering on the original promise. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio Classes will once again be held online at UC Santa Cruz on Thursday as a group of pro-Palestinian protesters say they plan to continue to block the main entrance to the campus. On Tuesday, both roads leading into campus were blocked, leaving many stranded for hours. Reporter: Erin Malsbury, KAZU At UC Davis, a dozen students held a peaceful demonstration on campus on Wednesday, in support of the 125 Israeli hostages that remain in Gaza. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In March, the country’s largest stone fruit producer laid off thousands of workers in the San Joaquin Valley. The announcement came months after the Fresno-based company, Prima Wawona, declared bankruptcy. The collapse has left many in the Central Valley wondering how prepared the workforce is for industry disruptions. Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR California firefighters often wear protective gear that also has some amount of toxic chemicals in it. Now efforts are underway to change that. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday at UCLA and at UC Davis, unionized student academic workers will strike. They’re protesting the UC system’s crackdowns on pro-Palestinian demonstrations, filing unfair labor practice charges. The university system has argued that the strikes are illegal. This is the second wave of strikes on UC campuses. At UC Santa Cruz, academic workers have now been on strike for more than a week. UAW 4811 members there say morale remains high, and they appreciate other campuses joining in on the strike. Guests: Rebecca Gross & Katherine Rogers, Grad Students and UAW 4811 members at UC Santa Cruz As California faces a deficit in the tens of billions of dollars, Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a number of painful spending cuts and program reductions. But advocates are calling on California lawmakers to save some programs, like one that provided In-Home Supportive Services for undocumented immigrants. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As our weather warms over the summer, we’re approaching peak rattlesnake season in California and that means more encounters between rattlers and humans. So what should we know about snakes? Guest: Emily Taylor, Professor of Biology, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Author of the book “California Snakes and How to Find Them” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 1951, an extraordinary looking chapel made of wood, glass and stone has been perched close to the edge of the Pacific on Southern California's Palos Verdes Peninsula. Over the decades, countless weddings and other life events have played out at Wayfarers Chapel. But now the building is in danger from shifting geology, and an architectural rescue operation is underway to save it. Guest: Katie Hauck, Architectural Historian A second pro-Palestinian encampment was quickly taken down on Thursday at UCLA. And eight pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo after blocking traffic at one of the school's main entrances. This all came on the same day as when UCLA's chancellor testified on Capitol Hill about antisemitism on college campuses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last seven years, about 31% of police shootings in Los Angeles involved people who officers believed showed signs of mental illness. Some experts are calling for more de-escalation training for officers, while activists would like to see police removed from such interactions. Reporter: Robert Garrova, LAist Should California doctors be required to report domestic abuse to police? That’s the question at the center of a bill advancing in the state Legislature. Reporter: Ryan Sabalow, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next month, voters will go to the polls in Mexico to select the country's next president. The election is already historic because the two leading candidates, Claudia Sheinbaum and Xóchitl Gálvez, are women. The election will also be notable because of the likely record number of Mexican citizens living in California and the rest of the U.S. who will cast ballots. Guest: Tony Payan, director of Center for the U.S. and Mexico, Rice University Ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s one-time staffer will replace him in Congress, at least for now. In a decisive victory for Assemblymember Vince Fong in a special congressional election, the Associated Press called the race for the Bakersfield Republican just minutes after polls closed in California. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR The California Supreme Court appears hesitant to strike the state’s Proposition 22, a voter-backed initiative that has allowed gig companies to classify their workers as independent contractors. Justices heard oral arguments in the case on Tuesday. Reporter: Levi Sumagaysay, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Close races in California this year could decide who controls the U.S. House of Representatives. One of those competitive races is District 13, a sprawling area between Stockton and Fresno. Climate change is among voters' top priorities. But some liberal voters say they face an ethical dilemma as they are disillusioned by U.S. support of Israel and may choose not to vote in November. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED The official start date for incrementally increasing the minimum wage to $25 an hour for about 500,000 healthcare workers in California will likely be delayed for at least a month. Los Angeles State Senator Maria Elena Durazo is introducing a bill to start implementing the wage increases on July 1 instead of June 1. This gives Governor Gavin Newsom and lawmakers more time to negotiate the projected costs to the state, which faces a nearly $28 billion dollar budget deficit. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Workers who are cheated on their paychecks often don’t recover the wages they are owed -- even after state regulators rule in their favor. In San Diego County, a first-of-its-kind government program aims to change that. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Academic workers at UC Santa Cruz go on strike on Monday, becoming the first UC campus to do so following a union vote last week. The walkout is in response to what the union calls unfair labor practices at UCLA, UC San Diego, and UC Irvine, where campus leaders called for police to intervene during on-campus protests over the war in Gaza. Reporter: Elena Neale-Sacks, KAZU The California Supreme Court will hear a new challenge to Proposition 22 on Tuesday. That’s the 2020 ballot initiative that classified gig workers as independent contractors. Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brown pelicans are starving up and down the California coast. The Monterey Bay is a particular hot spot. A wildlife rescue center there has taken in more than a hundred sickened birds over the past month. Reporter: Alix Soliman, KQED Advocates for a large, self-governed homeless encampment in Sacramento are trying to stop the city from closing it. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Proposition 47, California's landmark critical justice reform measure, has received plenty of recent criticism. Many blame Prop 47 for shoplifting, drug use and homelessness in the state -- and are trying to roll it back with a new initiative this fall. But Prop 47 has also resulted in $800 million in state savings, because fewer people are being sent to prison and jail for drug and low-level property crimes under the law. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Sonoma State University President Mike Lee has been placed on indefinite leave by Cal State University's Chancellor. It comes a day after Lee reached a divestment agreement with pro-Palestinian student protesters on campus. Reporter: Noah Abrams, KRCB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hospitals across the state were hit hard during the pandemic, which disrupted their operations and chipped away at their finances. Maybe the most glaring example is Madera Community Hospital, which shuttered its doors over financial challenges and filed for bankruptcy in 2022. But one nearby hospital saw record profits, financial investments and executive compensation. Reporter: Omar Sheikh Rashad, Reporter Fresnoland Good news for visitors and residents of Big Sur. Caltrans has completed temporary repairs on Highway 1 over a week ahead of schedule. Storms in late March caused one lane of the highway to fall into the ocean. Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation, but a Democratic state lawmaker says there’s a big loophole for some people deemed mentally ill by a state court - and he wants to fix it. The loophole - while California law prohibits someone from possessing a gun if a court finds them mentally incompetent to face a felony charge, it doesn’t apply to people being prosecuted for a misdemeanor. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office says the state could save up to a billion dollars a year by closing more prisons. This as California faces a budget deficit in the tens of billions. But Governor Gavin Newsom is taking a more cautious approach to trimming prison beds. Reporter: Nigel Duara, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A multi-billion dollar budget deficit in California is putting organizations across the state at risk. One program facing an uncertain future is Market Match. It works with EBT, or food stamps, to give recipients vouchers they can use at local farmers markets. Reporter: Ava Norgrove, North State Public Radio Governor Gavin Newsom says he has a plan to deal with a staggering $27 billion state deficit next year --without cutting core services or raising taxes. Newsom says California is facing a $56 billion shortfall over the next two years. He wants lawmakers to approve a spending plan that spans those two years. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED An encampment to protest the war in Gaza was set up at the University of California Merced on Sunday. It came after the school held its commencement ceremony over the weekend. Reporter: Rachel Livinal, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices