KQED's The California Report

Amid California’s housing crisis, a group of mobile home park residents in Fresno County have done something that might seem impossible. They purchased their park from their corporate landlord, securing stable affordable housing for themselves. But the road to get there wasn't easy. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report Communities in the Sierra Foothills are preparing for several more feet of snow over the next two days. This week's blizzard will also bring extremely high wind gusts. Local residents and businesses have been busy preparing for what's to come. Reporter: Sophia Holm, KUNR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A blizzard warning is in effect through much of the Sierra foothills through the weekend. The National Weather Service says some higher elevations could see as much as ten feet of snow. Ski resorts in Lake Tahoe are preparing for dangerous conditions on the mountains. Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report Voting in California’s primary election doesn’t end until Tuesday night. But election officials are getting worried about low levels of voter turnout. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Fresno County voters go to the polls next week, they will be asked to choose whether local officials should have more control over naming. And re-naming things like towns, cities, and street names. Reporter: Billy Cruz, The California Report San Diego County shut down its migrant welcome center last week . That means border officials will continue to drop migrants off on San Diego streets. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the greater Tahoe region and much of the Sierra from Thursday morning until Sunday. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED When you’re voting for a candidate running for state office, like a state legislator or the governor, you can evaluate them based on their voting record, policy positions and more. But finding information on candidates for local judge seats can be trickier. Reporter: Olivia Zhao, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Californians will head to the polls on March 5 to vote in the presidential primary. While there's only one statewide measure on the ballot, voters will have plenty else to ponder. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED Politics Correspondent In Shasta County, a citizens commission created by right-wing politicians is recommending that county officials violate state law by hand-counting election ballots. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Proposition 1 would allow the state to issue more than $6 billion in bonds, for supportive housing and residential treatment facilities for people experiencing homelessness and mental illness. But local governments are eyeing the measure through a different lens, and what may be impacted locally. Reporters: Elena Neale-Sacks, KAZU and Erik Adams, North State Public Radio Prop 1 isn't the first ballot measure that's tried to help Californians who live in that overlap between homelessness and mental illness. In 2018, voters passed No Place Like Home, a proposition that committed to building thousands of affordable housing units for homeless residents experiencing mental health issues. But a new investigation from CalMatters shows it delivered only a fraction of what proponents promised. Guest: Marisa Kendall, Reporter CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rogue Festival in Fresno’s Tower District showcases local talent through improv, comedy and storytelling. This year the festival will host nearly 200 performances over the course of two weekends. One of them is a performance of the novel Latehomecomer by Hmong American author Kao Kalia Yang. Guest: Jasmine Vang, Hmong American Actor The Sierra is glittering white. Over the last week, recent storms have added up to four feet of snow to the mountain range. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a nasty virus spreading through the U.S. We’re not talking about COVID and we’re not even talking about humans. Avian influenza or bird flu has affected millions of birds across the country, including here in California. And in the Central Valley, farmers have been set back months due to the loss of flock and eggs. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR The push for California to provide reparations for Black Californians is taking shape at the state capitol. Members of the legislature's Black Caucus have chosen 14 reparations bills to prioritize this year. Those range from a formal apology on behalf of California lawmakers who supported slavery, to limits on solitary confinement in state prisons. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the heart of California’s oil country, Kern County, more than 16,000 people work in the petroleum industry. Many of their jobs will likely disappear over the next two decades, as the state phases out oil drilling. Slashing fossil fuel emissions is part of California’s plan to combat climate change. That plan also includes burying carbon deep beneath the ground. Kern County is betting on the carbon management industry to create thousands of jobs in the region. But it's unclear if that will actually come to fruition. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR California’s budget deficit has grown to $73 billion. That’s larger than a previous projection of $68 billion. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio The Supreme Court has dealt a blow to California landlords when it declined to take up a pair of cases with implications for rent control and eviction moratoriums. The cases , from New York and Seattle, argued the policies violate landlords’ property rights. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California landlords would be required to accept pets under first-of-its-kind legislation introduced this month. The bill by San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney would also ban property owners from asking about pets on applications, limit pet deposits, and prohibit “pet rent” — additional monthly fees for pets. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED A new UCSF study shows that midwives can face extra obstacles operating in California, especially when they’re trying to serve some of the state’s lowest-income families. Reporter: Kristen Hwang, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Sacramento organizations prepare people from underrepresented communities to serve in public office. That includes Nueva Epoca, which is designed to empower Latinos. Reporter: Kristin Lam, CapRadio In Temecula Valley, teachers and parents who sued the school board over a ban on critical race theory and a transgender notification policy can move forward with their case. A Riverside County Superior Court judge denied the district’s request to dismiss it. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Advocates for letting public universities in California hire undocumented students, who don’t have federal work authorization, have gotten a boost from Sacramento. A new proposal would let all students work, regardless of immigration status, in the UC, CSU and state community college systems. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED We’ve been exploring the crisis of loneliness among Californians and finding community. We turn to the topic of friendship as one all important remedy to social isolation. Guest: Rhaina Cohen, journalist and author of the book “The Other Significant Others” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roughly a quarter of California’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, including your home. That’s why the federal government wants to give homeowners money to replace gas appliances, install solar panels and replace your windows with more efficient ones. Some developers are taking low-carbon retrofits a step further, creating zero-carbon homes. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW It’s a challenge confronting some renters in California. They want to buy an electric vehicle, but they don’t have a place to plug it in where they live. In response, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty has introduced a bill aimed at increasing access to EV charging for people who live in multi-unit housing and without garage access. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America's growing culture wars can be seen in local politics across the state. That includes in the Orange County city of Huntington Beach, where a conservative majority on the city council has rolled back several progressive initiatives. And in March, a highly contentious measure is on the ballot. It’s a city charter amendment titled Measure 1 that if passed, would require Huntington Beach residents to show official identification when voting in-person. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report A Fresno judge has approved a plan to reopen bankrupt Madera Community Hospital, which has been closed for more than a year. That’s despite a reopening bid from UC San Francisco announced last week. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prop 47 is a 2014 ballot measure that lowered the penalties for drug possession and shoplifting from felonies to misdemeanors. Retailers and prosecutors are collecting signatures for a November ballot measure that would roll back some portions of the law. And lawmakers have introduced more than a dozen bills to tweak it in some way or another. But what have the impacts of the measure been? Guest: Maris Lagos, KQED California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has promised sweeping changes to try to fix the state’s insurance market and convince companies to offer more coverage. Now, he’s released proposed rule updates. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new immigration court opens in the Bay Area Monday. It’s part of an effort by the Biden Administration to cope with a record number of asylum seekers – and a historic backlog of 3 million cases nationwide. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Cal State faculty members start voting Monday on a deal that could raise wages and add more paid parental leave. But some CSU employees say it falls short of what their union is demanding. Reporter: Mariana Dale, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fast food workers are officially launching a new statewide union on Friday. This comes weeks before a new law will raise the industry’s minimum wage to $20 an hour and create a statewide Fast Food Council. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Programs dedicated to the well-being of California’s youngest residents are facing major cutbacks. That’s because a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products sharply lowered revenue that’s supposed to fund First 5 California and the early childhood services it supports. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED The San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl this weekend in Las Vegas That means thousands of Niners fans are flocking to Sin City to celebrate, and one dedicated fan is hoping to welcome them all. She started a 49ers booster club in Las Vegas. Guest: Susan Larson, North Vegas Faithfuls Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decades ago, the homes in a Palm Springs neighborhood known as Section 14 were deemed eyesores and officials wanted to promote tourism. So they forced out the mostly black and brown families who lived there. Crews tore down everyone’s homes, and then burned them, sometimes with people’s personal possessions still inside. The city made a public apology in 2021, but survivors are still waiting for additional support. Guests: Pearl Devers, Section 14 Survivor and Areva Martin, Civil Rights Attorney A Popeyes Chicken franchisee is paying more than $200,000 for child labor and other violations at restaurants in East Oakland, Newark and Tracy. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID eviction protections have lapsed for renters in the city of Los Angeles. Now, city outreach workers are going door-to-door, hoping to catch renters before they’re evicted. And they’re using new data to find those most in need of help. Reporter: David Wagner, LAist Fresno is the latest city in California to find itself on the receiving end of a bus full of asylum seekers. They were sent from Texas, victims of Governor Greg Abbott’s immigration battle with the Biden administration. Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rain continues to fall in Southern California, which has been drenched in this latest atmospheric river. Downtown Los Angeles has seen more than seven inches of rain the last 48 hours, one of the highest two day rain totals on record. A California law that went into effect last January said public universities have to provide medication abortions. An LAist investigation has found a patchwork of approaches to communicating that abortion pills are now available. Advocates say that’s hurting access. Reporter: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much of the worst of the latest atmospheric river has passed through Northern California. But areas of Southern California continue to be hit with heavy rain and threats of flash flooding. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report California’s public universities are required to provide abortion pills to students who want them. But LAist found few universities tell students the medication is available. The lack of information caused one student weeks of anguish. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are more than 1.2 million people incarcerated in the U.S. And there are also a lot of mothers out there, living with the guilt, shame and loneliness that comes with having a child in prison. In Sacramento, one mom is turning that pain into support. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report A job fair was held this week for workers laid off by a Fresno-based agricultural company. Prima Wawona, which grows and packages peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots, filed for bankruptcy in October. A few weeks ago, it warned its employees they’d all be laid off in March. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR One of the mushroom farms where a mass shooting took place in Half Moon Bay a year ago has paid more than $126,000 to federal regulators. The U.S. Department of Labor says that California Terra Garden paid $84,000 in back wages for dozens of workers, and more than $42,000 in penalties. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, the Biden administration introduced a mobile app called CBP One. The idea was that it would help streamline the asylum process for the government agencies and the asylum seekers. But the initial version of the app was riddled with errors. While things have improved, asylum seekers are still facing challenges with the app. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS California’s new oil industry watchdog is recommending reforms to prevent spikes in gas prices at the pump. Tai Milder heads the watchdog agency. He says the state should publish a market price report and require refineries to store a minimum amount of reserve gas. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, the City of Los Angeles ends renter protections that were implemented during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. That means tenants need to start paying back the back rent they owe to their landlords. Also, the city will start allowing rent increases in units covered through its rent stabilization program. That means some tenants who live in rent-stabilized apartments will have their rents raised for the first time in four years. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report A new report says state corrections officials have used inappropriate tactics to reduce a backlog of staff misconduct cases. When a person held in a state prison files a complaint alleging staff misconduct, it’s supposed to go to the Department of corrections’ s Office of Internal Affairs or trained investigators. But a report by the state inspector general says prison officials dealt with a backlog by reclassifying hundreds of complaints as routine grievances. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED A bill that would let state legislators shield their property holdings from disclosure forms is advancing in the Legislature this week. Reporter: Alexei Koseff, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past two years, undocumented students at the University of California have campaigned to be allowed to work on campus. They argued that they were missing out on opportunities to work with professors and in labs, which could further their academic careers. But last week, UC Regents voted to halt a plan that would have allowed the university to hire them. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report The federal government is awarding California $600 million to fight homelessness. The funding represents a 14% increase over last year’s allocation to the state. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED A 2023 law made it legal for DACA recipients to become police officers in California. But a new investigation from CalMatters shows, uptake has been slow across the state. Reporter: Justo Robles, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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