KQED's The California Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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