KQED's The California Report

Protests have erupted across Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely, and later died in custody. Demonstrations here in California took place over the weekend. Reporter: Kyana Moghadam, KQED After a summer break, the State Task Force studying Reparations for Black Californians has resumed its groundbreaking work. Over the weekend the panel met in Los Angeles to move the conversation forward -- and talk about lessons they can draw from historical reparations work -- plus the actual economics of the plan. Guest: Annelise Finney, KQED reporter This month marks the 20th anniversary of the passage of Paid Family Leave in California -- the first state to offer this benefit to workers taking time off to bond with a new child or care for an ill relative. Newsom is deciding now whether to sign or veto a bill that would increase payments to 90% of a person’s wages if they are low-income, or 70% for all other eligible workers. Now, it’s just 60 percent. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that eliminates the state's decades-old parking requirements for new developments near public transit stops. Environmentalists and housing advocates say this will drive down California's dependence on cars, improving the state's chances of meeting its climate goals. We're nearing the end of banned book week, an annual awareness campaign promoted by the American Library Association and Amnesty International. And at the top of the most challenged books list in the United States is "Gender Queer: A Memoir." Guest: Maia Kobabe, Author of the book "Gender Queer: A Memoir" A bill is sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk that would allow people who receive an unsolicited sexually explicit image on their phone or electronic device, to sue the person who sent it. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Orange skies choked with soot from wildfires have become more common in the Western U.S. In a new paper, a team based at Stanford University estimates that millions of people now live where this smoke has made breathing unhealthy. Guest: Molly Peterson, The California Newsroom Changes are coming to California's masking policies. Effective on Friday, the state will be further easing its recommendations and leaving more to personal choice. Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW Attorney General Rob Bonta is creating an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The attorney general said the new initiative will use data and public health measures to implement measures aimed at reducing gun violence. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED A new bill sitting on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk could help street vendors get permits and comply with the state's food code system, essentially making it easier for them to conduct business. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

County supervisors in Fresno, Kern and Riverside counties will no longer have a hand in drawing district maps. That’s after Governor Newsom signed three bills transferring the power to citizen-led commissions. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR California is one of 10 states that doesn’t require schools to screen students for dyslexia. Educators say leaving learning disabilities unaddressed can overwhelm and often frustrate students, sometimes leading to behavioral problems down the road. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC In California, we’re used to home prices going one direction -- up. But in recent months, the residential real estate market has cooled, with home prices falling and properties staying on the market longer. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report This week, the Newsom administration identified five state-owned properties that it hopes can be used for affordable housing. The administration is looking for developers to build what it believes will be hundreds of new units of affordable housing on the properties. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millions of L.A. County residents and businesses can resume outdoor watering, after news that urgent repairs to a pipeline that brings water from the Colorado River to Southern California have wrapped up early. Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW Open agricultural burning is a useful tool for farmers, but its high particulate emissions are harmful to San Joaquin Valley residents. Air regulators plan to phase out the practice by 2025, but air quality advocates have doubts after years of inaction. Reporters: Kerry Klein and Monica Vaughan, KVPR Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a package of bills aimed at reforming the state’s cannabis regulations. This comes as the governor is directing state officials to study the health impacts of high-potency cannabis. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Experts at UC San Diego studying extortion in Tijuana are saying that crime is much more rampant than previously believed. Researcher Romain Le Cour spent a year walking the streets of Tijuana, talking to business owners about what he calls, an ‘invisible crime.' Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS In an interview with "60 Minutes," President Joe Biden declared that the pandemic was over. Many health experts say that's just not the case, but do agree that we may be moving to a new phase of the pandemic. Guest: Dr. Bob Wachter, Chair of Medicine, UC San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the start of the work week, many state workers who are unvaccinated will not have to undergo regular testing for COVID-19. Since July of 2021, unvaccinated state employees have had to submit to weekly testing. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Open agricultural burning is due to be phased out in California by 2025, in an effort to reduce harmful emissions. But many farmers are apprehensive of a future without burning. Reporters: Monica Vaughan and Kerry Klein, KVPR The San Francisco Police Department may have collaborated with a federal surveillance center that uses facial recognition and social media monitoring – without a contract or oversight. That’s according to public documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED The mother of a man who died in a jail in Los Angeles last year is suing LA County and its Sheriff, Alex Villanueva. An official report says Jalani Lovett died from a drug overdose, but his family claims that he was beaten to death. Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW As California grapples with its homelessness crisis, some local governments are fighting with each other over the details of housing and shelter programs and who gets most of the burden. One of the most recent examples is the ongoing battle between El Cajon and San Diego County officials over using hotels as shelters for the homeless. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some 2,000 Kaiser Permanente mental health care professionals are a month into a strike. This week, negotiations between labor and management have broken down. Reporter: Sara Hossaini, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have significantly lowered what California families pay for state subsidized childcare. The legislation would have capped the amount low income families pay at 1% of their monthly income. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED An energetic new rhino calf at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park represents another step in the effort to save a related rhino species that’s nearly extinct. Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS Because of a new state law, San Francisco’s Superior Court has eliminated about $50 million in debt due to late fees for things like traffic tickets. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED With a nationwide rail strike averted, the Port of Los Angeles is shifting its attention to the movement of cargo ahead of the fall and winter holiday shopping season. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing Amazon, alleging the online retail giant engages in anticompetitive contracting, in violation of state laws. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Across the country, many families and dyslexia advocates are pushing for something called “structured literacy,” a type of early reading instruction that’s attuned to how the brain learns to read, with an emphasis on phonics. Experts say this type of reading instruction can benefit all students, especially those with dyslexia. But it’s not the norm in most California classrooms, or in teacher prep programs. Reporter: Julia Barajas, KPCC/LAist Governor Gavin Newsom celebrated a major legislative accomplishment on Wednesday. He signed his CARE Court bill into law, which seeks to improve mental health care in California, especially for people who are homeless with severe mental illnesses. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED In November, California voters will vote on Proposition 30. It’s a “clean air initiative” that would tax California’s wealthiest residents to pay for electric car rebates and infrastructure. Governor Gavin Newsom does not support the measure, but most fellow Democrats do. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED A majority of likely California voters say they plan to reject a ballot measure this fall that would legalize online sports betting. That's according to the latest poll from the Public Policy Institute of California. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A shift in wind led to increased activity on Tuesday, as firefighters continue to battle the Mosquito Fire in Placer and El Dorado counties. The fire jumped the Middle Fork of the American River, threatening the community of Foresthill. State health officials are advising Californians to get a flu shot, in addition to the COVID-19 vaccination or booster. Reporter: Nimah Gobir, KQED If you lost your job during the pandemic and you still aren't making as much as you used to, there's a new state grant that could help boost your professional skills. And -- hopefully -- your earning potential. Reporter: Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters Like other big California ports, L.A., Oakland, San Diego, the Port of Long Beach is filled with fleets of big, loud diesel trucks. They’re vehicles that carry cargo containers from the docks to warehouses and logistical centers inland. But there's a new type of vehicle that's supposed to become much more common at California ports in the coming years: battery-powered big rig trucks. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report More than a dozen California Democratic Congressmembers are calling on the federal government to investigate complaints by immigrant detainees, who say they've been held in solitary confinement for supporting a labor strike. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Strawberries are one of California’s biggest and most delicious agricultural moneymakers, but they are also vulnerable to diseases that can be devastating for growers. But now, California researchers have made a key discovery to help fight one of strawberries’ biggest threats. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX 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 Federal and Los Angeles County health officials have confirmed the first death of a person with monkeypox in California. The L.A. County resident was severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized with the virus. Unlike the rest of the country, gas prices in California have been on the rise. That's after they dropped from record highs earlier this summer. Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Placer and El Dorado counties, fire crews are making progress fighting the Mosquito Fire, which has burned more than 46,000 acres. Meanwhile, in Southern California, firefighters took advantage of wet conditions to help in the fight against the Fairview Fire. One of the bills that’s passed through the legislature on Governor Newsom’s desk would offer cash benefits to unemployed undocumented workers, currently excluded from the state’s unemployment insurance program. It’s an idea that not so many years ago would have been considered out of the question. Today? It’s a different story. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED San Francisco's representatives in the State Assembly say they’ll be keeping an eye on Pacific Gas & Electric’s possible role in the Mosquito Fire, burning in the Sierra Nevada foothills in El Dorado and Placer counties. PG&E filed notice with state regulators last week, saying that electrical activity occurred on one of its lines close to the time the Mosquito Fire was reported. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Riverside County due to the Fairview Fire and for El Dorado and Placer counties due to the Mosquito Fire. Firefighters have been struggling to control both fires, which have grown explosively and forced extensive evacuations. Reporter: Jonathan Linden, KVCR LA County health officials are investigating the death of a person with monkeypox. Few details are being released about the case. What we do know is that this person died in LA and had monkeypox but it’s unclear if the virus caused the death. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC The Biden Administration has rolled back a Trump-era rule that penalized immigrants who used a wide range of government benefits – and led to fear in many California immigrant communities. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's extended heat wave will continue on Thursday, with temperatures topping out over 100 in many inland areas. The state's power agency is also issuing another call for power conservation, for the ninth straight day. As the heat wave drags on, broken cooling systems are disrupting the school day in many parts of California. That’s forced many school districts to bring in fans and portable AC units to lower classroom temperatures. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED A new report out from the Prison Policy Initiative reveals unexpected data about incarceration rates among rural Californians. Per capita, the highest rate of incarcerated people comes from small, rural counties in the state. Guest: Nigel Duara, Reporter CalMatters Opponents of a first-of-its-kind state law that could raise wages for fast food workers have officially started an effort to delay and potentially block it. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Parents fighting against school closures in Oakland and several California school districts got a win this week. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill requiring certain districts make time for an equity impact analysis before closing schools. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom signed an emergency budget package Tuesday authorizing $41 million to fight the spread of the monkeypox virus. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC A bill that could make California a refuge for transgender youth seeking gender-affirming care is on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Advocates and lawmakers who support the legislation say it provides life-saving care. But opponents say it interferes with a parent’s authority over their child’s health decisions. Reporter: Ariel Gans, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The statewide heat wave continued on Tuesday as records were broken across California, with much of the state once again facing triple digit temperatures. But the state did not have to order rolling blackouts, despite a deeply stressed power grid. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED While cities across the state continue to break heat records this week, there are a few places that are still comfortable, if not downright cool. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED The hot weather across the state has brought added concerns about wildfires sparking. And a pair of fires that are burning in the Inland Empire in Southern California are now forcing residents to flee their homes. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW President Joe Biden has come out in favor of a California bill that Governor Gavin Newsom has said he’s not ready to sign. The bill aims to make it easier for farmworkers to choose whether to unionize, including by mail-in ballots -- without fear of reprisal. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Starting this week, millions of people in Southern California are dealing with big new water restrictions. The Metropolitan Water District says that's necessary so that a broken pipeline that carries water from the Colorado River to the region can be repaired. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report California's eviction moratorium ended earlier this summer, but some cities in L.A. County have also banned rent hikes. But tenants are still getting demands to pay more. In many cases, whether they can fight those rent hikes depends on where they live. Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The brutal heat wave taking over the state is expected to last longer and reach higher temperatures than forecasters had anticipated. And that's putting a lot of stress on California's power grid, with state officials asking Californians to conserve as much as possible. Guest: Jan Null, Meteorologist, Golden Gate Weather Services and Adjunct Professor at San Jose State University Two people have died and hundreds of residents around Weed remain under evacuation orders because of the Mill Fire burning in Siskiyou County. Reporter: Erik Neumann, Jefferson Public Radio Last week, state lawmakers approved a plan to extend the life of the state’s last nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon. Many are applauding the legislature’s decision to keep its carbon-free energy on the grid — but it’s had mixed reactions in San Luis Obispo County, where the plant sits. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX On Friday, Frank Drake, the radio astronomer who dreamed of finding life on other planets, passed away at his home near Santa Cruz. He was 92. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As California’s housing crisis becomes more dire and cities feel mounting pressure to build more housing, many are eyeing church-owned real estate as a potential solution. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's State of Emergency Continues Amid Massive Heat Wave For the third day in a row officials, have issued a so-called Flex Alert, which is a call to reduce energy consumption between the hours of 4-9pm when the power grid is most stressed and solar declines. Voters to Weigh in on a Constitutional Amendment That Could End Barrier to Building Public Housing Since 1950, Article 34 of the state constitution has required local officials to get voters’ approval to build public housing. The rule was rooted in racist fears about integrating neighborhoods and it’s hindered low-income home construction for decades. Now, California voters will get a chance to repeal it. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Blistering Heat Has the Central Valley's Only Children's Hospital Busy Young kids have more trouble regulating their body temperature than adults do, and they’re more susceptible to dehydration because a larger percentage of their weight is water. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Californians Could Receive First Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Next Week The unique booster is different from any COVID shot you’ve gotten before. One half is the original shot and the other half is designed specifically for omicron sub-variants that are still infecting thousands of people every day. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Bill That Aimed to End Prison-to-ICE Transfers in California Fails The last days of California’s two-year legislative session ended with a flurry of votes this week. One of the bills that did NOT make it would have ended the practice of transferring non-citizens to immigration custody when they’re released from jail or prison. Tyche Hendricks, KQED Immigration Editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Awaits Excessive Heat and Potential Blackouts Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for California as a heat wave takes hold of the state. Elliot Mainzer, president of the state’s power grid operator, says Californians need to reduce electricity use throughout the holiday weekend, especially during late afternoon and early evening. New Test Project in a Central Valley Town Could Bring Partially Solution to Shortages The idea behind solar canals is to build canopies over miles of aqueducts and place solar panels on top of those canopies. The shade from the canopies limits water evaporation and the solar panels produce renewable energy. Research out of U.C. Merced found that canopies lower evaporation in aqueducts by as much as 82%. Amanda Stupi, The California Report Kaiser Nurses Join Mental Health Workers Nearing 3rd Week of Strike 22,000 Kaiser nurses are protesting, calling for improved safety conditions and increased staffing. Lesley McClurg, KQED health correspondent On Overdose Awareness Day, Advocates for People Who Use Drugs Remain Defiant More than a week after Governor Newsom vetoed a bill that would provide safe consumption sites for people who use drugs, advocates used Overdose Awareness Day on Wednesday to reaffirm their commitment to continue the fight. Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED How Nonprofits Use a Legal Loophole to Flip California Homes — for a Profit The state legislature approved dozens of bills this week. If history is any guide, some of those laws will have unintended consequences. That’s the story of a law passed in 2020, which was meant to keep foreclosed homes out of the hands of corporate investors, and increase the chance they would be used for affordable housing. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A controversial bill to overhaul California’s mental healthcare system cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night. The governor’s CARE Court proposal would allow judges to oversee treatment for people diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders who are not receiving care. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by crime and gun violence -- but historically say they’ve been left out of many conversations and programs meant to help victims of crime in California. But that's starting to change. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Millions of residents in Los Angeles County will need to suspend outdoor watering in September. That’s the message from the Metropolitan Water District, which is set to repair a leak in a critical pipeline. Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill designed to protect more homes from wildfire by bolstering the State’s defensible space inspections. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED A bill that would restrict solitary confinement for all incarcerated people in California, including at federal immigration detention centers, is headed to the Governor’s desk after clearing the state Senate Tuesday. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED A bill establishing tough new privacy rules for children under 18 is headed to the governor's desk, after it passed the state Assembly unanimously on Tuesday. Reporter: Rachael Myrow , KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California legislature has passed what supporters call a first-of-its kind bill that could benefit half a million fast food workers. AB 257 would bring fast food worker and employer representatives together on a council that could boost wages to up to $22 an hour next year at large chains. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED The Biden administration will pause its program to send Americans free at-home COVID-19 tests this week, blaming Congress for failing to fund another round of shipments. People who have yet to request all of their free rapid tests through the Department of Health and Human Services federal portal have until Friday to place their orders. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Small theaters with less than 100 seats were hit particularly hard during the pandemic. In Los Angeles, the highest concentration of these venues was in North Hollywood, but half of its 22 theaters have now closed permanently. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW The state senate passed a bill Monday that will make it easier for farmworkers to vote in union elections, but getting the governor’s signature is far from a done deal. During a march to Sacramento in support of the bill, farmworkers picked up some allies on the way. Reporter: Madi Bolanos, The California Report The Biden administration is looking for new ways to shield DACA recipients, in case the courts overturn the program that protects these undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED More and more dead fish are piling up on beaches around the Bay Area, spanning from Vallejo to San Jose. Scientists fear a giant toxic algae bloom could lead to permanent impacts. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past two decades California has completely reimagined its approach to dealing with young people who commit crimes. That remaking of juvenile justice will culminate next summer in the closure of California’s troubled state youth prisons, known as the Department of Juvenile Justice or DJJ. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two years after Governor Gavin Newsom mandated it, the California Air Resources Board has approved a plan requiring 100% of new vehicle sales in California beginning in 2035 be zero emission. Automakers say they support California, but have encouraged the state to build out car charging infrastructure and incentives. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED According to the United Nations, solitary confinement beyond 15 days can amount to torture and should be banned. But it's still happening right here in California. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED\ In what’s believed to be a first in this country, Anaheim has formally recognized part of the city as an Arab American district. In a nearly unanimous vote this week, the Anaheim City Council has designated an area of Brookhurst Street as Little Arabia – a name that many locals have already used for years. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Think college athletics and likely football, basketball and volleyball come to mind. But Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, on the Central Coast, is home to one of the most successful collegiate rodeo programs in the country. It holds 45 national titles. Reporter: Gabriela Fernandez, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Air Resources Board is set to approve a plan on Thursday to phase out the sale of new gasoline cars by the year 2035. Reporter: Daphne Young, KQED Last week, we brought you an investigation into the U.S. Forest Service that found a stalled project could have helped protect the town of Grizzly Flats in Northern California from the Caldor Fire. Now, we head to Big Bear, a Southern California mountain vacation destination, where officials are hoping to avoid that same fate. But are they moving fast enough? Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a new poll out that shows Californians overwhelmingly support abortion access and that the issue will impact how they vote in the elections this fall. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED A little over a week ago, normal life in the border city of Tijuana came to a halt as a drug cartel launched a campaign of terror in the city. Vehicles were set ablaze and gunmen blocked major thoroughfares. That’s raised new questions about the power of Mexico’s criminal underworld. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS In recent years, the Sacramento region has debated plans for creating thousands of new affordable housing units and shelter spaces for the homeless. But opposition from neighborhood groups has made carrying out those plans a difficult challenge. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio With a week left in this year’s legislative session in Sacramento, California immigrant advocates are pushing hard for a bill to end the transfer of non-citizens to immigration custody after they’re released from jail or prison. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Proponents are calling Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of a bill that would have allowed supervised drug injection sites in San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles a tragic, “missed opportunity” to prevent overdose deaths. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED A new report finds that most early childcare workers in California make far less than a living wage and that many earn less than they did before the pandemic. The report from UC Berkeley found that providers running small, daycare centers out of their homes make between $16- 30 thousand a year. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED Once a reliable stronghold for Republicans, Orange County has become a contested battleground for congressional races in recent election cycles -- and this year is no different. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED California voters think the state is headed in the wrong direction -- according to a new poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. 52% of voters say California is on the wrong track, but Governor Gavin Newsom's approval ratings are on the rise. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED A judge has sentenced a Bay Area man to more than a decade in prison for obstructing a probe into the 2020 murder of a federal officer in Oakland, and child pornography charges. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Department of Public Health is issuing new home isolation guidance for people with confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox. State public health director Dr. Tomás Aragón says the state’s guidelines are more detailed than the CDC’s national recommendations. California is adding Georgia to its already lengthy list of states where publicly-funded travel is banned because of anti-LGBTQ legislation. The travel restrictions come in response to a bill passed by Georgia lawmakers earlier this year that allows the state's athletic association to ban transgender girls from competing in girls' sports. Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED Both the Biden Administration and California have big goals when it comes to getting more people to drive electric vehicles as a way to fight climate change. There is one big challenge that may not be getting as much attention -- it’s the kind of housing millions of people live in and whether they can find or install electric vehicle charging stations there. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report A Bay Area man involved with a violent anti-government militia is set to be sentenced Monday for exchanging sexual photos with a minor and destroying records in a federal investigation. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Estimates say as many as one out of every five students have dyslexia — the learning disorder that affects reading and writing. But if diagnosed, does your child’s school know what to do about it? In California, answers to that question are all over the map. Reporter, Kyle Stokes, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Residents of a Siskiyou County community, ravaged by wildfire last month, are suing the Oregon-based electrical utility they say is to blame. The McKinney Fire started the afternoon of July 29th just outside the hamlet of Klamath River, near power lines owned by Portland's Pacificorp. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Starting next year, Californians will be able to sue people who distribute ghost guns and assault weapons illegally. The law is modeled on Texas abortion legislation and both of the laws offer private citizens a chance at financial rewards for reporting other peoples’ activities. Guest: Nigel Duara, Justice Reporter with CalMatters Democrats in California are split on whether President Joe Biden should run again in 2024 and if he doesn’t, Governor Gavin Newsom has a strong base of support for a presidential run. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Monkeypox cases in L.A. County continue to climb. New cases have jumped 33% since last week, and more than a thousand people have tested positive. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monkeypox cases have tripled in California over the past month. Most vaccine doses have been sent to larger cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. But other communities across the state say they're feeling left out. Reporter: Kristen Hwang, CalMatters LA County will get far fewer monkeypox vaccine doses than it expected. The county's monkeypox vaccine shipment is being slashed to just 40% of the doses public health officials requested from the federal government. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC It’s been one year since a family from Afghanistan escaped their war torn country and landed in the United States. They fled last August, leaving behind their belongings, their careers and their hopes and dreams. The kindness of strangers on California’s Central Coast helped make their journey to the U.S. possible. Reporter: Doug McKnight, KAZU The Port of Oakland says a protest by truck drivers that shut it down for several days in July had a significant impact on its business. There was a 28% decline in total loaded container volume in July compared to a year ago. Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED A group of dancers at a North Hollywood topless bar have taken the first step towards forming a union. If their bid is successful, they would become the only unionized strippers in the U.S. Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW Some state lawmakers are backing the demands of striking mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente. More than 2000 clinicians are picketing this week in the Bay Area and Fresno. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED More California students are returning to their schools this week as the new academic year begins. But many students won't need to be in class until later in the morning. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The state’s power grid operator is calling on Californians to conserve energy on Wednesday. The California Independent System Operator, which oversees the state's electrical grid, says it expects above average temperatures to increase demand for electricity. Reporter: Angela Corral, The California Report Former Central Valley Congressman TJ Cox pleaded not guilty Tuesday to more than two dozen federal counts including wire fraud, money laundering and campaign contribution fraud. Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR California has begun a big push to get more 4-year-olds enrolled in transitional kindergarten, or “TK.” But not every parent of an eligible child is ready to sign up. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED The oil industry has dropped its opposition to a bill that would increase fines on California refineries that violate air quality rules. That's after lawmakers watered down the legislation behind closed doors. Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED Sidewalks in front of Kaiser facilities in Northern California and the Central Valley are packed with striking mental health care providers again on Wednesday. State regulators are monitoring the situation closely to ensure patient care is not impacted. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon will not face a recall election, county officials announced on Monday. Critics of Gascon, led by prosecutors in his own office, have once again failed to get the more than 560,000 signatures necessary to place a recall before voters. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED New research suggests climate change is increasing the likelihood of California-wide megafloods. Warming temperatures have already doubled the risk of this type of inundation brought on by a succession of storms, lasting for as long as a month. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED A year ago, the Caldor Fire burned through the small town of Grizzly Flats in Northern California. The fire destroyed more than 400 homes. A new investigation from CapRadio and The California Newsroom found that the U.S. Forest Service predicted — for decades — a wildfire could devastate Grizzly Flats. But its plan to protect the town didn’t get done. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio There's no end in sight for a strike which saw almost 2,000 Kaiser mental health care workers walk off the job on Monday in Northern California and the Central Valley. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED The number of people hospitalized after falling from the border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border is on pace to surpass last year’s record. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom has a plan to extend the operation of California’s last nuclear power plant. Diablo Canyon on the Central Coast is scheduled for closure by 2025. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX For several years now, undocumented immigrants in California have been able to get a driver’s license, which doubles as a critical piece of ID. But what about immigrants who don’t drive? Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC A year ago today, the Taliban entered Kabul and the U.S. military began a frenzied airlift to evacuate tens of thousands of people out of Afghanistan. Now, many of those Afghans are trying to build new lives in California. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED California is one of ten states that doesn’t screen all students for the most common learning disability. Advocates have pushed for mandatory dyslexia assessments for years. Reporter: Mariana Dale, KPCC Mexican cities, just across the border from California, were rocked by a wave of violent incidents over the weekend. This string of attacks appears to be in response to Mexican officials' attempt to capture gang members. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most closely watched housing bills has cleared a key legislative hurdle and is now headed to the state senate for a vote. Supporters say it could help developers build millions of housing units across the state. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Roses are red, violets are blue. Most flowers smell nice, but not all of them do. And that’s especially true for a rare tropical flower at the UC Santa Cruz arboretum. Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU Pepper spray was supposed to be phased out of L.A. County’s juvenile halls nearly two years ago. But probation department staff are still using the spray. Reporter: Emily Elena Dugdale, KPCC A former Los Angeles County assistant sheriff is suing Sheriff Alex Villanueva for alleged retaliation, and is seeking at least $3 million in damages. She was among the whistleblowers who accused Villanueva of trying to cover up an incident where a deputy knelt on an inmate's head. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco has won a landmark lawsuit against Walgreens pharmacy over its role in fueling the opioid epidemic in the city. A federal judge found that Walgreens filled hundreds of thousands of suspicious prescriptions for powerful painkillers over 15 years, without taking steps to prevent their misuse. California’s Supreme Court may soon get its first Latina Chief Justice. Patricia Guerrero currently sits on the state’s supreme court as an associate justice and she’s held that role since March. Reporter: Amanda Stupi, KQED This year, potentially tens of thousands of Californians who couldn’t work because of health reasons, including pregnancy, have been forced to wait weeks -- or even months -- to get their “State Disability Insurance” payments. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Supporters of a bill to create safe injection sites are urging Governor Gavin Newsom to sign SB 57. The idea behind SB 57 is to address the growing toll on city streets, where people are dying in record numbers from overdoses of drugs like fentanyl. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED The backers of dueling ballot campaigns to legalize sports betting in California sparred during a hearing at the Capitol Wednesday. Proposition 27 is backed by gambling companies like DraftKings and unlike Prop 26, would allow bets to be made on phones and computers. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED California has adopted the nation’s most ambitious offshore wind targets. The new goals put the state on course to meet a quarter of its electricity needs — enough to power about 25 million homes — from offshore wind by midcentury. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED On Thursday, California lawmakers will advance – or quietly kill – hundreds of bills in rapid-fire succession. The bills have been stuck in a legislative limbo known as “the suspense file.” Reporter: Ben Christopher, CalMatters In recent years, lots of California mountain lions have been struck and killed by California drivers. But collisions have also killed many other kinds of animals, from deer to bobcats to desert tortoises. Legislation aimed at making roads safer for wildlife is being heard in Sacramento on Thursday. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An L.A. City Council meeting turned chaotic Tuesday when members of the public started shouting at council members and one person made an attempt to lunge at the dais. The council was preparing to vote on an ordinance that would ban homeless encampments near schools and daycare centers. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report More than 4,250 COVID-19 deaths in California could have been prevented in one year if the entire state met National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter. That’s according to a new study by the Public Health Institute. Guest: Dr. Paul English, Director of the Public Health Institute’s Tracking California program The Inflation Reduction Act could bring billions of dollars in drought relief to California. At $4 billion, the largest pot of drought funds would help watersheds like the Colorado River, which Southern California relies on. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED With lackluster resources and rising costs, supportive homes for people living with a serious mental illness are continuing to dwindle in Los Angeles and across the state. At one home that’s been around for 40 years though, residents keep their spirits high and celebrate. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s Employment Development Department was too slow delivering unemployment insurance payments to roughly 5 million workers during the pandemic. That’s from a new report by the Legislative Analyst's Office. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED More than 22,000 Ukrainians have crossed the border from Mexico into California since the Russian invasion in February. Many have come to the Sacramento area, which already has a large and tight-knit Slavic community. Reporter: Pauline Bartolone, CapRadio A State Senate committee focused on California’s response to monkeypox will hold its first hearing on Tuesday afternoon. The committee is chaired by State Senator Scott Wiener, who’s been a vocal critic of the government's failure to act quickly when the monkeypox outbreak first occurred. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Hate crimes are up for the fourth straight year in a row across the U.S. That’s according to new data from Cal State San Bernardino, which found that in California, hate crimes jumped more than 32% last year. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Gun rights groups are suing the state of California over a bill signed into law in June, that bans the marketing of guns to minors. Firearm advocates say the law is a direct assault on the Second Amendment. Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED California’s fast food and franchising industries could change drastically under a bill moving through the state Legislature. The bill would give fast food workers the power to collectively bargain through a state-run council. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles voters will decide whether they want to require hotels across the city to provide vacant rooms to unhoused people. The City Council voted Friday to put the contentious hotel voucher program on the 2024 ballot. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Farmworkers from across the state have joined the “March for the Governor’s Signature,” a 335 mile trek from Kern County to Sacramento, to show support for a voting rights bill. Although farmworkers say the bill is critical for unionization, some argue that it will not accomplish what it’s intended to do. Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR California women are more likely than men to be rent burdened, meaning they spend a third or more of their income on rent and other housing costs. That’s according to a new study from the Gender Equity Policy Institute. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED The California Air Resources Board held a series of public listening sessions across the state last week. Its part of the board's latest plan to help the state achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR A federal lawsuit has been filed against the sheriff in Siskiyou County and other county officials, alleging that Asian American residents have been unfairly discriminated against. The lawsuit claims that Asian Americans have been harrassed and discriminated against. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal health officials are considering breaking single doses of monkeypox vaccine into smaller doses to stretch the current supply. The Food and Drug Administration may allow healthcare providers to split a one-dose vial of the monkeypox vaccine into five doses. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Throughout history, struggling Americans have looked for greener pastures, with many striking out for California. But some powerful people in the state have actively tried to keep the migrants out by setting up border checkpoints. Guest: Bill Lascher, Author of the book "The Golden Fortress: California's Border War on Dust Bowl Refugees" California is offering $20,000 stipends to recruit and train more mental health clinicians to work in public schools. The program is a response to the student mental health crisis. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED A bill that provides some protection for immigrants in court is heading to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. The measure said if an attorney wants to ask a witness about their immigration status in court, the judge must first decide if it’s relevant to the case. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Voters in San Bernardino County will have the chance to vote in November on whether the county could potentially secede from California. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report A Fresno high school has issued an apology for painting over a student mural completed for the campus. Artists questioned the decision and the message it sends to the arts community. Reporter: Soreath Hok, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long waitlists. Parents lining up overnight in hopes of landing an open spot in daycare or preschool. These are some of the stories that have emerged since the pandemic, highlighting the nation’s childcare crisis. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He was the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers for decades. On Tuesday, Vin Scully died at the age of 94. Guest: Bill Shaikin, Reporter, L.A. Times California faces increased wildfire danger across much of the state into the fall months. This comes as crews continue to battle the biggest fire of the year in Siskiyou County. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Farmworkers from across California are beginning a march up the Central Valley on Wednesday morning. It’s all to support a voting rights bill. Reporter: Esther Quintanilla, KVPR Some state courts appear to be dragging their feet following a new law, that’s intended to give relief to people piling up late fees for infractions like traffic tickets. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED It’s an election year, with control of Congress in play. In one of Orange County’s most competitive congressional districts, the sitting Republican Congresswoman and her Democratic challenger don’t agree on much. But they do see eye-to-eye on one thing -- U.S. policy toward Taiwan. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency as part of California's ongoing response to the monkeypox outbreak. Meanwhile in San Francisco, the city’s main public hospital plans to distribute more monkeypox vaccine on Tuesday. Reporter: Sara Hossaini, KQED State lawmakers have reconvened in Sacramento after a month-long summer recess for the final, frenzied month of the legislative session. There are a number of bills that will be voted on, from abortion to gun rights. Guest: Emily Hoeven, Author of the WhatMatters newsletter for CalMatters Crews saw much calmer weather on Monday as they continue to battle the McKinney Fire in Siskiyou County. But there's still no containment on the fire, which has burned more than 55,000 acres. Guest Erik Neumann, Interim News Director, Jefferson Public Radio A bill to allow so-called “safe injection sites” where addicts can use drugs with supervision is on its way to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Visitors to Redwood National Forest on the North Coast could be fined and even face jail time if they’re caught trying to get too close to the world’s tallest tree. Reporter: Anaïs-Ophelia Lino, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Authorities say two bodies have been found inside a burned vehicle in the path of a raging California wildfire that is one of several major blazes burning across Northern California. Hundreds of millions of dollars are headed to the Golden State for Climate Change and infrastructure. The mix of fires, drought, and even record rainfall in some parts of California are taking a toll on the state's infrastructure. But, a new federal program unveiled last week, could funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to the Golden State to help safeguard its roads and bridges. Reporter Caleigh Wells, KCRW California Health officials are not ready to declare a statewide emergency for Monkeypox. The State of California has reported nearly eight hundred cases of Monkeypox - the majority in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Eleven people in California have been hospitalized - but, no one has died. So, health officials in California say they don't see the need - at least not yet - to declare a statewide emergency over the Monkeypox virus....similar to the local one declared by the city of San Francisco last week. A new Kaiser study says adults with young kids could provide some protection against severe COVID illnesses. Researchers compared more than half million adults - and found that those without children were 49 percent more likely to be hospitalized-and 76 percent more likely to be admitted to an ICU - than those with young kids at home. A School in the Inland Empire plans to move because of influx of new warehouses. Another large warehouse complex is slated for Southern California’s Inland Empire… which is east of Los Angeles. The region is home to over a billion square feet of warehouses. One of the latest proposed warehouses would be next door to an elementary school in the small community of Bloomington in San Bernardino County. Reporter Jonathan Linden, KVCR A new public housing project in Southern California is unlike many others. It's called Jordan Downs and it's located in L.A.'s Watts community. Even in a state where millions struggle to find…and keep… an affordable place to live, building more public housing hasn’t been a popular solution. That’s because over the decades public housing has become synonymous with segregation of Blacks and Latinos, warehousing of the poor, and terrible living conditions. But in L.A.’s Watts neighborhood, one big public housing project called Jordan Downs is in the midst of a decades-long, one billion dollar transformation. When done, it will more than double the number of people living there. Its also supposed to show the potential of public housing….if done right.. Reporter Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

L.A. County health officials have pushed the pause button on reinstituting an indoor public mask mandate. The data show that LA is right on the cusp of dropping into the CDC’s medium COVID risk level. That’s due to hospitalizations dipping slightly. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Farming in California has not been a friendly place to Black people, let alone Black women. Only one percent of farmland in the state is Black owned. Reporter: Ariana Proehl, KQED In San Jose, a program that sent 1500 kids to day camp for free is wrapping up on Friday. It’s paid for with COVID-19 relief money. Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

L.A. County health officials closed the online waiting list for the monkeypox vaccine Thursday, just one day after it went live. Some qualified people are being turned away at vaccine sites and given conflicting advice. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Truckers at the Port of Oakland continue to protest for the second straight week over AB5, the state law that reclassifies many independent contractors as employees. But truckers have agreed not to block access to terminals and plan instead to rally in designated "free speech" zones set up by the port. Reporter: Holly J. McDede, KQED The Oakland City Council is expected to vote Tuesday to urge state lawmakers to put a measure on the ballot that would officially repeal Prop 8. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Customs and Border Protection say a record number of migrants have been injured while trying to cross the border illegally into San Diego County. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS Nevada’s Lake Mead, which is fed by the Colorado River, has long played a critical role in supplying much of California’s water. While it’s no secret all of the West is gripped by drought, new images of Lake Mead released by NASA are providing the clearest picture yet of the dire situation. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As firefighters make gains on the Oak Fire burning near Yosemite National Park, families are beginning to reckon with the devastation. California’s largest fire of the year so far, has consumed nearly 19, 000 acres and forced thousands to flee. Reporter: Joshua Yeager, KVPR The chief justice of California's Supreme Court says she will not seek a second term in November. Tani Cantil-Sakauye says she will retire at the end of her term on January 1. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Organizers rallied outside the Glendale offices of State Senator Anthony Portantino on Wednesday to call for support of a bill that would put restrictions on the use of solitary confinement. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC Seven of the ten most expensive areas for housing in the nation are in California, with San Francisco being the most expensive and out of reach metropolitan area in the country. That’s according to a newly released report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED A new statewide survey from the Public Policy Institute of California reveals where Californians stand on a host of issues from gas prices to climate policy. Reporter: Janaya Williams, KCRW More and more Californians are following water restrictions as the state’s drought drags on. Or at least, they’re supposed to be. There’s actually a satellite orbiting the Earth that can reveal the rule breakers. And one Californian knows who you are. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A state audit report shows hundreds of thousands of Californians are drinking water that is unsafe, and many live in disadvantaged communities in the Central Valley. The state auditor’s report found nearly a million people in California face possible long-term health problems, like liver or kidney damage, or cancer, because their water comes from a failing system with some sort of contaminant, like nitrates or arsenic. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED As the drought persists, many farmers are making the decision to fallow or set aside land that isn't being used to grow crops. But what does that actually mean and how does that impact residents living near these fields? Guest: Andrew Ayers, a research fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California's Water Policy Center Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Teachers Association are opposing Proposition 30, a “clean air initiative” on the November ballot that would tax the wealthiest Californians to pay for electric car rebates. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Officials say more than 6 million passengers passed through Los Angeles International Airport last month for the first time since January 2020. Reporter: Janaya Williams, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. monkeypox outbreak is swiftly expanding. The CDC reports over 3400 known cases concentrated mainly among men who have sex with men. And in these early days of its spread, people can spend days in search of the right diagnosis. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC San Francisco Supervisors on Tuesday are expected to urge U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to suspend plans to shut down Laguna Honda Hospital. It’s the largest skilled nursing facility in California. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva refused to testify before the Civilian Oversight Commission on Monday. The county’s top cop says he’ll speak with the watchdog group about alleged deputy cliques only if certain conditions are met. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW As the city of Pasadena struggles with an increase in gun violence, it's turning to gang interventionists for help. The latest effort to stem the violence was a three on three basketball tournament at Robinson Park on a recent weekend. Reporter: Emily Elena Dugdale, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of Bills on Thursday aimed at reducing gun violence across the state. Of the 8 bills Newsom signed, one targets the sale of gun parts made from 3D printers, another prevents those convicted of child abuse or elder abuse from having a gun for 10 years … a third requires schools to report student threats or perceived threats of violence. Politics Editor Scott Shafer, KQED Radio This week's protests by truckers at the Port of Oakland follows a U-S Supreme Court decision that rejected an industry bid to exclude truckers... who often own their own vehicles. Truckers are demanding either a repeal of AB5, or clarification as to how it will be enforced. Governor Gavin Newsom says truckers should work to implement the transition to AB5. Mexican-American lowrider cruising enthusiasts are working to roll back a decades old cruising ban. If you’re of a certain age, you might remember the 1973 George Lucas film “American Graffiti” which celebrated California car cruising culture. But in a lot of cities, cruising has been illegal for years. The California Reports' Mary Franklin Harvin reports from San Jose…which recently scrapped its decades-old cruising ban. Reporter Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report California’s Fair Political Practices Commission voted unanimously this week to allow people to use crypto currency for political campaign donations. Cryptocurrency donations have been allowed at the federal level since 2014. But California banned the practice four years ago, largely due to concerns about transparency. The new state rule incorporates safeguards. Donors must be identified — and the donation must be converted to cash immediately. Reporter Rachael Myrow, KQED Radio The University of California Regents has decided to investigate UCLA’s decision to leave the PAC-12 Athletic Conference for the Big Ten. The move comes after Governor Gavin Newsom expressed anger and confusion about the sudden move and after he spoke during a closed door meeting of the regents. Newsom wants UCLA to explain how the move will help student-athletes. The California State Fair is back for the first time since 2019. The familiar sights, smells and sounds are back, too... such as livestock, games, funnel cakes, corn dogs and so much more. You and the family can take in some of the attractions at the Cal Expo fairgrounds in Sacramento. The fair runs through the 31st and children 4 and younger get in for free. Reporter Chris Nichols, CapRadio Check out a preview of our Sister Show, The California Report’s Weekly Magazine. For their Hidden Gems road trip series, reporter Amanda Font takes us to Big Bear Lake, in San Bernardino County. That’s where she set sail on a quirky boat ride bringing together 80s movie history and pirate adventure. Reporter Amanda Font, KQED Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a press conference in Los Angeles yesterday, State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon called on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Xavier Becerra, to declare a public health emergency. As of yesterday, San Francisco has 141 cases of Monkeypox more than any other county, followed by LA County with 132. UCLA’s departure will leave just UC Berkeley as the only UC campus in the Pac 12. In a statement, Newsom says he wants to know from UCLA how moving to the Big Ten will benefit its student-athletes and preserve college sports rivalries and traditions along the Pacific Coast? Rob Adams was fatally shot by police in a San Bernardino parking lot on Saturday while running away from officers. Police say Adams was carrying a gun and was displaying the weapon when officers drove up. But family members dispute that story and say he was holding his cell phone, not a firearm. The San Bernardino police department reported to the state Department of Justice that officers shot and killed 13 men from 2016 to 2020. Reporter Jonathan Linden, KVCR Radio This week Governor Newsom signed into law a bill that would require the use of GPS devices to monitor so called “sexually violent predators” when they're granted conditional release from a state mental hospital in Fresno County. Supporters of the law say it's necessary to protect California communities. But some critics say the GPS tracking of offenders would be an invasion of their right to privacy. Reporter Saul Gonzalez, The California Report It was just four years ago that the commission voted to prohibit campaigns from receiving any crypto donations. But as we know- things change fast in the digital world. So far, 12 states and Washington, DC now allow Crypto donations. California has been among nine states banning these digital contributions because they’re tough to regulate and trace. If the change is approved, crypto donations must be processed using a service that collects the donor’s name, address, occupation, and employer. Reporter Tara Siler, KQED Radio House Democrats Want To Update A Law From The 1920s That Lets The Government Grant Legal Residence To Long-Time Immigrants Who Lack Documentation. The Registry Act Bill was introduced on Wednesday and has been updated over the years, but the current version only offers green cards to people who’ve lived here since at least 1972. Under the new bill, with a rolling cutoff date, immigrants could apply on a case-by-case basis if they’ve lived in the U.S. for seven years. Opponents say it would reward illegal immigration. Reporter Tyche Hendricks, The California Report How Far Should Society Go In Trying To Help The Most Severely Mentally Ill? There's a bill moving through the state legislature seeking to create a new kind of court system in California with the authority to compel some people to receive mental health treatment even if they don’t want it. The proposal has sparked an intense debate about personal freedom and how best to protect people from the toll of mental illness. Reporter Robert Garrova, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health Officials Expand Access for Monkeypox Vaccine In Los Angeles, some high-risk people can now sign up for shots to combat Monkeypox online. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC California Trees Dying at An Alarming Rate The loss of California trees is posing a direct threat to one of the state’s climate solutions. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW The Aftermath of the Creek Fire As we warily prepare for what might be another devastating wildfire season in California, many communities are dealing with the aftermath of past blazes. It’s been almost two years since the state’s massive Creek Fire destroyed nearly half of the homes in one tight-knit mountain community in Fresno County. Alice Daniel, KVPR New Report Documents Harassment and Discrimination in Asian American and Pacific Island Communities More than 11,000 incidents of harassment, discrimination, and hate crimes against members of the nation’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities were reported in the last two years. That’s according to a new report out by a California- based research and advocacy group. Nina Thorsen, KQED House Speaker Nanci Pelosi Urges Feds to Step Up Response to Monkeypox In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Beccera, Pelosi said the slow federal response to monkeypox is leaving health care providers with massive waitlists and telephone hotlines overrun by desperate callers. Scott Shafer, KQED Apple Is Abusing Its Market Power with Apple Pay, Lawsuit Says This lawsuit accuses Apple of ensuring its devices exclusively use its mobile wallet to make contactless payments. That’s a monopoly, the complaint says, allowing Apple to charge card issuers for a service they get free on Android devices. Rachael Myrow, KQED Community College Students Continue to Wait for Promised Free Textbooks State lawmakers announced last year that they were carving out money to provide relief, community college students are still waiting to receive promised free textbooks. But a bureaucratic logjam is holding up the state funding. Danielle Chiriguayo, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With summer in full swing, vacationers are heading to places like Lake Tahoe. But seasonal workers at vacation spots around the lake are feeling the effects of the rising cost of living. Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio Inflation has been hitting Californians at the gas pump and the grocery store. Now many are facing another new expense - double digit rent increases. Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices