KQED's The California Report

Gov. Newsom Says 12 Californians Died in Extreme Weather The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for a large swath of Northern and Central California with 6 to 12 inches of rain expected through Wednesday in the already saturated Sacramento-area foothills. CalMatters Investigates $35 million in Leftover Campaign Cash A new investigation from CalMatters found there are nearly 100 politicians across California sitting on 35 million dollars in leftover campaign funds. CalMatters’ Ben Christopher explains why, and what’s happening to all this money. Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters What Happens After Native American Tribes Get Their Land Back? Governor Gavin Newsom is setting aside $100 million dollars to support Native American tribes in buying back their ancestral lands. It’s part of his “30 by 30” pledge… to preserve one third of state lands and coastal waters by the year 2030. But once a tribe gets their land back… how do they restore and preserve it? An indigenous tribe in Humboldt County bought back 48 acres of land earlier this year. Reporter: Izzy Bloom, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historic Rainfall Is Especially Tough On The Unhoused California is assessing damage and cleaning up after a week of historic rains. The National Weather Service says San Francisco experienced its wettest ten day period in 150 years. All that rainfall has been especially tough on the unhoused population. California Still In A Drought Despite Torrential Rains The past few big storms have eased drought conditions across the state, but not as much as you might think given the deluge. 98% of California is still in some state of drought. KQED climate reporter Ezra David Romero has the story. CA Governor Gets Sworn In Today Governor Gavin Newsom holds his inaugural celebration in Sacramento later this morning. As KQED Politics Editor Scott Shafer reports, it’s no accident that Newsom chose January 6th to do it. McCarthy Still Unable To Secure Speaker Vote Central Valley congressman Kevin McCarthy failed to secure the speaker’s gavel for a third day as the House of Representatives held an 11th round of voting in Washington on Thursday. McCarthy needs 218 votes to assume the speaker position but remains way short. Back home in Bakersfield, McCarthy constituents are watching closely – some in horror, others with glee. Bakersfield Prison Cited For Violating Workers Rights California’s workplace health and safety regulators have cited a for-profit prison company for violations affecting detained workers locked up at an immigration facility near Bakersfield. It's likely a first. KQED’s Farida Jhabvala Romero reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Storm Packs A Punch Overnight California continues to be lashed by what’s called a “bomb cyclone” storm this morning, with forecasters warning about rain rates of up to one inch…per hour…in some places and winds of 70 and 80 miles per hour. Infant Killed In Storm When Tree Falls On House In Occidental One of two deaths reported in Wednesdays historic storm includes an infant from Sonoma County. Fire officials say the child died when a large tree fell on his family's home in Occidental. Police in Fairfield say a second death involved a woman who's car careened out of control and struck a light post. San Francisco Mayor Pleads With Residents To Dial 3-1-1 Instead Of 9-1-1 For Storm Related "Non-Life Threatening" Incidents At a press conference on Wednesday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed warned her city’s residents about the dangerous conditions and she’s asking people to avoid tying up emergency lines with non-emergency calls. Heavy Rains Disturb Ancient Burial Sites Around Wilton Rancheria In South Sacramento Tribal leaders at the Rancheria are concerned that continued flooding from the Consumnes River could be disturbing sacred burial grounds nearby. CapRadio’s Sarah Mizes-Tan has the story. Storms Are Creating Additional Misery For The Homeless Before heavy rains started failing in San Francisco, The California Report co-host Madi Bolanos spoke to some unhoused individuals to see how they were preparing to cope with the rain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get ready. Another powerful rain and wind storm is set to pummel parts of California on Wednesday and Thursday. The National Weather Service said parts of Northern California and the Bay Area should expect widespread flooding. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED In San Francisco, small business owners are still dealing with damages from the last big storm. Now, they have to prepare for more rain and wind. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report A state report out Tuesday reveals major racial disparities in policing in California in 2021. According to the data, black drivers and pedestrians were searched and subjected to use of force at more than twice the rate of white drivers and pedestrians, despite police stopping more white individuals. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much of California is still trying to clean up from stormy weather that has hit much of the state over the past week. But forecasters said the worst could be on the way, as an atmospheric river forms off the coast. A new year is bringing a bumper crop of new state laws, which are now officially on the books. They cover everything from abortion to housing and gun rights. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After having a baby, mothers are often barraged with pressure to return to their pre-pregnancy lives and bodies. And that can take a toll on both mental and physical health during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC For many people, the New Year means setting resolutions and goals for 2023. But for one immigrant, who’s now living in the Bay Area, it means rehabbing his life, following a long stint in prison. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With New Year's Eve around the corner, that means millions of Californians will be out celebrating the end of 2022 and start of a new year. And that could entail a night of drinking. But is there a way to stop from having a nasty hangover the next day? Guest: Danielle Venton, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the tops of the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California lies plants that exist nowhere else in the world. The Pebble Plains ecosystem is more than a million years old. It’s an old expert at adapting to a changing climate, and yet, it’s dying out faster than ever before. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW During the holidays, many people spend time with their loved one, but also enjoy food that is celebrated in their cultures. Think tamales for Latin American families, or the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Japanese American families often celebrate the New Year in their own way – with mochi. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Californians are feeling the effects of the drought. But in big areas of the state, where people rely on groundwater, the pain of this drought is especially severe. Wells are going dry and there’s intense competition to find more water that’s underground. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report California’s bighorn sheep population will soon be getting some help in dealing with the state’s drought. A project is underway to build nearly a hundred artificial watering holes for bighorn sheep in San Bernardino, Riverside and Inyo counties. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This has been a big year for space exploration. There was the deployment of a powerful new space space telescope. It's peering billions of years back through time and bringing us stunning images of our universe when it was in its infancy. And a rocket was launched to the moon in preparation for humankind's return to the lunar surface. Guests: Danielle Venton, KQED and Benjamin Burress, Astronomer at the Chabot Space and Science Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of construction delays, and tens of billions of dollars in cost overruns, California’s high-speed rail project has become one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in the country. We go to the Central Valley, to check in on the first phase of high speed rail’s construction and get local reactions to the project’s problems. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cold weather has hit California and for many Californians, that means the smell of warm tamales wafting through the house. We wanted to learn more about this iconic dish, and it's evolution in California, and why it's so popular during the Christmas holiday. Guest: Bill Esparza, Author of the book L.A. Mexicano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Residents are assessing the damage after Tuesday's 6.4 magnitude earthquake on California's North Coast. Fire departments in Humboldt County have already been out surveying homes and businesses to find out the extent of the damage. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio Thursday is the fifth night of Hanukkah. All over the world, for many centuries, Jewish people have marked the holiday by eating foods fried in oil. In a city as diverse as Los Angeles, Hanukkah is celebrated with fried foods from Europe, Asia and Africa. Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two people are dead as a result of Tuesday's 6.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Humboldt County. At least a dozen were injured. Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio Most of the damage from Tuesday’s quake happened in the small Humboldt County town of Rio Dell. Much of the town is still without power or water. Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQED This month's first-of-its-kind offshore wind lease auction along California’s coast generated a healthy $750 million in combined sales. The state is charging ahead with plans for floating wind turbines miles off its coastline, preparing for a novel source of clean energy, enough power for 1.5 million homes. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across California and the nation, governments are looking at new ways to address the crisis of growing unhoused communities. In Sacramento, the city and county have agreed to take a new approach -- bringing shelter and health care services directly to homeless encampments. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio The Biden Administration has announced a big goal of reducing homelessness 25% nationwide by 2025. Housing advocates in California are lauding the plan, but they’re wondering who’s going to pay for it. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Survivors of September's Mill Fire, which devastated parts of Siskiyou County, are continuing to put the pieces of their lives back together. Now, residents’ access to state and federal assistance will determine whether the historically Black neighborhood of Lincoln Heights in Weed will be able to stay together. Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio The Trump-era immigration policy known as Title 42 is scheduled to end this week. Title 42 allowed border patrol agents to turn away migrants at the border. And they don't get a chance to pursue an asylum case in immigration court. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State utility regulators have approved a controversial proposal that will change how future owners of rooftop solar systems will be compensated for the excess power they produce that’s fed into the grid. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED After years of promising to do so, CalFire has released new, updated hazard maps to help Californians determine if they live in places that face increased wildfire risk. The interactive map was more than a decade in the making and comes after groups voiced criticism of CalFire, calling the department’s maps antiquated and “inexcusable.” Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio Sea level rise poses a threat to California’s coastline. But we don’t often think about how rising water could push contaminants into neighborhoods, especially places near former military or industrial sites. Around half of those sites in California are located in the Bay Area. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bakersfield is now home to the Central Valley’s first Holocaust Memorial. The tranquil garden is a monument against hate and rising anti-Semitism. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR Study after study shows an alarming increase in hate crimes and racist incidents in California targeting a variety of groups, including Jews. Worries about rising anti-Semitism have gotten more attention recently after the bigoted comments of artist Kanye West who now goes by the name Ye. How is California's Jewish community reacting? Guest: Heidi Gantwork, President and CEO of the Jewish Foundation of San Diego The State Task Force studying reparations for Black residents with enslaved ancestors is meeting this week in Oakland. One item on the agenda? Discussing how reparations might help overcome negative stereotypes about Black families. Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s desert lands have long been used for everything from mining to military training to rest and relaxation. Think Palm Springs. Now, the state’s deserts have a growing role in helping to create a green energy revolution. And that's sparked a backlash among some who argue that desert wilderness is being sacrificed for renewable power goals. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report The oil industry says it has enough signatures to get a measure on the state ballot to overturn California's recently enacted buffer zone law. It restricts new oil wells, keeping them away from homes and schools. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recent sale of five leases off the coast of California for offshore wind turbine projects is seen as a victory for renewable energy advocates. But it’s also raising safety concerns about one of California’s treasures -- the whales that migrate off the coast every year. Reporter: Amanda Wernik, KCBX Most of the estimated 270, 000 janitors in California work in the private sector. A new study finds their median wages are well below what state law requires. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED With COVID-19 rates rising, California’s Director of Public Health is urging anyone over 50 years old to have a treatment plan in place in case they get infected. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, CapRadio California’s COVID sick pay law offers up to 2 weeks of paid leave for reasons related to COVID – but it’s expiring at the end of this month. Reporter: Carly Severn, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management just sold five leases for wind turbine projects off the coast of California. Three are located in Morro Bay off the Central Coast. Now, local indigenous tribes are speaking up about the projects. Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX Every year in the three weeks around Thanksgiving, the official count of monarch butterflies takes place. Over the last few decades, the monarch butterfly population has been in decline. But this year, volunteers counted 129,000 butterflies in San Luis Obispo County alone. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Bay Area member of Congress says federal immigration authorities plan to end their contract with a Northern California county jail, the last public facility in the state to hold immigrants fighting deportation. It comes after years of outcry over substandard conditions. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED A tiny local election in the Central Valley could have big ripple effects for farming, and water. The Westlands Water District produces crops like tomatoes, garlic, and almonds – and it’s historically fought with environmentalists, who accuse the wealthy farmers there of hogging water. Westlands has just elected a slate of board members promising a new strategy - a recognition that large-scale farming will have to shrink. Reporter: Dan Charles in collaboration with the Food and Environment Reporting Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new bill introduced this week would make it illegal for unhoused residents in California to sit or sleep in certain public spaces. The proposal is already drawing ire from advocates, who say it does little to solve homelessness. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED California is home to the largest population of Cambodians in the U.S.. Most Cambodians who first arrived in the country came as refugees in the 1980s. They were fleeing the communist Khmer Rouge regime where an estimated two million Cambodians were killed through starvation, torture, executions and much more. 40 years later, Cambodians in California are still grappling with mental health issues caused by this genocide. Guest: Soreath Hok, Reporter, KVPR The Interior Department finalized the sale of offshore wind leases along California’s coast on Wednesday. Combined bids totaled more than $750 million. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever thought twice about jaywalking because of fear getting a ticket that will soon change. Starting on January 1, California's "Freedom to Walk Act" becomes law. It will prohibit police from writing jaywalking tickets, unless people are caught trying to cross the street in clearly dangerous traffic conditions. Guest: John Yi, Executive Director of Los Angeles Walks State Senator Scott Wiener is yet again introducing a bill to make it easier to build affordable housing on land owned by religious groups and nonprofit colleges. This is his third attempt in getting similar legislation passed. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sky-high gas prices this year prompted Governor Gavin Newsom to propose a new law limiting how much oil companies can charge at the pump. Newsom’s proposal would put a cap on how much companies can charge for a gallon of gas and penalize those that charge more. But it doesn’t include specific profit ceilings yet. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Popular countertops made from synthetic stone are making the people who cut and process them sick. Some of these workers – most of whom are immigrants – are dying. The problem is particularly bad in Los Angeles. Reporter: Leslie Berestein Rojas, KPCC in collaboration with Public Health Watch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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