KQED's The California Report

The San Francisco 49ers are NFC Champions and heading to the franchise’s 8th Super Bowl. They defeated the Detroit Lions 34-31, after trailing by double digits at halftime. Reporter: Christopher Alam, KQED Journalism in Los Angeles and the entire state of California was hit with a major blow this past week. The L.A. Times laid off more than 100 journalists in its newsroom. The cuts come at a time when journalism will play a vital role in informing the public about the upcoming 2024 election. Guest: Margaret Sullivan, executive director of the Newmark Center for Journalism, Ethics and Society at Columbia University Mental health counselors gained some wins in the tentative agreement between the California Faculty Association and Cal State University management. CSU said they'll make an effort to boost the ratio of counselors to students. Reporter: Yusra Farzan, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We continue our series on social isolation and the search for community in California. One place where it can be very difficult to find community is L.A.'s Skid Row neighborhood, where many people live on the streets in squalor, as they also battle mental health and addiction problems. But the Skid Row Running Club has been a place where people can find friendship while also getting healthier. Guest: Jeremy Price, Skid Row Running Club University of California Regents voted to suspend work on a proposal that would have allowed the university to hire students who don't qualify for federal work authorizations like the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report According to the latest numbers, more than 350, 000 Californians now get their fire insurance through California’s FAIR Plan. The number of FAIR policyholders has nearly tripled over the last five years. So why the increase? Reporter: Levi Sumagaysay, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man who died in an avalanche at Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort on Wednesday as 66-year-old Kenneth Kidd. One other person was buried and injured; two other skiers were caught up in the avalanche but rescued. California is facing a nearly $38 billion budget shortfall, but to hear Governor Gavin Newsom tell it, things aren’t too dire. As he rolled out his proposed spending plan on Wednesday, Newsom framed the shortfall as a return to normal of sorts: After several years of unusual spikes in capital gains, sales and corporate tax revenues, driven by low interest rates and historic federal pandemic aid, things are leveling off. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED As Senate negotiators struggle to hammer out a deal in Washington, trading tougher asylum rules for more aid to Ukraine and Israel, California Senator Alex Padilla says more border restrictions are not the best way to manage the migration crisis. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If we're spending tens of billions of dollars fighting homelessness, why isn't the problem getting better? An investigation by KCRW and The California Newsroom looked at the massive failures of one major recipient of Governor Gavin Newsom's Homekey program. That's his administration's big effort to turn buildings like hotels and motels into low income housing, which has cost more than $3 billion since it launched in 2020. Guest: Anna Scott, Reporter KCRW Governor Newsom is expected to release the state’s spending plan on Wednesday morning. This comes as the state is dealing with a $68 billion shortfall. Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Newsom has officially ordered a special election on March 19 to fill the seat vacated by former Congressman Kevin McCarthy. The district will see up to four different ballots to determine who will serve the remainder of McCarthy’s term and who will succeed him in Congress. Meanwhile, California lawmakers want to clean up state election law after a judge ruled that a Republican candidate can run for both Congress and the Assembly this year. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio A suite of options to allow psychedelic use in California could soon be on the table, including regulated therapies. As officials wrestle with what comes next, the state recently cleared advocates to collect signatures for a statewide decriminalization vote as a ballot measure in November. Reporter: Anna Marie Yanny, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People are still struggling to find a place to live years after devastating wildfires ripped through Butte County. In the remote town of Berry Creek, many are living in RVs on the lots where houses once stood. But they face deadlines to rebuild their homes or move. Reporter: Jamie Jiang, North State Public Radio Doctors are bracing for more COVID patients as people return to school and work after the holiday break. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 20th century, the last California gray wolf was observed in the 1920s, but that changed in 2011 with the sighting of a wolf who had crossed into California from Oregon. Now, a small but growing population of wolves have reestablished themselves in the state. Reporter: Jordan Traverso, California Department of Fish and Wildlife A parents rights group says it plans to sue Attorney General Rob Bonta because of how his office titled and summarized an initiative the group hopes to get on the ballot. The proposal from the group Protect Kids California would prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, exclude trans girls from girls competitive sports, and require schools to disclose a students’ gender identity to their parents. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Passions over war in the Middle East have spilled into where many of us work. So as an employee, what rights do you have to share your opinions or protest on the job? Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED In Sacramento, state legislators ended their first session of the year early Wednesday, after hundreds of Israel-Hamas war protesters broke out into songs and chants in the Assembly chamber. Reporter: Sameea Kamal, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal regulators are investigating Kaiser Permanente for how it treats women with postpartum depression. The health provider has twice revised its guidelines to make it easier for women to get a new drug that targets the condition. These developments are the result of a KQED investigation that first revealed Kaiser's restrictions on postpartum care. Guest: April Dembosky, KQED State surveyors have measured the snowpack near Lake Tahoe, and found only a small amount of snow compared to this time last year. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of new laws have gone into effect with the beginning of the new year. They affect everything from workplaces, to crime and health care. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our state, we see the effects of climate change around us seemingly every day - storms, flooding, wildfires, extreme heat waves. Such events are changing the landscape and feeling of California and making a lot of us worried. So how do we handle the anxiety and even the grief that stem from climate change? Guest: Erica Hellerstein, Investigative Reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The state of California has been experimenting with ways to make it easier for residents to enjoy our state parks and beaches. A pilot program that allows Californians to visit many state parks for free — after checking out a pass from their local library — is helping increase access for more people. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Polynesian voyaging canoe is on a four-year journey circumnavigating the Pacific Ocean, using only traditional methods of seafaring - so no GPS, no motor, no high tech sensors, but lots of sails and wind power. The canoe and its crew recently sailed down the California coast, meeting with indigenous communities along the way. Reporter: Katherine Monahan, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We spend a lot of time on this show talking about the grim effects of climate change, but not as much on the steps each of us can take to make a difference. That's the idea behind KCRW's new "Anti-Dread Climate Podcast" Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic caused homeschool enrollment to boom across California. In the LA Unified School District, almost twice as many kids are homeschooled as before the pandemic – up 90% in 5 years. And many have stuck with it, even after schools fully opened. Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meadows can be a key to forest health. In the Sierra Nevada, however, most have been degraded or lost. But there are efforts underway to restore these habitats. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR A unique holiday tradition here in the Bay Area. The Misfit Cabaret is a variety show that features eccentric performers, often performing burlesque and drag. Reporter: Rachel Martin, NPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The town of Pescadero on the San Mateo County Coast was once known for fish. But a few decades ago salmon in Pescadero Creek went extinct. Now conservationists, with the help of farmers, scientists and federal money for combating climate change, are helping them come back. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED California could lose multiple seats in the US House of Representatives, if new population estimates from the Census Bureau bear out Reporter: Sameea Kamal, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In eastern Solano County, a group of Silicon Valley billionaires have a vision: an urban, walkable city filled with jobs, restaurants, sidewalks and bike paths. Their ambition is to put a dent in California’s gaping housing shortage. But for the farmers who currently own that land, that idea is upending their businesses and their future. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is joining calls to remove former President Donald Trump from California's primary ballot. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California will soon allow water agencies to heavily treat wastewater, converting it into drinking water. The State Water Resources Control Board approved regulations to extensively treat sewage water for human consumption. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Congressman Kevin McCarthy officially submitted his letter of resignation on Tuesday, announcing he will step down December 31. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Right now, people all over the world are sending friends and family Christmas cards and holiday gifts. But often overlooked is the one delivering this mail, the mail carrier. Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not-for-profit credit unions have long billed themselves as community-based alternatives to big commercial banks. Yet, many California credit unions charged customers millions in overdraft fees last year. Reporter: Scott Rodd, KPBS A new law protecting California workers who use marijuana goes into effect next year. Starting January 1, it will be illegal for employers in California to discriminate against an employee for their marijuana use off the job. Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New numbers show that fentanyl continues to have a devastating effect on the general public in California. Law enforcement also says the drug poses a threat to officers. For example, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office says one of its deputies recently needed the overdose-reversing drug known as Narcan, after handling fentanyl. But experts say opioids were probably not the cause of his symptoms. Reporter: Brian Krans, The California Newsroom The conservative Christian majority that brought national attention to Temecula in Riverside County no longer runs that city’s school board, at least for now. A board member who was elected last year with the help of a Christian political action committee has resigned. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diamond Bakery, an institution for generations of Los Angeles Jews, closed this month after 77 years. But, in what could be considered a Hanukkah miracle, the bakery’s original recipes will live on. Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW California workplace regulators have approved new emergency temporary protections to stall a surge in silicosis, an irreversible lung disease disabling and killing countertop fabrication workers. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next month, a major PG&E rate hike goes into effect. It’s the latest cost increase driven by wildfire-related expenses, inflation, and the growing energy demands that come with extreme weather. But these soring utility bills are pushing low income Californians to the edge of homelessness. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Sacramento County has launched a first-of-its-kind mobile veterinary clinic, focused on caring for pets owned by homeless residents. It's a free, mobile clinic with medicine and equipment. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Migrant farmworkers used to make up a large portion of the agricultural workforce. In recent years, those numbers have decreased. The rules for living in migrant housing are still largely the same, and it's creating a difficult situation for those living in these centers across the state. Guest: Lindsey Holden, Reporter, Sacramento Bee A California law meant to ensure overtime pay for farmworkers may be leading growers to cut workers’ hours, and thus actually reduce their paychecks. That’s according to new research out of UC Berkeley. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s solar industry is facing tough times after state utility regulators changed the rules for rooftop solar last spring. Sales are down and layoffs are up. Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS The Department of Water Resources has released a final environmental impact report for the Delta tunnel project. The project would pump more water from northern to southern California, but is not without its share of critics. Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California regulators are set to vote this week on new emergency rules to protect workers power cutting “engineered stone” to make kitchen countertops. The factory-made material is linked to an aggressive lung disease killing workers. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero Last week, the city of Fresno became one of the first in the nation to raise the Palestinian flag, in solidarity with those killed in the Gaza Strip. The flag raising comes two months after Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer publicly showed support for Israel and made insensitive comments about the ongoing conflict. Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 70, 000 Californians are still waiting on support from the state’s COVID-19 rent relief program. And now, that program could run out of money before it pays out the remaining eligible applicants. Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters Heavier than expected snow is falling this week in the Lake Tahoe area, with some places getting over a foot of "powder". That, of course, is a good thing for ski resorts, who were worried this year's ski season was getting off to a slow start. Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report It's the story of two California cities and two prisons. One city is Blythe on the border of California and Arizona. It’s home to the Chuckawalla Valley State Prison. Since the lock up first opened in 1988, Chuckwalla has become synonymous with Blythe, with the prison creating hundreds of local jobs and helping to pump lots of dollars into Blythe’s economy. But last year, the state decided to close Chuckawalla. Now, the city of Norco, hundreds of miles away, wants to make a switch, and instead close its prison. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently ousted Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has announced he’s stepping down from Congress by the end of the year. The news was met with disappointment from many of his constituents in his Central California district. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR Temecula’s Christian conservative school board president is one step closer to being recalled. A local PAC has turned in the signatures it hopes will force a recall election. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR State regulators announced the largest wage theft case in the home health care industry, a case that’s led to workers recovering $2 million so far. Nearly 150 caregivers who worked at Adat Shalom Board & Care are set to receive $5.5 million dollars total. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The number of L.A. residents dying from fentanyl overdoses shot up 1600% over the past six years. A record 3,220 people died of drug overdoses in Los Angeles County in 2022. Fentanyl surpassed methamphetamine to become the most common drug in fatal overdoses. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, LAist The state’s poorest children are having to wait for weeks, sometimes months, to receive urgent mental health care. When someone calls to make an urgent psychiatric appointment for a child, the state standard is for that appointment to be within four days. A new audit found that’s not happening for 40% of kids - some have to wait months to get an appointment. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio The often glaring health disparities between Black and white Americans are known, like African Americans having an average lifespan that’s six years shorter compared to white people. But now research points to another disparity, involving grief and bereavement. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The border wall that separates the U.S. and Mexico has long been controversial, but the barrier also causes real physical injuries when people fall from it. And with the border wall nearly twice as tall as it used to be in many places, the injuries keep getting worse. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS The state agency that lost billions to pandemic unemployment fraud has a new plan to pay out benefits. Employment Development Department officials hope the updates will help stop scammers from stealing peoples’ money. Reporter: Lauren Hepler, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four decades ago, California went to war against an enemy that wasn't human. The adversary was the Mediterranean fruit fly, an invasive pest that threatened to destroy California's agricultural economy. To fight the fly, the state launched controversial aerial pesticide spraying campaigns and set up roadblocks and quarantine zones. Fast forward to today and the fruit fly threat to California is back. Guest: Bodil Cass, Professor on Entomology, UC Riverside Faculty members at four California State University campuses are staging a series of single day strikes starting Monday. It comes after months of bargaining. Reporter: Juan Carlos Lara, KQED For the first time, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife is returning land to an indigenous tribe. The Fort Independence Indian Community will get back 40 acres of sacred land in Inyo County. Reporter: Izzy Bloom, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Merced County has the highest rate of homicide in the state. It’s also severely lacking deputies. Sheriff Vernon Warnke says the shortage is so bad, he's disassembling units, like for gang enforcement, just to cover everyday patrol. Reporter: Elizabeth Arakelian, KVPR The housing crisis in California can be felt in all parts of the state. That includes at colleges and universities, where more and more students are struggling to find on campus housing. At Cal Poly Humboldt, some students have turned to sleeping in their cars. And now they're being fined for doing so. Guest: Jillian Wells, Reporter, The Lumberjack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom is not running for president, but for some reason, Thursday night in Georgia, he will face off in a debate with a man who is in the 2024 race: Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. What do both have to gain from the debate? Guest: Marisa Lagos, KQED The California Public Utilities Commission will vote Thursday on whether to settle their enforcement against PG&E for the utility’s involvement in the 2021 Dixie Fire. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED More than 3,000 California pharmacies have stopped flavoring medication as of this month. That leaves just 50 statewide that will add flavors like bubble gum or strawberry to make it easier for some children to take medicine. Reporter: Shreya Agrawal, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is still hope that Madera Community Hospital will reopen. It shut down and filed for bankruptcy a year ago, leaving patients with virtually no other options. Earlier this month, a deal to save the facility fell through. But two more suitors are eyeing the hospital. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR In the Bay Area, a unique childbirth education program for and by Black people is improving birth outcomes and patient experiences. That’s why the agency that oversees Medi-Cal is looking into how it can bring this program to other public hospitals in California. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imperial Valley residents are hoping to get their cut of the profit from the future lithium industry. For them that means well paid and sustainable jobs. Reporter: Philip Salata, inewsource Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In one of the many low income rural communities struck by flooding earlier this year, residents and local officials are still wrangling over how to spend recovery money. At issue is $20 million in state funds for the Central Valley town of Planada. Reporter: Nicole Foy, CalMatters A few hundred hospice nurses, chaplains and grief counselors met in Los Angeles this month at the End Well gathering. Think of it as the TEDx conference for end of life issues. But this year, the organizers invited actors writers and producers from Hollywood to attend, too. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the start of holiday season, and for some that means getting together with family or loved ones and sharing a nice meal together. But for many, the holidays can amplify feelings of loneliness. The COVID 19 pandemic has changed how we interact with each other and experience events, making this time even more challenging and feelings of loneliness more common. Guest: Kory Floyd, Professor of Interpersonal Communication, University of Arizona and the author of The Loneliness Cure Growing numbers of asylum seekers are arriving in San Diego County. And government resources are not keeping up. Reporter: Katie Hyson, KPBS California K-12 students will soon be taught how to recognize fake news. That’s because of a new law that requires schools to teach media literacy skills starting in 2024. Reporter: Carolyn Jones, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The history of Native Americans fighting for their land is as old as attempts to take it. But efforts to reclaim ancestral lands have become more visible in recent years. In California more than a dozen efforts have already succeeded. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While many Americans feel like the COVID pandemic is in the past, countless others are still feeling symptoms months or years after they were infected. They're suffering from Long COVID. One such person is Bay Area writer and author Mary Ladd, who recruited more than 40 people from across the country to share essays and poetry in The Long COVID Reader, released earlier this month. Guests: Mary Ladd and Lisa Carpentier, The Long COVID Reader Construction on the Pajaro River levee that breached and flooded hundreds of homes in March will begin next summer. The upgrades will cost more than $500 million. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A highly anticipated — and controversial — new program, championed by Governor Gavin Newsom, will begin in LA County on December 1. CARE Court will allow family members to ask a judge to step in with a treatment plan for loved ones living with severe and untreated mental illness. Reporter: Robert Garrova, LAist A surprise inspection by a federal watchdog agency has found more than half of immigrants in border facilities in the San Diego area were detained for longer than the standard three-day limit. When the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general made unannounced visits to five San Diego locations in May, investigators found hundreds of migrants had been locked up for far longer, including a few held over a month. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices