KQED's The California Report

The Supreme Court’s ruling on a Mississippi case that could alter the future of abortions in this country could come any day now. With the decision likely to overturn Roe v. Wade, states across the country are already looking to severely restrict or outright ban access to abortions. That includes California’s next door neighbor, Arizona. Guest: Darrah DiGiorgio Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol will start sharing its findings, in the first of six public hearings. Dozens of people, here in California, have been criminally charged for their alleged involvement in the insurrection. Guest: Brian Levin, Director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino A far right militia led the charge to recall a supervisor in Shasta County earlier this year. Far right activists started an organization meant to back candidates that shared their views in the primary election. But all six lost their races this week. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report The town of Susanville, about 200 miles northeast of Sacramento in Lassen County, is a former mining and logging area best known for the two state prisons it’s home to. The facilities are a driving force for Susanville’s economy, even with a third of the town’s population being incarcerated. But one of those facilities could close soon under an order from the state. Guest: Piper French, Independent Reporter who wrote about Susanville for the digital magazine Bolts The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors has approved a tiny home community for unhoused people in South Sacramento. The goal is to build 100 shed-sized homes at the site. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During Tuesday's primary election, incumbents had strong showings in statewide races, as they head to runoffs in November. And several closely contested congressional seats will also be up for grabs in the general election. Guests: Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos, KQED Congressman David Valadao, who represents the 22nd District in the Central Valley is locked in a tight battle for his seat, with Democratic State Assemblyman Rudy Salas. Guest: Sorreath Hok, Valley Public Radio Attorney General Rob Bonta is headed to a November election date with one of his Republican challengers, although that race is still too close to call. Guest: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio The 45th Congressional District race covers much of Orange County. It's expected to be a close battle in November, with Republican incumbent Michelle Steel taking on Democrat Jay Chen. Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC Developer Rick Caruso and longtime politician Karen Bass are heading for a November faceoff to see who will be the next mayor of the city of Los Angeles. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The primary election is being held Tuesday in California. While a number of statewide offices are up for grabs, there are also several key Congressional races across the state. Guest: Scott Shafer, KQED California tenants rights groups have sued the state, claiming its process for denying emergency rental assistance isn’t fair. The lawsuit comes as pandemic-related eviction protections are set to expire at the end of the month. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED A bill in the House of Representatives would help non-citizen military veterans who are being threatened with deportation stay in this country. Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED It’s been nearly a year since thousands of Afghan nationals fled their home country, as the Taliban seized power, following the U.S. withdrawal. Many have made California their new home. But in one Central Valley community, it's been an everyday struggle for these refugees. Guest: Deepa Fernandes, Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently a few dozen Black Californians gathered in Oakland to discuss their visions for reparations. It was the first "listening session" hosted by the State Task Force studying reparations for descendants of enslaved Americans. To vote in Tuesday’s primary election, Californians must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen. But you don’t need to have a permanent address to cast a ballot. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Alameda County is now requiring masks in most indoor public settings. With more California counties entering the CDC's highest community level for COVID-19 danger, it's unclear if more counties will do the same in the weeks ahead. The Summit of the Americas convenes in Los Angeles next week. It's a gathering of heads of state from across the Western Hemisphere. But this year, it's unclear how recent tensions between the U.S.and Mexico could affect the gathering. Guest: Arturo Sarukhán, Mexico's Former Ambassador to the U.S. The U.S. Department of Education is canceling student loan debt for some 500,000 students who attended Corinthian Colleges. Corinthian was accused of targeting low income students, leaving them with a mountain of debt and too often without the jobs promised with the degrees offered. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED Dancers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood could be the first strip club workers to successfully unionize since performers at a club in San Francisco’s did the same thing. The dancers say the owners and security guards at the North Hollywood business haven’t been keeping them safe when customers violate boundaries, and ongoing picketing hasn’t been enough to motivate changes. Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As California's drought conditions worsen, the state is looking for more answers beyond just asking residents to conserve. There's now renewed debate about whether or not to build the Sites Reservoir, a massive reservoir project in the western Sacramento River Valley. Guest: Ann Willis, Senior Staff Researcher, Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis California’s Reparations Task Force released its first report on Wednesday. The report has preliminary recommendations including the establishment of an Office of African American/Freedmen Affairs to address past and potential future harms, and to assist people in filing eligibility claims. Reporter: Lakshmi Sarah, KQED State officials are warning people seeking abortion services about potential misleading information offered by so-called crisis pregnancy centers. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a consumer alert about these facilities. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report UCLA researchers have analyzed the autopsies of people who died in L.A. County jails over ten years. They found that more than half of deaths classified as natural had evidence of physical harm on the bodies. Reporter: Emily Elena Dugdale, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Los Angeles City Council has voted in favor of drafting new municipal ordinances that will ban homeless encampments within 500 feet of all schools and daycare centers in the city. A new state audit has found major problems with the state's Child Abuse Central Index. The audit only reviewed six of California’s 58 counties, but found information gaps in tens of thousands of cases. Reporter: Sara Hossaini, KQED Our sister station KVPR in Fresno has launched a new podcast series called “The Other California.” It profiles small towns around the San Joaquin Valley. One recent episode focuses on the expansion of the cannabis industry in the community of Woodlake in Tulare County. Reporter: Kerry Klein, KVPR After a very long meeting Tuesday, Democrats in the State Assembly have settled on a new Speaker to succeed Anthony Rendon. But it's still unclear when Robert Rivas will actually become the next Assembly Speaker. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED This week the Biden Administration has launched a new system for hearing migrants’ asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border. Rather than sending asylum seekers into the overburdened immigration courts, cases will be decided by asylum officer in six cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s growing concern about the potential health and safety risks from more than a dozen leaking oil wells in Bakersfield. At least five of the wells were found to be emitting methane at high enough levels that could either be explosive or cause serious health risks. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report With the primary election coming up next month in California, many voters will be casting their ballot for the candidates they feel best represent their interests and needs. But is there equal representation in the state? Guest: Joe Mathews, Policital Columnist and President of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy During the worst months of the pandemic, many childcare providers had to temporarily close their doors. That pushed some providers over the edge, especially in low income communities. Reporter: Claire Trageser, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hollywood Bowl has been hosting musicians from far and wide for years. This year is something special as the Los Angeles venue celebrates 100 years with another summer of concerts and performances. Guest: Chad Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles Philharmonic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Workers in the California Legislature are not allowed to unionize, and often work long and grueling hours, without overtime. But a new bill would change that. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Immigrant advocates and the U.S. government have reached an agreement on standards for the treatment of children in Border Patrol facilities. It comes two years after advocates raised alarms over shocking conditions at the Texas border during the Trump administration. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED Hundreds of unionized workers, who've been on strike against Chevron's Bay Area refinery, are set to start voting on a deal that could end what's been a bitter two month long walk-out. Reporter: Ted Goldberg, KQED A strike by thousands of nurses has been averted at four Los Angeles County-run hospitals and multiple clinics. It happened after an all-night bargaining session led to a tentative agreement. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of Tuesday’s mass murder at a Texas elementary school, Governor Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders are calling for fast action aimed at reducing gun violence. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Governor Newsom’s ambitious plan to overhaul California’s mental healthcare system cleared a major hurdle on Wednesday. The state Senate voted to approve CARE Court. The program would allow judges to order people with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders into treatment, with a particular focus on people who are also experiencing homelessness. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED California’s commision on POST, which stands for peace officer standards and training, has reached a key milestone in its implementation of the new police decertification law, Senate Bill 2. The commission has approved a definition of what constitutes misconduct serious enough to revoke an officer’s badge. Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQED The Anaheim City Council has voted to cancel the troubled Angels Stadium sale deal. The deal has been mired in controversy as an FBI affidavit has shown the city's former mayor was under investigation for public corruption and other offenses. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC A KPCC investigation has found the state corrections department moved people known as medical parolees to a nursing home in Los Angeles that was recently stripped of its federal certification. The move and decision behind it has been shrouded in secrecy. Reporter: Elly Yu, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Details are still unfolding around the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. 21 people are dead -- 19 students and two teachers. For young people, the tragedy will likely resonate for years. But there are support mechanisms to help them cope with the shooting. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report Preschool students are expelled and suspended at rates three times higher than kids in K-12 schools. It’s a problem California lawmakers are trying to address with a new bill – a bill that would ban the practice, which disproportionately impacts Black children. Reporter: Deepa Fernandes, Early Childhood Reporting Fellow, Pacific Oaks College which is funded in part by First 5 LA An investigation by KPCC in Los Angeles has found that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has moved people known as medical parolees to an institution that the federal government has stripped of its certification. That’s after the facility consistently violated standards of patient care. Reporter: Aaron Mendelson, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom is warning there could be statewide mandatory water restrictions if Californians don’t start conserving more water, as the drought worsens. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Starting in June, 6 million Southern Californians will face new water restrictions. For many people, that’ll mean watering their yards twice or even just once a week, per regulations. Some residents are ready. Others, not so much. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW There's a widening federal corruption investigation in the city of Anaheim, centered on its $320 milllion deal to sell the Angels baseball stadium to the owner of the team. Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu resigned Monday amid allegations that the city is tightly controlled by a “cabal” of business and political power brokers. Guest: Gabriel San Roman, Reporter, LA Times A survivor of the 2017 North Bay wildfires is asking a federal bankruptcy judge to order managers of a fund for wildfire victims to account for millions of dollars that have been spent over the last two years. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Catholic archbishop of San Francisco, Salvator Cordileone, has directed priests under his jurisdiction not to give House Speaker Nancy Pelosi communion. Cordileone says it's because of Pelosi's support for abortion rights. State officials have confirmed that two idle oil wells in Bakersfield were leaking methane gas near a residential community, but say they were sealed late last week. Environmental groups have called out regulators for not acting with more urgency once the leaks were first reported, but the state says it wasn’t an emergency. Reporter: Juan Carlos Lara, KQED Five months ago, California unveiled a program to help low income Californians eliminate asthma triggers in their homes. But some families are still struggling to get these services. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, Valley Public Radio The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority or LAHSA has unveiled plans to reduce the number of unsheltered homeless in L.A. County over the next three years. Reporter: Ethan Ward, KPCC There are two leading candidates in the race for Mayor of Los Angeles, according to the polls. One is Democratic Congresswoman and former speaker of the California State Assembly, Karen Bass. Her chief opponent is Rick Caruso, a billionaire property developer and Republican turned Democrat. Guest: Fernando Guerra, Director of Loyola Marymount University’s Center for the Study of Los Angeles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At more than $6 a gallon, California has the highest gasoline prices in the country. So what’s Sacramento doing? State lawmakers want to use part of a $97 billion budget surplus to send out rebate checks. But legislators are in a stalemate over the details. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio When it comes to COVID-19 infection rates, the Bay Area continues to lead the state, but the numbers are rising across California, driven largely by subvariants of the coronavirus. With cases also rising in Southern California, the CDC has now moved L.A. County’s COVID risk level from low to medium. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC State Senators Melissa Hurtado and Dave Cortese have sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting that the Department of Justice investigate possible drought profiteering and water rights abuses in California, and other western states. Hurtado says she’s concerned about the increasing amount of water rights being purchased by hedge funds. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report A species of California salmon is at risk of extinction due to climate change. As a short term remedy wildlife officials are trucking the salmon to cooler waters. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sunday’s shooting at a gathering of Taiwanese American Presbyterians in Orange County has shaken that community in Southern California. It's upsetting the older generation the most. Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC This week, more than 40 so-called “Documented Dreamers” are in Washington D.C. They’re lobbying lawmakers to pass legislation that would protect young people who’ve aged out of their families’ immigration applications. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Immigrant advocates are pleased with Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal that would make California the first state in the nation to extend safety net health coverage to all residents, regardless of immigration status. But with a massive surplus, advocates say it's time for the state to go even further. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED California has some of the most stringent privacy laws in the country, including protecting the personal data of immigrants. But a two-year investigation by the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology has found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has used a range of surveillance tactics to circumvent state privacy laws, including California’s. Guest: Dan Bateyko, Research Coordinator, Georgetown Law Center on Privacy & Technology In response to national shortages of baby formula, President Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to speed production and has authorized the Defense Department to use commercial planes to import formula from overseas that meet U.S. standards. The shortage is also prompting warnings from California health officials. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The man accused of opening fire this past Sunday at a church in Laguna Woods in Orange County, killing one man and wounding five others, is facing one count of murder, along with several other charges. The murder charge against David Chou also comes with the special circumstance of using a gun and lying in wait. Reporters: Robert Garrova and Josie Huang, KPCC The average price for a gallon of gas in California hit a new record on Tuesday. According to AAA, the statewide average for a gallon of regular gas is now $6.02. Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED New Starbucks unions are rapidly forming across California, with workers voting to unionize the first four locations in just the past week. Employees at more than 20 Starbucks locations in the state have petitioned for a chance to unionize since the start of the year. Reporter: Juan Carlos Lara, KQED In this third year of the drought, state leaders touted investments in water recycling on Tuesday while visiting a facility in Southern California. By early June the entire state will be under either a local or state mandate to conserve water. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Despite California’s strong gun laws, ghost guns, which are assembled by their purchasers at home, and difficult to trace because they lack serial numbers, have become increasingly linked to crime in the state. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FBI has opened a federal hate crime investigation into a shooting Sunday at a church in Orange County that left one man dead and five others wounded. Law enforcement officials say they believe the suspect in the case was motivated by political tensions between Taiwan and China. Reporters: Robert Garrova and Josie Huang, KPCC A judge in Los Angeles has ruled that California cannot legally require corporations to have women members of their boards of directors. The ruling invalidates a law passed in 2018, which said by this year, companies had to have at least two women on boards of five members, and at least three women on boards or six or more. Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED California is hoping to reach carbon neutrality by 2045, and the state is looking to diversify and expand renewable energy projects to meet that goal. One major source of carbon-free energy could come from floating offshore wind turbines. The California Energy Commission earlier this month released a draft target for the amount of wind energy the state would need to help reach its goals. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX California's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office says the state could be headed toward a fiscal cliff, despite a record-breaking budget surplus. The LAO says the new proposed state budget would leave California more than $3 billion over a constitutional limit on spending this year, and more than $20 million over that limit next year. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Last month, two Fresno council members announced a new pilot program that would equip street vendors’ carts with cameras. This effort comes a year after the murder of street vendor Lorenzo Perez. But it's still uncler if these vendors feel safe. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, two Bay Area men were arrested and charged with plotting to blow up the headquarters of the California Democratic Party. Prosecutors say the men planned to launch their attack on or after inauguration day. Reporters: Julie Small and Alex Hall, KQED One person, an adult male, was killed and five others were wounded when a gunman opened fire at a lunch banquet at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods in Orange County. The banquet was held by a largely Taiwanese-American congregation. On Saturday, thousands of people showed up in cities across California, in support of reproductive rights. This comes as the U.S. Supreme Court could vote to overturn Roe v. Wade in the coming months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a nationwide baby formula shortage, driven by supply chain issues and recalls. You can’t buy formula in many stores and in California, that's left many parents are scrambling. Reporter: Cristina Kim, KPBS A federal appeals court has ruled that California’s ban on the sale of semiautomatic weapons to people under the age of 21 is unconstitutional. A panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that the law violates the Second Amendment and the right of young adults to bear arms. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report COVID-19 cases rose 20% last week in L.A. County. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said mask mandates could return if the pace of new cases doesn't slow down. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC With roughly 66,000 people across L.A. experiencing homelessness on any given night, there’s renewed interest in the role of corporate social responsibility and charity. Reporter: Ethan Ward, KPCC Seal pup season is coming to a close in California. When adult elephant seals leave the beach, pups are on their own as they prepare to live out at sea for months at a time. This means pups must learn to sleep underwater. Reporter: Guananí Gómez-Van Cortright, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two Starbucks stores in Santa Cruz have voted to become the first in the state to unionize. Since January, more than 20 Starbucks stores in California have started the process to unionize – joining hundreds of others across the U.S. Resident doctors gathered in front of LA County-USC Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday to protest low pay. It's just the latest in a string of healthcare-related protests across the state in recent months. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC The June primary is just weeks away, and we have our third story in a series examining the field of candidates running to be California Attorney General. No-party-preference candidate Anne Marie Schubert is a lifelong prosecutor and current Sacarmento County District Attorney. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday that would get rid of a rule in the state’s constitution that has stymied affordable housing developments in California for decades. It’s called Article 34 and it’s embedded in California’s constitution. It forces cities to get voter approval to build public housing. Reporter: Molly Solomon, KQED Giant Sequoias are now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Endangered Species Red List due to the threat of drought and wildfires in their natural habitat in the U.S., particularly in California. Now, a group in the UK is planting and nurturing thousands of Giant Sequoias to offer a more secure future for the species. Guest: Henry Emson, Founder One Life One Tree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to new numbers out, California's water usage jumped nearly 19% in March, despite pleas for conservation from the governor and local water agencies. Meanwhile, the city of Los Angeles has announced new mandatory water restrictions. Starting June 1st, the city's four million residents will have to cut outdoor water use to two-days a week. California has a whopping state budget surplus, an estimated $68 billion. But it’s doubtful any of that money will go to fixing the state agency in charge of investigating wage theft. It’s struggling with a backlog of more than 36, 000 cases that stretches back years. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED U.S. Senator Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice, in separate but related contests. He's running in one contest to finish out former U.S. Senator Kamala Harris' term, and also competing for a new 6-year term. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio California’s Fair Political Practices Commission could soon open the door for campaigns to accept cryptocurrency donations. California is currently one of nine states that bars campaign contributions in crypto because they’re so hard to regulate and trace. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Equality isn’t perceived equally. According to a new study from UC Berkeley, historically privileged groups can see opening up pathways of opportunities for some less privileged people as harming their own access to resources. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW The opulent Hearst Castle atop a commanding hilltop on California’s Central Coast draws in about 750,000 visitors every year. But the popular tourist destination has been closed for more than two years because of the pandemic. It's finally reopening on Wednesday Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A survey released on Tuesday reveals wage theft is still a big problem for more than half a million fast food workers in California. More than 8 in 10 workers surveyed said employers have shorted them on their paychecks. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Contract negotiations affecting workers at 29 West Coast ports begin on Tuesday. The talks between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association are happening amid pandemic safety issues and growing imports that created long queues of ships waiting to offload cargo. Reporter: Angela Corral, The California Report San Francisco’s NAACP chapter is calling on the city to take action in support of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities who’ve faced an increase in hate crimes Reporter: Maria Fernanda Bernal, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Later this week, Governor Gavin Newsom will issue what’s called a "May Revise," updating the governor’s budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. Financial justice advocates in the state hope part of that proposal will include the elimination of court fees known as "civil assessments." These are penalties that courts impose when traffic tickets and other citations aren't paid on time. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report The nation’s largest student-run powwow gathered in-person at Stanford University over the weekend, the first time since the pandemic hit. The theme was intergenerational resilience. Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED Bay Area counties are in the midst of an increase in COVID-19 cases. How long will it last? Well, experts say it depends. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bill to protect abortion services for people traveling to California from states where abortion is banned is now on a fast track in Sacramento. Assembly Bill 1666 was introduced after Texas enacted a law to punish women who receive an abortion or anyone who assists her. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED The Facing Life project investigates “life after life” in California’s prisons. The lives of eight people are documented. They were released from life sentences in California prisons, following policy changes in the state. But the project sheds light on mass incarceration and its systemic issues. Guest: Pendarvis Harshaw, KQED, Host of Rightnowish Podcast The state Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to advance a bill that would let teens get vaccinated for COVID-19 without their parents’ consent. The bill is from San Francisco State Senator Scott Wiener. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Cable, phone, and wireless companies have dropped their legal bid to block the state’s net neutrality law. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hate incidents are on the rise in San Diego, but they continue to be difficult to prosecute. Now, 911 dispatchers could play a key role in gathering evidence for these types of cases. Reporter: Cristina Kim, KPBS Governor Gavin Newsom says the Supreme Court's anticipated roll-back of abortion rights is part of a larger attack on freedoms and privacy. The governor has reaffirmed California's support for access to reproductive services, after a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion showed a majority of justices supported overturning Roe v. Wade. As COVID-19 cases increase across the state, Los Angeles is seeing more outbreaks at workplaces and schools. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC The Mountain View-based company behind TurboTax, Intuit, has agreed to pay more than $140 million to customers. $11 million will go to Californians, who were tricked into paying for services that should have been free. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED California voters could decide between two different approaches to legalizing sports gambling this November, after supporters of legalizing online wagers say they've collected enough signatures to make it on the ballot. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED The neat rows of grapevines in California’s wine country are just beginning to bud, as the wine industry faces another season of drought and almost certainly, wildfire. But it’s not just the flames they’re worried about. It’s the smoke too. Reporter: Jerimiah Oetting, KAZU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Top Democrats in the California Legislative Women’s Caucus are pushing more than a dozen bills that they say will bolster abortion services in the state. Meanwhile, hundreds of people took part in rallies across the state, following news that Roe v. Wade could be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. The contents of a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would likely strike down Roe v. Wade are still sinking in – both across the country and here in California. Guest: Radhika Rao, Law Professor, UC Hastings Los Angeles County’s Office of Diversion and Reentry houses thousands of people with mental health challenges, who would otherwise end up incarcerated. But its biggest initiative maxed out its budget last year and can’t add any new clients. Reporter: Emily Elena Dugdale, KPCC San Diego county has launched a first-in-the-nation program to provide free legal aid to detained immigrants. Reporter: Kitty Alvarado, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A draft majority opinion obtained by Politico appears to show that the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. If that does occur, the effects will be felt nationwide, including in California, which is already preparing for the possibility of an influx of people looking to get an abortion. Guest: Shannon Olivieri Hovis, Director of NARAL Pro-Choice California In a recent op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle, former legislative staffer Ruth Ferguson details her experiences working in the office of Bay Area Assemblymember Marc Berman. She says her experience included harassment from her direct supervisor and retaliation for reporting incidents that concerned her. Now, she's looking to help lead change in the ways these claims are investigated. Guest: Ruth Ferguson, former staffer for Bay Area Assemblymemebr Marc Berman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s last remaining nuclear energy facility, Diablo Canyon in San Luis Obispo County, produces enough carbon-free energy to power three million homes each year. It’s scheduled to shut down by 2025, but now, Governor Gavin Newsom may consider delaying the closure. Reporter: Rachel Showalter, KCBX Change is coming to California’s rooftop solar market, but what that change looks like remains a mystery. The state is still waiting for a reboot of efforts to overhaul its solar power system, three months after Governor Gavin Newsom essentially shut the process down. Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS This upcoming June primary is the first chance to see the effects of new local campaign finance limits in California. In Shasta County, it will likely test the limits of how much influence a wealthy donor can have on races. Reporter: Roman Battaglia, Jefferson Public Radio A new study from the Stanford School of Medicine sheds some light on why it is that teens tune mom out. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marks the 30th anniversary of one of the most painful and bloodiest chapters in LA's history. The civil unrest of 1992, also known as the riots, the rebellion and the uprising, began in response to the acquittal of four white LA police officers for the beating of a black man named Rodney King. By the time it was over, dozens were dead and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage was done. Guest: Joel Anderson, Podcast Host of Slow Burn: The LA Riots Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s Labor Commissioner has fined poultry giant Foster Farms and three staffing agencies nearly $4 million for failing to tell thousands of workers about COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave assistance. The failure was discovered during an audit of Foster Farms’ payroll records in 2020. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Researchers in San Diego County are working to stave off the worst impacts of global warming. They say cattails found in wetlands could be part of the answer. Reporter: Erik Anderson, KPBS Stockton city leaders have found a new chief to lead the police department. Stanley McFadden, who is currently a deputy chief in San Jose, will be the first African American to lead the department. Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQED To help protect it and give people more control over what companies do with their data, the state has enacted new privacy laws and created the country's very first privacy protection agency to enforce them. It's only six months old, and director Ashkan Soltani says he knows there are big challenges ahead. Guest: Ashkan Soltani, Executive Director, California Privacy Protection Agency An effort to shut down three oil platforms off the Orange County coast has cleared its first legislative hurdle. But there are concerns about the potential costs, even from some Democrats who oppose offshore drilling. Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Southern California, the Metropolitan Water District, which supplies water to millions of people in several counties, has declared a first of its kind water shortage emergency. Meanwhile, in the Bay Area, the East Bay Municipal Water District has approved a mandatory 10% reduction in water usage compared to 2020 levels. What little is known about long-COVID in children and teenagers suggests that it can be just as disabling for them as it is for older adults. One family in Los Angeles connected the dots before the doctors. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC A proposal by Governor Gavin Newsom to impose a new form of court-ordered treatment for people with severe mental illness got approval in its first state senate hearing on Tuesday. The CARE Court idea is receiving opposition from civil rights and homeless advocacy groups. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Nurses at University of California medical centers will protest UC management on Wednesday, in response to staffing issues that the nurses say have been ongoing through the pandemic. Reporter: Shehreen Karim, KQED A state audit of five law enforcement agencies has found racist or other biased conduct by police officers at all of them-- and inadequate investigations into that conduct. Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mayors of California’s largest cities are calling on Governor Newsom to continue funding critical homelessness services. The state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Grants have only been available for three years. But mayors from all over California say their cities rely on their unique flexibility to pay for a wide range of services. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED A study from the L.A. County Department of Public Health comparing unhoused mortality one year before, and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that deaths among young unhoused people, aged 18 to 29, more than doubled. Reporter: Ethan Ward, KPCC We're continuing our series examining the field of candidates running to be California Attorney General. The current AG, Democrat Rob Bonta is facing three serious challengers, including Republican hopeful Eric Early, who says the state is headed in the wrong direction. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Governor Gavin Newsom has promised that California will halt all in-state oil and gas production by the year 2045. But the state is the country’s 7th largest oil producer. So what might that transition look like, specifically in the San Joaquin Valley towns literally built on oil? Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting on Friday, masks will again be required inside L.A. County’s airports and on public transportation. The new health order comes after a Florida federal judge threw out a mask mandate on public transportation and airplanes nationwide. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC California could sanction places to do illegal drugs under the watchful gaze of a healthcare worker. The so-called “safe consumption” sites are an effort to save lives, as overdoses skyrocket across the country. But the prospect of opening them remains controversial. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED California will close its main COVID-19 testing lab next month. The facility in Los Angeles County has faced scrutiny since it opened. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio A new poll finds that 80% of Gen Z youth in California have experienced anxiety, stress or feelings of being overwhelmed as a result of learning about climate change. Reporter: Anaïs-Ophelia Lino, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s red hot housing market is showing some early signs of cooling. The reason for that is both good and bad news for would-be homebuyers. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED In Los Angeles County, in the city of Inglewood, an elementary school is facing permanent closure this summer. Locals have started a petition to stop the closure, but the school district says low enrollment makes it too expensive to keep open. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Officials from the Biden Administration are sounding the alarm about global shortages of semiconductor chips. They're urging Congress to fast track a bill with incentives for companies to expand domestic chip production in places like Silicon Valley. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Almonds are harvested every year in August. But this year, many growers and processors in California are still holding onto last year’s product. Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bill to hold gun manufacturers responsible for death and destruction caused by their products cleared a key Assembly committee on Tuesday. It's part of a larger package of legislation addressing gun violence in the state. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED While health officials are hopeful that the worst of the pandemic is over, hospitals are still reeling from financial losses. One hospital in the San Joaquin Valley is warning of disaster for many facilities. Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio The Kern County town of McFarland is facing the possible closure of its only public library, so the space can be used by the McFarland Police Department. While city leaders have rallied around the proposal, many in the community oppose the plan. Guest: Emma Gallegos, Central Valley Journalism Resident for EdSource Governor Gavin Newsom visited the Oroville Dam on Tuesday to talk about the ongoing drought and the state's plans to address it. He said California might need to shut down one of its largest hydroelectirc plants. Reporter: Alec Stutson, North State Public Radio With drier winters, hotter summers, and year-round potential for wildfires, Southern California is experiencing the effects of climate change. And the grab-bag of wild weather isn’t lost on voters, according to a new poll. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Across California, law enforcement agencies are under increasing scrutiny over using the DNA of sexual assault surivors in unrelated criminal investigations. Santa Clara County supervisors heard testimony on the topic on Tuesday. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Los Angeles County’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes new investments in mental health. The plan is to use federal funds to assist with outreach, engagement and crisis response. Reporter: Robert Garrova, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Landlords in Los Angeles have failed in their legal quest to overturn the city’s eviction moratorium. The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear a case challenging the city’s protections. Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC A San Francisco judge has ordered the release of a man who's been incarcerated for over 30 years, for a murder he's maintained he didn't commit. Reporter: Alex Emslie, KQED It’s been 16 years since Californians elected anyone but a Democrat to statewide office. But this year, Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta is facing challenges from three serious contenders in the June primary -- two Republicans and one independent. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED During a visit to California’s Central Coast Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the U.S. will no longer conduct anti-satellite missile tests in space. She called it a reckless and dangerous practice. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KCBX More than half of California voters would be willing to pay more for items that don’t contain single-use plastics, according to a new poll. The poll by the environmental group Oceana reveals more than 90% of California voters are concerned by the damage wrought by plastic pollution. Reporter: Darrell Satzman, KCRW The Salinas River is home to many beavers, who are helping the area better adapt to the impacts of climate chnage. Reporter: Rachel Showalter, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than three million Californians could get a break on their tax bill with a proposal to boost benefits for renters. The proposal from state Senator Steve Glazer would increase the renter tax credit from $60 to $500 for single filers and from $120 to $1000 for couples and single parents. Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED A new survey of more than 700 crime survivors finds that California needs to do far more to support victims -- especially those in marginalized communities. It found that more than a third of victims are never offered the resources they’re entitled to under state law, including help with funeral or housing costs Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Within the next two decades, all of California’s electricity needs to come from renewable sources. That makes geothermal energy, energy from heat in the earth, more appealing. Reporter: Greta Mart, Northern California Public Media Every year, California prisons hand over hundreds of people to immigration authorities. But in a rare exception, one Cambodian national was released on parole late last week and reunited with family without being re-detained. Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC Millions of dollars PG&E agreed to pay in its Kincade Fire settlement with the Sonoma County district attorney will go directly to local groups. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does California U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, who’s 88 and a giant of American politics, still have the mental fitness to do her job? According to reporting by San Francisco Chronicle Washington Correspondent Tal Kopan, there are many instances of the Senator’s memory failing. Guest: Tal Kopan, Washington Correspondent, San Francisco Chronicle A bill to tighten COVID-19 vaccination requirements for California school children has stalled in the state legislature. Legislation from Sacramento State Senator Richard Pan would have closed the personal beliefs exemption, like the state has done for the measles vaccine. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Now that many COVID restrictions have eased in California, and all of us are trying to figure out how to live our lives going forward, The California Report wanted to check in with someone we first met at the very beginning of the pandemic. San Francisco resident Hinda Gilbert was on a cruise ship that had to be redirected to Oakland, following an outbreak on board. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report The California Task Force studying reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans has approved its report on why reparations are necessary. The report will be the first government-issued document to examine anti-black racism in more than 50 years. Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED State regulators are recommending that the western Joshua tree not be designated as a threatened species. It was given interim protection back in 2020 under the California Endangered Species Act. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report It can be hard to imagine anything living in the deepest and darkest depths of the world’s oceans. But the seafloor can teem with life. That ecosystem, though, is under threat from climate change and plastic pollution, and a new threat now looms – deep sea mining. Reporter: Erika Mahoney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A draft of California’s first-in-the-nation roadmap for ending the sale of all new gas-powered cars in the state by 2035 has been released. The new plan requires an increase in the sales of electric vehicles starting in 2024. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED If you’re in the market for a new electric vehicle here in California right now, you’re definitely not alone. With gas prices soaring to record levels, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many prospective car buyers say an EV is the way to go. But are there anywhere near enough electric vehicles at California car dealerships? Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW California’s Reparations Task Force studying reparations for Black Californians continues meeting on Thursday at San Francisco’s historic Third Baptist Church. During Wednesday's meeting, the topic was discrimination in education. Reporter: Annelise Finney, KQED California voters say housing affordability and homelessness are the most important issues for the state to address this year. That’s according to a new survey from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED People who have experienced homelessness need to be given a seat at the table when it comes to making policy decisions about Los Angeles’ homeless crisis. That's one of the recommendations to come out of a new report commissioned by the Committee for a Greater LA. Reporter: Ethan Ward, KPCC People with certain psychiatric disorders face a heightened risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infections. That’s according to a new study from UC San Francisco. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bill in the state legislature aims to cut some Californians' workweek down to 32 hours from the usual 40. The proposed legislation would apply to companies in the state with more than 500 employees. At the national level, similar legislation has been introduced by Riverside County Congressman Mark Takano. Guest: Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, Writer and Head of Global Programs for 4 Day Week Global The California Chamber of Commerce has called the proposal to shorten the workweek in California a job killer, arguing it will drastically increase labor costs for businesses. The chamber says it could also result in major job cuts and larger companies deciding not to expand in the state. Reporter: Keith Mizuguchi, The California Report Amazon’s warehouse workers are getting injured twice as often as workers at other warehouses across the country. And in California, the rates are even higher. That’s according to a new study out from a labor union coalition based in the Inland Empire. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED California has tough new penalties on the books regarding wage theft. That’s when employers don’t pay workers what they’re actually owed. And, a state hearing on alleged wage theft at six Burger King franchises in San Francisco has started this week. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED With the rise in anti-Asian violence across the country has come a push to fight racism, through education. Many Asian American teachers in Southern California are using the moment to get their history into more schools. Reporter: Josie Huang, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California has millions of acres of overgrown forestland. It’s raw fuel for potentially catastrophic wildfires. In late 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new program to dramatically speed up the state’s wildfire prevention work. But an investigation from CapRadio and The California Newsroom found the program hasn’t resulted in a single completed project. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio California’s push for green energy could inadvertently harm one of its most famous species. As more and more wind turbines go up in the state, the companies behind them are looking to prevent unintended deaths of critically endangered California condors. Reporter: Matt Guilhem, KCRW Where oh where have California’s school kids gone? The state’s K-12 public school enrollment is down again this year by 110,000 students. That’s on top of a drop of 161,000 last year. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED San Francisco tenants now have the right to organize, under legislation that took effect this week. The Board of Supervisors approved the protections for tenants to form associations like labor unions. Reporter: Maria Fernanda Bernal, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even as the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant spreads across the globe, California has not yet seen a sharp uptick in new coronavirus cases or hospitalizations. But in Los Angeles, more people who do test positive for COVID will now have access to treatment. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC For over two years now, the closure of the US-Mexico border to most asylum-seekers has left many migrants in limbo. For young people especially, that means months without school or anyway to fill their days. One organization in Tijuana is trying to do something about that by giving young migrants a place to learn, where they can also deal with the mental toll their journeys have taken on them. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler As thousands of Ukrainians seeking asylum flock to the US-Mexico border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has conditionally opened an entry south of San Diego that has been shuttered for two years. The PedWest border crossing at the San Ysidro Port of Entry has become a welcoming area for people fleeing the war. Reporter: Kitty Alvarado, KPBS For many transgender and nonbinary people who are dealing with medical conditions, the path to permanent housing is often met with barriers. In Los Angeles, some organizations are working to change that. Reporter: Ethan Ward, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Schools in the Los Angeles area are reporting more coronavirus outbreaks. Outbreaks have more than tripled in the past 10 days in Los Angeles schools. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Thieves have been stealing catalytic converters from cars and trucks at a much greater rate here in California, in large part because the metals in those converters, like palladium and platinum, have become so valuable to resell. But a recent event in Los Angeles aimed to help drivers who might become victims of those crimes. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report Over the past couple of years, the pandemic has highlighted big problems with the state’s often deteriorating stock of rental housing has more people have stayed home. Now, Los Angeles County is planning to crack down on landlords who neglect their buildings. Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC The city of Fresno is launching a pilot program to help protect its street vendors, one year after a vendor was murdered while selling corn. The city will be installing livestream cameras on 20 vendor carts, hoping that they'll serve as a deterrent to harassment and violence. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report California had already announced that crab fisheries from the Sonoma-Mendocino County border on south would close on Friday. Now the Department of Fish and Wildlife is shutting down the northern parts of the state on April 20. Reporter: Nina Thorsen, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sacramento police now believe at least five individuals fired guns in the downtown shooting that left six dead and 12 injured early Sunday morning. Investigators say they believe gangs played a role in the shooting. Guest: Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee Since 1959, California’s Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, has set rules of conduct for law enforcement in the state. The commission will hold a special meeting on Thursday to work on defining what kind of police misconduct is serious enough to revoke an officer’s badge. Reporter: Sukey Lewis, KQED There are more than a million unfilled tech jobs in the United States. That’s a problem for tech companies but an opportunity for IT professionals in Mexico. Reporter: Gustavo Solis, KPBS This week, San Diego’s City Council approved a new municipal board that will oversee surveillance related issues in the city. The new board will give advice and recommendations on the city's use of surveillance technologies and personal data, as well as review how they are currently being used. Reporter: Christina Kim, KPBS A poll out this week from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies gives new insight into concerns Californians have for farmworkers employed in wildfire evacuation zones. More than 80% of California voters polled think that farmworkers should both get hazard pay for this work – and be given safety training in their own native language. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first suspect arrested in connection to Sunday's mass shooting in Sacramento, Dandrae Martin, made his first brief appearance in court on Tuesday. His brother has also been arrested and a third person was taken into custody, but police say as of now, he's not facing any charges related to the mass shooting. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg is joining victim and criminal justice reform advocates to demand that the state do more to stem violence. 19 community groups are calling on state leaders to invest $3 billion in local programs to support crime survivors and help interrupt cycles of violence. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED One month ago, Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled an ambitious proposal to create mental health courts in California. These so-called "CARE Courts” would be places where homeless people with severe mental health disorders could get connected to the treatment they need. But more controversially, the courts would also have the authority to force some people into care if they didn't want to go, raising concerns about abuse and civil liberties. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, The California Report State senators voted on Tuesday to advance a gun control bill that would use the threat of lawsuits to fight the sale and manufacture of illegal firearms. Senate Bill 1327 would allow any California citizen to sue those who pay for, manufacture or distribute ghost guns. Reporter: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, KQED In recent years, a lot of people have become rideshare and delivery drivers to make some extra cash. But those drivers face a number of threats while on the road. A new report out Wednesday claims that the gig companies the drivers work for aren't doing enough to compensate the drivers when bad things do happen. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last night in downtown Sacramento people gathered for a candlelight vigil to honor the victims’ memories after a mass shooting there early Sunday morning. A variety of community leaders spoke, from Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg to community activist Barry Accius. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED 57-year-old Melinda Davis was one of the victims of the shooting. She was unhoused and had lived on the streets of downtown Sacramento for much of the past decade. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio Sacramento public school teachers have announced they are calling off a more than week-long strike. The pivot point might have been the aftermath of this weekend’s shootings. Reporter: Janelle Salanga, CapRadio At the same time, teachers with Summit Charter School Network are threatening a strike if leadership doesn’t agree to a contract after more than a year of stalled negotiations. Reporter: Julia McEvoy, KQED San Diego City is proposing a moratorium on “No Fault” evictions until September 30th 2022 or 60 days after the end of the local state of emergency, whichever comes first. Reporter: Cristina Kim, KPBS Malibu's City Council has voted to move its homeless population outside of the city limits. The city’s homeless task force believes its solution will meet the needs of people willing to accept services while also making it easier for the sheriff’s department to enforce the city’s no camping policy. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW In Los Angeles County, Sheriff Alex Villanueva will be forced to testify in court over long-running allegations that deputy gangs exist in his department. Reporter: Tara Atrian, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices