KQED's The California Report

Oil companies spent big in California’s election this year and for good reason: Governor Gavin Newsom is calling on lawmakers to take action to drive down gas prices in a state where drivers pay far more than anywhere else. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED California is seeing a surge in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. But there is some good news. California’s top health official says more people are picking up the pace when it comes to getting the updated COVID booster. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio Moderate weather and well-timed rainstorms helped ensure a mild 2022 fire season in California. But officials remain cautious, even into December. Reporter: Julie Cart, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new report out this week says a data breach at the California Department of Justice last summer was the result of poor training and a lack of professional rigor at the agency. The leak included the personal information of hundreds of thousands of concealed carry firearm license applicants. Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters Award-winning poet Deborah Miranda, an enrolled member of the Ohlone-Costanoan Esselen Nation, is the author of "Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir." The book explores the history of Central Coast tribes through the records of her ancestors, including wax-cylinder recordings dating back more than a century. Reporter: Sasha Khokha, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The University of California has reached a tentative agreement with postdoctoral scholars and academic researchers to increase their pay and other benefits. Those UC workers are staying on the picket lines in solidarity with their United Auto Worker union members who still have not reached a deal. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, KQED Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the chief justice of the California Supreme Court, held her annual year-end media briefing yesterday. Cantil-Sakauye used her final media conversation before she leaves the court at the end of December to urge California to address the so-called “justice gap,” the lack of financial resources to help lower-income people address their legal needs. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Nearly two-thirds of California voters upheld a ban on flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, in November. Tobacco companies are now asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stop California from enforcing the ban. Reporter: Tara Siler, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Postdoctoral scholars and academic researchers in the University of California system have reached a tentative five-year deal. But the strike continues, as two groups — graduate student researchers and academic student employees — still have not come to an agreement. New reporting from CalMatters finds that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo enrolls the smallest percentage of Black undergraduates at any CSU or UC school. Just 146 Black students enrolled this fall out of 21,000 undergraduates. Students describe experiencing overt racism. Reporter: Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late September, passenger rail service from San Diego to places north of San Clemente halted. An unstable slope above the track in San Clemente posed the threat of a landslide. Bluff stabilization is ongoing, but rail service is expected to resume next month. Reporter: Thomas Fudge, KPBS After wildfire season ends in the Western U.S., those who lost their homes begin sifting through what’s left to recover as much as they can. After the McKinney Fire this past summer, a team of trained dogs and archeologists helped recover cremated remains left in urns that were lost in the fire. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During labor disputes, employers sometimes freeze health insurance benefits for workers. But a law to take effect next summer will provide striking private-sector workers with fully subsidized coverage. Reporter: Stephanie O’Neill, Kaiser Health News New reporting shows that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation moves prisoners with serious mental illnesses three times more often than other prisoners. Reporter: Byrhonda Lyons, CalMatters The California Fish and Game Commission has struggled to decide whether to list the western Joshua tree as an endangered species. If it is listed, it would be the first species to earn protection in the state because of climate change. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just like animals, the world’s trees, flowers, grasses and succulents are under threat, especially as our world heats up because of climate change. About a third of California’s native plant species and populations are now endangered or threatened by development, drought, competition from invasive species and of course wildfires. In California, botanists are trying to protect the state’s native flora for future generations. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than 20 years, the African American Theater Arts Troupe at UC Santa Cruz has provides a sense of community for Black students on campus while also celebrating Black playwrights. Often, it’s the first time Black students see plays that explore life experiences they can relate to. Reporter: Doug McKnight, KAZU If you look out west from San Francisco, when the fog clears and the light is just right, you might be able to see a cluster of islands jutting out of the ocean, like sharp, misshapen teeth. The Farallon Islands, 27 miles west of San Francisco, are a national wildlife refuge, and home to the largest seabird breeding colony in the contiguous United States. The islands — and the waters around them — are also brimming with a variety of wildlife, including thousands of seals and sea lions, gray and humpback whales, sharks and even orcas. Reporter: Izzy Bloom, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Thanksgiving approaches, food pantries across the state are seeing an increase in need. Some students face a difficult choice: eating or education. A recent state law requires college campuses to direct students to CalFresh and other benefits. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR For the second time this year, state officials are delaying the start of commercial Dungeness crab fishing, after several humpback whales were spotted off California's coast. The delay will allow time for the whales to migrate south. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Millions of Californians will sit down to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. And all of that food preparation will create a lot of potential food waste, from turkey bones to vegetable peelings. But the gases that are released from food waste that's trucked to landfills are a big contributor to climate change. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scientists at Stanford are starting a new medical trial to test if the drug Paxlovid can ease the symptoms of long COVID, like brain fog, shortness of breath and body aches. It's the first medical trial in the U.S. involving an antiviral to treat long COVID. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom is releasing a billion dollars in funding to fight homelessness. That comes just two weeks after he put a halt on the funds and scolded cities and counties for not having ambitious plans to solve homelessness. Cities must submit their next proposal to the state by next Tuesday to access more funding. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED California's last remaining nuclear power plant just received more than a billion dollars in conditional funding to keep it up and running for five extra years. Local supporters of the plant’s continued operation celebrated the news for helping keep the plant’s carbon-free energy on the grid, as the state faces an ongoing energy crisis. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last night, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club hosted a vigil to honor the victims of the shooting in a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs. The vigil took place at Harvey Milk Plaza, one week before the 44th anniversary of the assassination of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. A recent investigation from CapRadio and the California Newsroom revealed the U.S. Forest Service predicted that a wildfire could wipe out the town of Grizzly Flats. But the agency failed to deliver on plans to protect the rural Northern California town. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio California is one of the nation’s most linguistically diverse states. An estimated 3.4 million workers don’t speak English well, or at all. Many of them work low-wage, high-risk jobs. But the state agency tasked with protecting workers’ health and safety, is woefully understaffed in terms of bilingual inspectors. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of California farmworkers and growers are rallying in Washington this week. They're supporting a bipartisan bill that would create a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s undocumented farmworkers. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR The University of California academic workers' strike continues today and could stretch into the Thanksgiving holiday and beyond. Hear from one striking researcher who's been on the picket line all week. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald In a preview of our sister show, The California Report Magazine this week checks in on immigrant detainees who say they were retaliated against for waging a labor strike at the two facilities where they’re held. One man says he faced 40 days in solitary confinement for supporting the strike. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bass, a community activist turned Congress member, defeated developer Rick Caruso in a race marked by his record spending. In a statement on her win, she pledged to solve homelessness and respond urgently to crime. California’s nonpartisan budget analyst is warning of rocky financial times ahead. California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office is projecting a $25 billion budget deficit for the next fiscal year. California released its latest ambitious climate change plan yesterday that would reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuels. The plan calls for slashing emissions by 48% by 2030, based on 1990 levels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has lost his reelection bid to his opponent, Robert Luna, who continued to hold a commanding lead as the vote count continued. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED As votes continue to be tallied, it’s looking like Californians are on track to elect the most diverse legislature in state history. As many as 52 female candidates could take office once all the votes are counted. Eight LGBTQ candidates are also on track for election. Reporter: Ariel Gans, CalMatters Activists in Los Angeles say they’ve noticed a pattern. When a restaurant offering, say, $30 entrees, opens in a working class neighborhood, rents start to rise faster, there are more evictions, and long-time locals are forced to leave. Some restaurants are now trying hard to limit their impact on gentrification. But is it enough? Or will their presence always be problematic? Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of Employees of the University of California Remain on Strike At U.C. Merced, the system’s newest campus, employees are calling on the UC Regents to raise wages so they can afford housing. Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR A U.C. Berkeley Ph.D Candidate Studying Reptiles Decides to Strike Strikers, represented by the United Auto Workers are disrupting business on UC campuses at a pivotal time in the semester. Isaac Krone is a PHD candidate who studies reptiles, but he says he hasn't been able to focus on his research because he must teach every semester. Reporter: Jean Zamora, The California Report Border Rule Changes Could Speed Up Crossings, Impact Aslyum Seekers Change is coming to the U.S-Mexico border in our region. Mexican immigration officers on that side of the border at San Ysidro will check US-bound travelers’ documents. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW A Week Since Election Day, Multiple Statewide and Municipal Races Still in Limbo California, like a handful of states across the West, mostly sends every voter a ballot in the mail, and it just takes longer to count mail in ballots. You have to take it out and compare the signature on the blue to the one on file to make sure that it matches. Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters politics reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly a week after the final day of voting, several key races in California could help determine which party will control the House of Representatives. Of the remaining House contests too close to call, more than half are in California. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED After several days of narrowly trailing in the mayoral vote count, Congressmember Karen Bass opened up a narrow lead against her opponent, shopping mall mogul, Rick Caruso, as ballots continued to be counted over the weekend. As of the most recently announced totals, Bass is nearly 9,500 votes ahead. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED Last week Alex Padilla became the first Latino elected to the U.S. Senate from California. Patricia Guerrero is poised to become the first Latina California Supreme Court Justice. The outcome of these 2022 midterm elections is a product of "immense anger" that started in 1994 with the Anti-Immigration Proposition 187, according to an expert. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Public Utilities Commission has released a proposal that would gradually reduce the price utilities pay for power from rooftop solar systems. The proposal has been met with widespread criticism. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED This week, an episode from the new season of "Uncuffed," a podcast from KALW focused on intimate stories made by people incarcerated in California prisons. Edmond Richardson talks about marriage on the day before his wedding day inside San Quentin State prison. Reporter: Edmond Richardson, KALW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republicans will likely be in the majority in the House of Representatives come January. Bakersfield Republican Kevin McCarthy is expected to become Speaker, but his path forward is far from clear. One expert says the challenge for McCarthy, especially with a small majority, is that he lacks trust from the far right wing of his caucus. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED The largely Republican Shasta County in northern California has been the subject of national attention since the takeover of the county board of supervisors by a far-right majority earlier this year. But on election night, heightened security measures and support for poll workers seem to have contributed to a more relaxed atmosphere. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There was a sweep by Democrats in statewide races for Governor, U.S. Senate, Secretary of State, Lieutenant Governor and State Treasurer. The high-profile Los Angeles mayoral race is looking tight, with Rick Caruso at a slight lead over Karen Bass as of this morning. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is losing in his bid to stay in office against his rival, former Long Beach police chief Robert Luna. Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivered a short speech at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, promising that by the time people wake up, Republicans would be in the majority. But as of right now, Republicans haven’t taken control of the House and the Red Wave hasn’t materialized. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CARE Courts, a county-based initiative, will combine teams of outreach workers and therapists with civil courts. Seven California counties have already volunteered to implement the CARE Court system first. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED Thousands of low-income families could miss out on a child tax credit that became available during the pandemic. Californians have until November 17th to file for these tax credits. Reporter: Wendy Fry, CalMatters In August, dancers at a strip club in Los Angeles filed a petition to unionize, vying to become the only unionized strip club in the country. On Monday afternoon, the dancers had their union election. Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified’s two most conservative board members eventually supported adopting an ethnic studies class. But around the same time, the school board banned the teaching of critical race theory. This tug-of-war over values is coming to a head this election, as the long-time incumbents face political newbies who are promising to keep race and gender identity issues out of schools. Reporter: Jill Replogle, KPCC A new poll from UC Berkeley finds that Californians of all political stripes are worried that American democracy is in crisis and is at risk of failing. And they're overwhelmingly pessimistic about the chances that people with different political views can work out their differences together. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Less than a month before finals are meant to start, University of California student workers have voted to authorize a strike. The strike could arrive as early as November 14. Reporter: E. Okobi, KQED According to new numbers from the election tracking site Ballotpedia, nationally a little more than a billion dollars have been spent on state ballot measures this election cycle. And California accounts for about 70% of the cumulative spending. Most of that has been spent fighting over Propositions 26 and 27. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED Many potential young voters that college student Kennedy McIntyre talks to are concerned about a host of issues: affordable housing, gun control, abortion rights. But they aren't convinced that voting will make much of a difference. Reporter: Jessica Kariisa, The California Report Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In several of California's most competitive races, Latino voters could be decisive, which isn’t so surprising. But more than half of Latino voters who were recently polled say no campaign has asked for their vote. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED The Central Valley has been synonymous with conservative, small-government politics for a long time. But there’s a new state Assembly district in the Central Valley and the two candidates vying for the seat are both women, Democrats and people of color. Reporter: Ariel Gans, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prosecutors say David DePape, the man who allegedly attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, claimed he was on a suicide mission, with plans to kidnap Speaker Pelosi. DePape entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday and is due back in court on Friday. "Voter integrity" groups claim they're looking to root out fraud. But the targeted door-knocking in Shasta County amounts to voter intimidation and could be illegal under California election laws, according to election officials. It's also part of a broader national trend motivated by election conspiracy theorists. Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio William Curry, who reportedly graduated from high school in Alabama last year, was finally escorted off campus last week. Despite multiple removals from campus since December 2021, Curry continued to return. Campus officials caught Curry on Thursday morning after he allegedly stole a TV from a dorm basement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Man Accused of Attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Will Be Arraigned in San Francisco Superior Court Today 42-year-old David De Pape is making his first appearance in court since his arrest on Friday at Pelosi’s house. DePape faces both local and federal charges after the attack, which left Paul Pelosi with a fractured skull. Bay Area Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier Warns Her Colleagues In Congress That There Needs To Be A Change In The Radicalized American Political Culture Representative Speier knows about violence wielded by extremists. In 1978 on a trip to the South American country of Guyana to investigate Jim Jones and his People’s Temple cult, the then 28-year-old was shot five times in an ambush by followers of Jones. At the time, Speier worked for congressman Leo Ryan. Ryan and four other people were killed in the attack. This Election Season Voters In San Bernardino Will Vote To Consider Breaking Away From California San Bernardino County is just east of Los Angeles and is home to more than 2 million people. By area, it’s the largest county in the USA… and, is bigger than nine states. But despite its size, some local officials say they’re not getting the state support— or resources – they deserve. That’s partly why secession came up in the first place… and, it’s not a new idea. Powerball Soars To $1.2 Billion for Wednesday night's top prize No one has hit all six numbers since Aug. 3rd. Including California, Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prosecutors are expected to announce charges against the man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi. The suspect, 42-year-old David DePape, is facing attempted murder charges as well as assault with a deadly weapon and residential burglary. Just like in the 2020 election, there are claims of fraud this election cycle, particularly in northern California's Shasta County. While some call for a full independent review of the ballots to eliminate cheating, others worry these fraud worries are making it hard to build trust in the election system, no matter how safe it actually is. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Nearly a third of Black Californians questioned in a statewide survey say they feel they have been treated unfairly while trying to get health care because of their race. Most respondents change how they act at doctor's offices to minimize negative experiences. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Pelosi Assaulted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office says someone broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco this morning and violently assaulted the speaker's husband. The Congresswoman's spokesman says the person who assaulted Paul Pelosi is in custody. Paul Pelosi was taken to a hospital and is recovering. Oil Companies Just Sold Thousands of Old Wells, Concerning Environmentalists Shell and ExxonMobile recently sold thousands of aging oil wells in California to smaller players in the industry. This has environmentalists worried that those smaller firms won't be able to pay what it will cost to close them down when the time comes, and that taxpayers will be left to foot the bill. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW The Man of Science and The Ouija Board This week, as part of a collaboration with the podcast ‘Bay Curious,’ a ghost story for Halloween. It comes from reporter and former KQED science editor Jon Brooks, who usually lives in the world of evidence, facts and data. But many years ago, Jon and his longtime friend Mark witnessed something inexplicable, even supernatural, that just can’t be squared with reality. Reporter: Jon Brooks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In response to a massive housing shortage, new rules require California cities to locate affordable housing in single-family neighborhoods as a way to combat decades of racial segregation. Residents in some California cities are pushing back and hope to rely on a time-tested tradition: using the local ballot box to restrict growth. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Settlement talks have broken down in a case from San Francisco seeking to preserve federal humanitarian protections. More than 260,000 immigrants nationwide face a risk of deportation. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most competitive House races in California pits a Republican incumbent who opposed certifying the presidential election against a Democratic challenger who helped prosecute January 6th rioters. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED State utility regulators have recommended fining PG&E more than $150 million for alleged safety infractions they connected to a deadly fire two years ago in Shasta County. The Zogg Fire started in September 2020 after a pine tree fell on a PG&E line near the town of Redding. Four people were killed in the fire. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED California voters will weigh in on high profile political offices, like Governor and Congress this fall. But they’ll also be voting on four California Supreme Court justices. Reporter: Byrhonda Lyons, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of the California tribes who have weighed in on Proposition 27 are against it. They’re worried about language tucked away in the measure that could potentially undermine tribal sovereignty. But at least one tribal chair says it's a way to support financially disadvantaged tribes that don't own big casinos. Reporters: Guy Marzorati, KQED and Nicole Nixon, CapRadio California K-12 students’ academic progress has plunged during the pandemic. Math is the worst decline, with the percentage of students who are proficient or better dropping seven percentage points statewide. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom and State Senator Brian Dahle sparred over the economy, climate and more in a debate at KQED on Sunday. It was the first and only debate the two have had. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Voters will be deciding on Proposition 30 in November. It's the plan to tax the wealthy to pay for electric vehicle incentives, and the measure has split Governor Gavin Newsom from his fellow Democrats. Reporter; Kevin Stark, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New research is showing the potential dangers from indoor gas appliances in California homes. The study from PSE Healthy Energy, a nonprofit research institute, found that leaking gas stoves are emitting benzene, and other dangerous pollutants. Reporter Jessica Kariisa has spent years writing about and dancing to African music in cities up and down the East Coast. When she moved to the Bay Area, she wasn’t sure what she’d find by way of African music, but she soon discovered a club scene that’s thriving and rich with history. Reporter: Jessica Kariisa, The California Report Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his first sit down interviews since a racist audio recording was released of Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon, and two other councilmembers , speaking with a local labor leader, de Leon was apologetic, but said he does not plan on resigning. For the midterm election, California voters will once again be asked to decide on a ballot measure dealing with dialysis clinics. Similar measures have failed to pass in 2018 and 2020. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Striking mental health care workers are voting on a new contract, after reaching a tentative deal with Kaiser Permanente on Tuesday. Over 2,000 therapists, psychologists, social workers and counselors took to the picket lines at Northern California Kaiser facilities in mid-August to demand increased staffing and more support for workers. Reporter: Nimah Gobir, KQED Following a tumultuous last few week, the L.A. City Council has a new president. During a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Councilmember Paul Krekorian was unanimously selected to lead the council. He'll replace Nury Martinez, who resigned last week after she was caught on an audio recording making racist comments and discussing how to manipulate the redistricting process in the city. Latino voters could make the difference this midterm, between Democrats maintaining control of Congress or Republicans seizing the gavel. While the GOP has made inroads with some Latino voters, especially in states like Texas, California Latinos have not swung as far to the right in recent years. But concerns about inflation and gas prices are playing big in California’s Latino-majority 22nd congressional district, where both candidates are running to the center. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year California voters will take up two propositions that would legalize sports betting. One of them would expand gambling in tribal casinos. But opponents say if it passes, it could also put card rooms out of business, and hit cities that rely on them for their bottom line. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Governor Gavin Newsom has announced the COVID-19 State of Emergency will end this coming February, nearly three years after the order first went into effect. The state has logged more than 10 million COVID cases since the start of the pandemic. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next month, voters will decide whether or not to increase arts funding to public schools across the state. We look at what it could mean for one school in the Bay Area. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED The racist conversation between three members of the Los Angeles City Council and a labor executive have struck a familiar chord with Black and Afro Latinos struggling to gain political representation. Reporter: Emily Elena Dugdale, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's regularly scheduled Los Angeles city council meeting has been canceled because two council members who are at the center of a scandal over a leaked racist conversation have not yet resigned. Both Gil Cedillo and Kevin De León have issued apologies, but nothing more. They haven’t been seen in the City Council chambers since Monday, when they were shouted at by an outraged crowd who demanded their resignations. Reporter: Jackie Fortier Every day, children across the country – some as young as two and three years old – are forced out of their preschools and daycares. And more often than not, it’s children of color who are expelled. A law signed late last month by Governor Gavin Newsom aims to reduce the number of expulsions in state-funded preschool settings. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED In a preview of The California Report Magazine, we hear from the first episode of “Imperfect Paradise: The Sheriff,” a new podcast from LAIST studios. In it, KPCC’s Frank Stolze takes a deep dive into the tenure of controversial LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva. Reporter: Frank Stolze, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The former president of the Los Angeles City Council, Nury Martinez, has resigned. This comes days after a recording surfaced of her making racist remarks in a closed-door meeting. State Attorney General Rob Bonta is now investigating the redistricting process in LA, following the release of the conversation. One of the most competitive House races in California is taking place in the northern part of Los Angeles County, where Republican Congressman Mike Garcia is facing off for the third time against Democrat Christy Smith. The issues of abortion and Latino identity have been central to the campaign. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a contentious city council meeting, LA residents voiced their displeasure with three councilmembers, who were caught on a recording using racist language. The calls continue to grow for Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon to resign, although none have done so. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Dozens of workers at Amazon’s largest air hub on the West Coast announced they’ll go on a one-day strike later this week . The workers at the facility in San Bernardino are upset over low wages and unsafe working conditions. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three members of the Los Angeles City Council are facing a barrage of calls to resign, after an audio recording of them making racist comments was made public. This comes as the council is meeting for the first time on Tuesday, since the recording was released. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Local governments should consider wildfire risk, when evaluating proposals for new housing. That's according to new recommendations from California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Janitors who work at the facilities of Facebook and its parent company Meta have been on strike since last Wednesday. Late last week, the strikers received support from two major groups advocating for workers, Silicon Valley Rising and the South Bay Labor Council. The National Labor Relations Board has approved a union recognition election for dancers at a topless bar in North Hollywood. If the performers at Star Garden organize, they would become the only unionized strippers in the nation. Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW A teacher shortage has forced dozens of preschools in California to close classrooms since the start of the school year. Low wages were driving away early childhood educators -- most of them women of color -- long before the pandemic. But the emotional and financial stress, plus the health risks of working during the crisis drove them to quit faster. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED We’re celebrating Indigenous People’s Day with a focus on Nikole Aanapou Mann, who became the first native woman to reach space last week as commander for the NASA Space X Crew 5 mission to the International Space Station. Mann is enrolled with the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in Northern California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve been struggling with inflation-fueled high prices, from groceries to gasoline, some help is on the way. Starting Friday, the state will start sending out about nine and a half billion dollars worth of tax rebates to Californians to help people with their bills. The one time payments will range from $400 to $1,050 dollars for joint tax filers and between $200 and $700 dollars for those who filed individually. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED In Sacramento, Black residents are three times as likely to say they can't afford their rent or mortgage compared with the area’s overall population. A poll published this week by Valley Vision, a civic leadership organization in the Sacramento area, found nearly nine of every 10 Black residents are concerned about the cost of housing in the Sacramento region. That's higher than any other racial or ethnic group. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio In a preview of our sister show, the California Report’s weekly Magazine, we hop on a bus many in the Vietnamese American community informally call the “Bánh Mì Bus” because of the importance of food to many of the passengers on the trip. Reporter Christine Nguyen takes us on a mouthwatering journey from San Jose to little Saigon in Orange County, a route that connects the two largest Vietnamese communities outside Vietnam. Host: Sasha Khokha, The California Report Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the first months of World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. It authorized the U.S. government to relocate and incarcerate more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry. Now more than seven decades later, a group led by a USC professor has taken on the challenge of creating a list of every single person forced into camps and jails. Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC A family of four, that was kidnapped from their business in Merced this week, has been found dead. The bodies were discovered near where the kidnapping took place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years ago, then Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that unsealed internal official investigations into serious use of force, dishonesty and sexual misconduct by peace officers. But California prison officials are not complying. That’s according to a lawsuit filed by KQED. Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQED Gas prices remain sky-high in California. $6.42 on average for a regular gallon of gasoline as of Wednesday, that according to AAA. Production issues at refineries are being blamed for the skyrocketing price. But some relief could be on the way. Reporter: Andrea Bautista, KCRW Tijuana gas stations are capitalizing on California’s soaring gas prices. Several stations in Mexico are advertising cheaper gas to commuters heading to San Diego. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mid-term elections are a little more than a month away, and officials here in California and across the country are working to make sure the election process is safe and secure. But there are also concerns about threats levied against election workers and voters at the polls. Guest: Neal Kelley, Chairman, Committee for Safe and Secure Elections As the weather cools, the U.S. could be headed into a severe flu season. Experts say small children who haven’t been exposed due to pandemic restrictions and masking may be most at risk. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade first leaked in April, state lawmakers in California went to work. They moved forward to place a measure on the November ballot, Proposition 1, that, if passed, will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. But such a constitutional amendment raises questions about fetal viability and whether abortion rights would actually be expanded. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED On Friday, the deadline passed for Governor Gavin Newsom to sign or veto hundreds of bills sent to his desk by the legislature. One of the bills he signed will increase cash benefits for hundreds of thousands of working Californians who take time off to care for an ill relative or to bond with a new child. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trust representing 70,000 PG&E wildfire victims reached a nine-figure settlement this week with a group of the utility's former executives and directors. The settlement will come from liability insurance the company held for its officers and directors. Reporter: Dan Brekke Imperial County currently holds one of the world's largest lithium reserves. A recent surge in demand for the mineral, a key component in electric car batteries, is now leading investors from Bolivia, Chile and South Korea to the southeastern corner of California. Guest: Janet Wilson, Desert Sun reporter California is not expanding unemployment benefits to an estimated 1 million undocumented workers in the state any time soon. The bill Governor Gavin Newsom just vetoed would have created a one-year pilot program offering $300 a week, up to 20 weeks to unemployed, undocumented Californians. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero Flag football already is a sanctioned high school girls sport in states including Alabama and Nevada… but California could soon be on that list, too. Yesterday the southern section of the California Interscholastic Federation — which governs high school sports in the state —voted overwhelmingly to recognize flag football as a sport for high school girls. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi As the regular season comes to an end, the longest tenured broadcaster in Major League baseball is getting ready to hang up his mic. Beloved Jaime Jarrin has been the voice for Spanish-language radio for the Dodgers for more than six decades. Reporter: Madi Bolaños On this week's The California Report Magazine, writer Caroline Hatano talks about her beloved grandfather, a Japanese-American flower farmer in Southern California for 70 years. This summer, the city of Palos Verdes terminated the lease, closing the last Japanese-American farm on a peninsula that was once home to hundreds of them. Host: Sasha Khokha, The California Report Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ensenada is the birthplace of Mexican surfing. It has a rich history, but many people don’t know about it. Now, two surfers from Ensenada have set out to change that. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Los Angeles is receiving millions in state funding to help launch a program to combat homelessness among the formerly incarcerated. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gas prices remain stubbornly high in California. In fact, over the last week, the average price of a regular gallon of gasoline has jumped more than 40 cents. But some help is on the way in the form of a one-time state refund payment. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report In San Diego, some Black residents talk about how the city used to be known as “Harlem of the West.” Now, the city is attempting to pay homage and respect to that era – before the community was devastated by redlining and other racist policies. One way the city is doing that is by empowering one neighborhood as the newly-formed “San Diego Black Arts & Culture District. Reporter: Jacob Aere, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pacific Gas and Electric says it's facing a criminal investigation, for possibly starting the state's largest wildfire so far this year. The company says in a new filing with federal securities regulators that the US Forest Service has reached an "initial assessment" that the fire started near a PG&E line. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Affordable housing is hard to come by for most Californians. In Sacramento, there’s also a severe lack of affordable housing for low-income seniors. But construction is underway to help ease that shortage. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio When we hear about homeowners in trouble or losing their homes, it’s usually a story about foreclosure. But there’s another process that can penalize homeowners – and sometimes result in people losing their homes. That process is called receivership. A new investigation from The Sacramento Bee found a company called the Bay Area Receivership Group has left some homeowners staring at massively excessive fees and forced them out of their homes. Guest: Theresa Clift, Reporter, Sacramento Bee A new study shows that a fault system running through coastal LA and Orange counties has the potential to produce a far more powerful earthquake than was previously known. Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW Some advocates, who backed a bill that would have required children to attend kindergarten in California, say they're surprised the legislation was recently vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices