KQED's The California Report

This summer, the California Report will be taking you to places and talking to people from all walks of life about what they're doing in the months ahead. But first, we're looking at the dollars and cents of California’s tourism economy and how things are shaping up this summer travel season. Guest: Caroline Beteta, President and CEO of Visit California Many people enjoy spending the summer outdoors, and that can mean hiking in some of California's vast and diverse parks, trails and forests. But how can you enjoy it safely, and avoid the crowds? Guest: Chris Hazzard, Author, Professional Hiking Guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Homelessness is up 9 percent In LA County. Results of Los Angeles' Annual Homeless Count Are Out ...And It's Not Good. Anna Scott from KCRW has the details. The State Task Force Studying Reparations For African-Americans In California Has Submitted Its Final Report... And As KQED Politics Correspondent Guy Marzorati Tells Us -- State Legislators Now Face The Political Challenge Of Making Those Proposals A Reality. This Week, Governor Gavin Newsom And State Lawmakers Agreed On A State Budget That Includes $10 million for LGBTQ Services To Be Divided Among The State's Community Colleges. That Money Is Critical In Rural Communities Where LGBTQ Plus Services Are Typically Scarce. The Supreme Court's Decision To Do Away With Affirmative Action In College Admissions Will Likely Not Have As Deep An Impact In California Since Prop 209 Banned The Practice back In 1998. The City Of Arcata Will Be The Site Of A New Emergency Mental Health Care Facility With The Help Of A Recent $12 Million Grant. As JPR’s Jane Vaughan reports, The New Behavioral Health Crisis Triage Center Will Hopefully Open In 2026. Here's A Preview Of Our Sister Show, The California Report’s Weekly Magazine. During The Pandemic, Rhea Patel And Marcel Michel Decided To Do Something Bold.... Despite Having NO Background In Food, The Couple Started A Food Business, Bringing Flavors From Their Indian And Mexican Backgrounds To Rotisserie Chicken Dishes. They Call It - SAUCY CHICK....And, KQED’s Sasha Khoka Caught Up With Them At A Sunday Food Market in Downtown Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People who live around several reservoirs in Siskiyou County are facing an uncertain future. Four dams on the Klamath River will be torn down over the next two years. Now, their lakefront properties will change as reservoirs turn into a free-flowing river again. Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio A new report shows California is performing almost 500 more abortions per month than in the period before Roe v. Wade was overturned. The “We Count” project has been collecting data from U.S. abortion providers, as more states implement bans and restrictions. The numbers include both medication abortion and in-clinic procedures. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio The California task force studying reparations for Black residents is submitting its final recommendations to the State legislature on Thursday. Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New numbers out from California's Attorney General's office show a more than 20% increase in hate crimes in the state between 2021 and 2022, with more than 2,100 recorded incidents last year. Reported hate crimes targeting Black people had the sharpest rise. There were also big increases in crimes against members of the LGBTQ and Jewish communities. The majority of Californians live in places where the supply of licensed child care just does not meet the demand. And it could get worse. During the pandemic, additional federal funds helped many child care providers stay open, but that funding is coming to an end. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED In recent weeks, hundreds of sea lions and more than 100 dolphins have washed up sick or dead on the beaches of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. A toxic algae bloom off the coast is thought to be the cause. Reporter: Jacob Margolis, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you been recycling your food scraps? A new report finds that California’s landmark compost law that went into effect last year isn’t close to reaching its organic recycling goals. Reporter: Erin Stone, LAist What happens when an elected official essentially becomes homeless because of the cost of California housing? In the small Ventura County town of Ojai, a councilmember has fought to keep her seat, because she can’t find permanent housing she can afford that’s in her district. Guest: Alexei Koseff, Reporter, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By law, California's legislature and the governor must approve a budget by July 1st, the start of the state’s fiscal year. But with that deadline looming, lawmakers and Governor Newsom still haven't struck a budget agreement. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio A 2017 law to streamline new housing construction and override neighborhood opposition has been hailed as one of the most successful tools in the state to help solve California’s housing crisis. But this well-intentioned legislation is producing some unintended consequences for a small and underserved community in one of the richest counties in the state. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. is now the second country in the world to approve the sale of cultivated meat. The meat from Bay Area companies Upside Foods and Good Meat doesn’t come from slaughtered animals. Rather it’s made from animal cells. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report In honor of Juneteenth, The California Report Magazine. is celebrating with stories of creative, powerful Black women, and the house in Oakland that has become the center of their movement. Reporters: The Kitchen Sisters, The California Report Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California officials are pressuring textbook publishers to produce culturally diverse materials for California classrooms. This comes in light of book bans across the country. Reporter: Riley Palmer, KQED Last fall, Sacramento became one of the latest California cities to ban homeless encampments on public property, after voters approved a controversial law called Measure O. Enforcement of the measure is off to a sluggish start. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s sky high housing costs are the biggest contributor to homelessness, and older residents are feeling it the most. That’s according to a new study from the University of California, San Francisco. Reporter: Sydney Johnson, KQED Hospitals and workers agree - California has a healthcare staffing shortage. What they don’t agree on is how to fix it. Democrats in the state legislature are pushing to increase the minimum wage for health care workers to $25 an hour. But hospitals, counties, and business groups say now isn’t the right time. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a levee burst in a January rainstorm in the Central Valley town of Planada, floodwaters wrecked the homes of hundreds of farmworker families. In March, the same thing happened again, a levee failed in the Salinas Valley and inundated the farmworker town of Pajaro. Those communities are now pushing to get some real help in the state budget. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Abortion access is a Constitutional right in California. Yet lawmakers here continue to struggle to regulate so-called crisis pregnancy centers – facilities that abortion advocates say mislead women seeking abortion care. Reporter: Kristen Hwang, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Later this month, the statewide task force studying reparations for black Californians will submit its historic final report to the state legislature for consideration. Most of the focus has been on monetary reparations, but some say the task force will take a bigger picture approach. Lawmakers in the state senate will consider a bill on Tuesday that aims to help low-income teens access mental health treatment. But some affluent parents say it would take away their rights. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED California lawmakers are now waiting for Governor Gavin Newsom to sign off on their proposed state budget. Among the countless line items – $10 million set aside for LGBTQ + services at California community colleges. Reporter: Adam Echelman, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mayors across California are feeling the pressure to reduce street homelessness and tent encampments. So, they’re increasingly turning to temporary housing as a solution. But investments in shelters could come at the expense of permanent housing. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED California prides itself on being a diverse state. But actually connecting people who have radically different life experiences can be a challenge. The Santa Monica public library is hosting events to encourage deep one-on-one conversations between people from different backgrounds. It’s called a “Human Library.” Reporter: Claire Wiley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A busload of more than 40 migrants, sent by the state of Texas, arrived in Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon. The group included at least eight children. Questions linger about how two groups of migrants ended up on flights to Sacramento earlier this month. Some asylum seekers now say the state of Florida hired contractors to push them to get on the flights. Guest: Jack Herrera, L.A. Times national correspondent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Local and state officials are cracking down on the use of gas-powered gardening equipment, like leaf blowers. But not everyone is thrilled about these changes. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Tijuana’s migrant shelters are struggling to stay afloat. A few things threaten their long term future: declining donations and rising costs. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20 members of Congress from California sent a letter to the EPA. They're worried that a rule intended to improve air quality could make it harder to conduct prescribed burns. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED The rejection of a social studies textbook by three conservative Christian school board members in Temecula is causing more upheaval. While California's Attorney General awaits a response from the board to justify its decision, some community members in Temecula are pushing for a recall of the board members. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Residents are moving into an all-electric housing development in the sunny, arid city of Menifee in Riverside County. There are roughly 200 single-family homes, all designed to create zero harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are more than 300,000 licensed security guards in California - a number that’s been growing over the past decade. But in the wake of a fatal shooting of an alleged shoplifter in San Francisco last month by a Walgreens drug store guard, the training required by state regulators is looking increasingly outdated. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Thousands of unionized hotel workers in Southern California have overwhelmingly voted for a strike authorization measure. If they do walk off the job, they say it will be the biggest hotel strike in U.S. history. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The southern San Andreas Fault hasn’t generated a major earthquake in 300 years. But why? Well, new research published in the scientific journal Nature explains that might be due to the shrinking of the nearby Salton Sea. Campaigns to ban books are on the rise in the U.S. That includes the Riverside County community of Temecula. There, the school board’s decision to reject a textbook has sparked a censorship battle. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Music legend Chris Strachwitz passed away last month in Marin County at the age of 91. He was the founder of Arhoolie Records. He also traveled the country making field recordings of music performed by cotton-pickers, janitors, and other working people. Reporter: The Kitchen Sisters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should Californians have a right to housing enshrined in the state constitution? Well, a bill to do just that just passed its first legislative hurdle in Sacramento. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Many people living in wildfire-prone areas of California were already struggling with home insurance before the news that Allstate and State Farm would stop writing new policies. So for those who've lost homes to fire, how does this change their financial calculus? Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says it’s responsible for sending two chartered planes of asylum seekers to Sacramento over the past week. That comes after Governor Gavin Newsom suggested that DeSantis, who’s also running for president, might be guilty of kidnapping. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED The return of a Tulare Lake in California’s Central Valley because of flooding has caused millions of dollars in agricultural damage. But the new lake is also giving members of a Native American tribe a rare chance to get back in touch with their roots and sacred traditions. Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eviction cases are piling up in Los Angeles County courtrooms, especially now that the county’s COVID protections have ended. Landlords almost always show up with attorneys, while tenants tend to represent themselves. Reporter: David Wagner, LAist Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg says he's proud of the way community groups and local officials are stepping up, to aid the dozens of bewildered migrants who’ve arrived in his city by chartered jets in recent days. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The CARE Court program is part of the state's big changes in how it treats the most severely mentally ill. A handful of counties are scheduled to begin the programs this year, including Los Angeles County. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report State authorities say they’ll investigate how a group of migrants, who were reportedly bused from Texas to New Mexico, before being flown to California, ended up at a church in Sacramento. Reporter: Daphne Young, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State lawmakers are trying to make renting more affordable by capping how much landlords can charge for security deposits. Reporter: Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, CalMatters There's been some very un-California weather in the southern part of our state. Cloudy skies have filled the skies the last few weeks. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Accessible health care is often a huge challenge in rural parts of California. That includes in Nevada County in the Sierra Foothills. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By next year, every county in California will have to implement a new statewide program called CARE Court. It focuses on getting unhoused people with severe mental health disorders into treatment. Eight counties have agreed to begin early, including San Francisco. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catalytic converters are a part that all gas-powered vehicles in California are required to have in order to keep their exhaust up to our air quality standards. Thousands of cars across Los Angeles have had theirs stolen, because of the part’s valuable precious metals. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW California’s record snowpack is starting to melt, and it might impact peak wildfire season. For some higher-elevation parts of the state, excess snowpack from the winter might stick around longer than usual and help in reducing severe wildfire risks. But in lower-elevation areas that dry out sooner, it’s a different story. Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fentanyl Deaths Up in California, New Data Show New Federal data show overdose deaths in California up slightly, and drug policy experts say lasting change requires lawmakers to examine and treat underlying causes of addiction. Meanwhile, a bill to create a task force is now advancing at the State Capitol. Reporter: Stephanie O’Neill Patison, KFF Health News Carmel-by-the Sea Addresses Its Addresses The city of Carmel-by-the-Sea is known for its quaint shops, movie star residents and bohemian quirkiness. It’s that bohemian quirkiness that's causing a controversy in the coastal village. Last fall a group of residents asked the city to change a one hundred year old tradition. Reporter: Doug McKnight, KAZU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Consider the beaver. Once thought of as a “nuisance rodent,” yes it’s a rodent, for flooding roads, farmland and other properties that we want to keep dry, the beaver is now embraced as a “climate solving hero” and an eco-engineer. Why? Well for its natural ability to help increase water storage and to create natural buffers against wildfires. Guests: Laurie Wayburn, Co-Founder of Pacific Forest Trust and Leila Phillip, Author of the book "Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California State University system has some of the lowest tuition rates in the country. But a huge budget gap could force new tuition hikes. Reporter: Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters Stanford University is conducting the first clinical trial in the world, looking at whether Paxlovid could be a possible treatment for Long COVID patients. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Kennedy High School is in Richmond, a town northeast of San Francisco. One retired teacher has shown extraordinary commitment to the school, where he’s dedicated his time and energy for more than 50 years. Reporter: Richard Gonzales, The California Report Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year for the past two decades, tribes along the Oregon-California border have come together for an event known as the Salmon Run. It’s a spiritual run and prayer for the health of the Klamath watershed. Reporter: Jane Vaughan, Jefferson Public Radio A new state legislative committee is digging into the fentanyl crisis in search of solutions. Over five hours of testimony on Wednesday, public health and law enforcement experts painted a grim picture of a complex crisis requiring multifaceted solutions. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year, the city of Los Angeles decided to turn one of its methane gas plants into a hydrogen plant. It's part of the city’s ambitious goal to run on 100% renewable energy by 2035. It might sound great, but it’s actually a controversial move. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW A new state legislative committee focused on fentanyl and opioid addiction is holding its first meeting Wednesday in Sacramento. The committee is hoping to address the ongoing opioid crisis. Reporter: Sara Hossaini, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A historic agreement has been reached between seven Western states to cut the amount of water they take from the Colorado River. But what are California's responsibilities under the deal? And which part of the state will be most affected? Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report California's lawmakers have been scrambling to address the state's fentanyl overdose crisis. The synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and it caused nearly 6,000 deaths in California in 2021, according to data from the California Department of Public Health. But the state legislature is split on the best approach to tackle this crisis -- treatment or punishment? Guest: Anita Chabria, Columnist, Los Angeles Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s food banks are reporting alarming spikes in demand, that’s according to the state’s association of food banks, which says the end of pandemic-era food benefits and record high inflation is to blame. In April, the Sacramento food bank and its partners fed 281,000 people – almost double the amount it served before the pandemic. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio Fueled by California's record snowfall, rivers in the state are flowing fast and have swept away a number of people recently. That includes an 8-year-old girl, who drowned in the Kings River in Fresno County on Sunday. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR Earlier this month, we brought you the story of Long COVID patients and their concerns about the lack of clinical trials for potential treatments. Now, a Bay Area lawmaker is looking for answers from the federal agency in charge of Long COVID research. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was once Northern California’s largest settlement of unhoused people. The city of Oakland recently cleared the last remaining portion of the community people called Wood Street. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED We're learning more about U.S Senator Dianne Feinstein's recent health struggles. They were worse and more complicated than her office first disclosed. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED California workplace regulators have confirmed complaints of child labor and other violations at a Popeye’s fast food restaurant in East Oakland. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rivers in California are flowing fast and wide this year as record snowpack in the mountains melt. All that water has created flood damage and worries about more to come, but one industry is thriving after years of drought and shrinking rivers -- whitewater rafting. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR California workplace health and safety regulators are holding a public hearing on Thursday on a proposed rule to prevent heat-related illness in indoor spaces. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Along the Yuba River on Tuesday, California officials announced a plan to give fish access to areas they haven't swam in for more than a century. Daguerre Point Dam has blocked migrating salmon, sturgeon and Pacific lamprey since it was built in 1910. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED After a wildfire destroyed his home a few years back, a young Latino man from Santa Rosa was inspired to become a firefighter. Now, he’s well on his way to achieving his goal -- thanks to a program designed to increase diversity in California’s fire departments. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2015, the Berryessa Snow Mountain region became a national monument. The monument status brought protections to the area’s biologically diverse landscape. But one large swath of land, nestled in the monument’s center, was excluded from protection. Now environmental groups and tribes are trying to fix that. Reporter: Manola Secaira, CapRadio Governor Gavin Newsom warned of a more than $31 billion shortfall when he released his revised state spending plan last week. One sector that will feel the pinch of a tighter budget is child care. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. immigration officials are expressing confidence in the state of things at the U-S Mexico border. That after the Trump-era Title 42 program ended last week. It prevented migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. But there are still plenty of concerns from people trying to cross the border. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that the pandemic era border restrictions, known as Title 42, have been lifted., it’s estimated six thousand migrants are in shelters across the San Diego -Tijuana border waiting to apply for asylum. Many had been waiting for days without much food. They slept on the ground under bright lights. Governor Gavin Newsom will be announcing how big of a budget deficit the state is expecting next year – and how he plans to close that gap. Reporter: Alexei Koseff, CalMatters Fire season is fast approaching in California. As the climate warms, fires are expected to be more intense. This comes as California struggles to beef up its wildfire personnel. But a new program in the Bay Area aims to help build that workforce. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Title 42, the border policy that was put in place during the pandemic to turn asylum seekers away, ends Thursday night. Officials are expecting a surge of migrants at the border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is already keeping 400 migrants in a makeshift camp in San Ysidro, between the primary and secondary border walls. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Thursday marks the end of the COVID 19 federal public health emergency. But for people who are affected by Long COVID, it’s not the end of the pandemic. Many have lost their jobs, have no means of income, and are relying on disability checks to try to survive. But getting approved for long-term disability is becoming a major roadblock. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we’re now in the fourth year of the pandemic, there is a growing sense of optimism that the worst is likely behind us. Vaccines and boosters have helped reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. But for millions of Americans who are suffering from Long COVID symptoms, there’s no end in sight for their day-to-day struggles. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Governor Gavin Newsom is scheduled to release his revised budget on Friday. He’s warned about a major deficit, but that isn’t stopping lawmakers from putting pressure on him to increase child care funding, to the tune of a billion dollars. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED After the COVID-19 public health emergency ends on Thursday, some people who were receiving medications through telehealth will need to visit a doctor in person. Reporter: Katie Hyson, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s legislature has approved spending $150 million to help cash-strapped hospitals across the state. The money would fund a hospital loan program. Reporter: Ana Ibarra, CalMatters Menifee in Riverside County is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. As it's grown, the city made the decision to create its own police department from scratch. It launched in the summer of 2020 – just as policing was under intense scrutiny in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Reporter: Madison Aument, KVCR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week will mark the end of a controversial border policy that started under President Donald Trump. Title 42 is part of the U.S. Public Health Code meant to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. But it's been used to keep hundreds of thousands of migrants from crossing the border. Guest: Tyche Hendricks, KQED We’re nearing the end of the first week of the Hollywood writers strike, and studios and the union representing writers stand far apart on a number of key issues. But, the strike doesn’t only threaten the financial health of those who work on TV shows or movies. It has lots of other businesses worried as well. Reporter: Josie Huang, LAist The California reparations task force has approved a statewide plan for descendants of American Slavery. The sweeping recommendations include a method to calculate money denied to Black residents by racist policies and plans for a new state agency to manage repayment. Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of parents and teachers in Oakland are taking to the picket line on Friday morning for day two of the citywide teachers strike. Reporter: Phoebe Quinton, KQED David “Mas” Masumoto has been growing peaches, nectarines and grapes on his family farm in Del Rey, just south of Fresno, for over 40 years. He thought he knew all about his family history in the area -- the racism, imprisonment during World War II, and eventually buying some land, establishing a home. But Masumoto got a big shock in 2012. Reporter: Lisa Morehouse, The California Report Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TV and film writers are taking to the picket lines for the third day, after failing to reach an agreement with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It' still unclear how long the strike will last, but both sides seem to be dug in. Guest: Michael Schneider, Senior TV Editor, Variety. Host of Screengrab, a podcast from KCRW The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to pass ambitious plans for new housing in Hollywood and Downtown L.A. The aim is to bring 135,000 new homes to the two neighborhoods. Reporter: David Wagner, LAist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Hollywood, film and television writers represented by the Writers Guild of America, or WGA, are on the second day of a strike. It’s the first such labor action in more than 15 years, and it could have a devastating economic impact on the industry if it continues. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report On Tuesday, we told you about the lack of affordable child care options, and how it’s keeping women from joining certain industries. A lot of that has to do with how little early educators are paid. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The construction industry in California wants to hire more women to meet a shortage of skilled workers. But access to child care is keeping many of these women from joining the trades. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED The state is suing the city of Elk Grove for allegedly using discriminatory housing practices to deny a proposed affordable housing project. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Did you know when California communities plan new housing, they don’t have to take the size of their unhoused populations into consideration? A new bill advancing through the state Legislature could change that. Reporter: Marisa Kendall, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last July, San Bernardino police shot and killed a 23-year-old Black man as he ran from them while allegedly holding a gun. The police killing of Rob Adams drew protests and demands for accountability — and is the subject of a $100 million lawsuit filed on behalf of his family. Now, nine months after Adams was killed, San Bernardino city officials confirmed the names of the involved officers. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Many are calling it environmental justice. California’s air board has passed an ambitious plan to phase out diesel truck fleets, from garbage trucks to Amazon delivery vehicles. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED A recent state audit found the California Department of Public Health has missed opportunities to collect data about people’s sexual orientation and gender identity. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Criminal justice advocates and some incarcerated individuals have filed a lawsuit against the California prison system. What’s at issue? Policies, the plaintiffs argue, that illegally discriminate against inmates who prison officials believe are foreign-born. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED The California Report Magazine is wrapping up their series “Mixed! Stories of Mixed Race Californians,” with a conversation with comedian W. Kamau Bell, and his wife, Melissa Hudson Bell. The couple have a new HBO film ‘1000 Percent Me’ - where Kamau Bell asks mixed race children about their experiences. Reporters: Sasha Khokha and Marisa Lagos, The California Report Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is set to see one of its first extended heat waves. That could mean major problems for parts of the state, where flooding is likely from a melting snowpack. Among the communities on edge is Corcoran in the Central Valley, which is already surrounded by rising water. Guest: Joshua Yeager, Reporter, KVPR As California wages its fight against smog and climate change, state regulators this week will vote on a plan to start phasing out diesel truck fleets -- from delivery vans, to garbage trucks, to 18-wheelers. The regulators want to see them replaced with zero emission vehicles. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday in Sacramento, lawmakers will hold a hearing on legislation aimed at creating buffer zones between homes and huge warehouses and logistic centers where companies, like Amazon, store and distribute mountains of goods that a lot of us might order online. This is the latest development in an ongoing debate over warehouses and the health threats they might pose to people who live near them. The center of that debate is the Inland Empire, east of Los Angeles. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Buckle in for a long summer when it comes to the threat of flooding. That’s what Governor Gavin Newsom told people Tuesday in the San Joaquin Valley, while standing atop a dirt levee holding back millions of gallons of floodwater. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weather forecasters expect an early-season heatwave this week in many parts of the state. The warmth may cause flooding as the snowpack melts in inland areas of California. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED On the best of days, agricultural work isn’t easy, but in recent years, California farmworkers, in places like the San Joaquin Valley, have also had to deal with record heat waves, wildfires and more recently storms and flooding. But because of chronic illnesses, agricultural laborers also face a growing health crisis. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR As another wildfire season looms, a federal judge will soon decide whether there should be limits on how firefighters drop chemical retardant onto large blazes. Environmentalists say the retardant pollutes rivers, streams and lakes. But some lawmakers and residents in areas of the state prone to wildfires say the retardant saves lives and properties. Reporter: Jamie Jiang, North State Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices