KQED's The California Report

Californians who are unhappy with the way Governor Gavin Newsom has handled the coronavirus pandemic are gathering signatures in an attempt to qualify a recall measure in a special election. 1.5 million verified signatures need to be collected by March 17th. Guest: Randy Economy, Gavin Newsom Recall Campaign California's former top elections watchdog is calling for the state to investigate the largest donor to the campaign to recall Governor Newsom. An Orange County Company is suspected of failing to follow rules regarding campaign contributions. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED The California corrections department has reported 19 COVID-related deaths of incarcerated people this week, more than any other week since the pandemic began. 45 people have died over the course of the month. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED In many parts of California that were ravaged by wildfire last year, the rainy season brings a new risk: debris flows. Officials on the Monterey Peninsula are urging the public to follow debris flow evacuation orders, just as they would for a wildfire. Reporter: Michelle Loxton, KAZU California regulators have failed to meet a deadline to create new safety and health rules for oil drilling in the state. At Issue are setback rules for drilling near homes, schools, and playgrounds. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1,200 Medical Workers Deployed to Respond to Pandemic The extra staff includes more than 800 contract workers, but those workers are from the same pool that a lot of hospitals around the state already pull from to get extra help. Reporter: Marco Siler-Gonzales, KQED Last week, stay at home orders were extended for another 3 weeks for the Greater Sacramento region, due to low ICU capacity and rising coronavirus numbers. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED Companies are now requirement to notify employees within 24 hours if there's been a COVID-19 exposure in the workplace. In labor news, the minimum wage is now $14 dollars an hour for larger companies. Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bark Beetles Pose New Threat to Giant Sequoias Giant Sequoias are found along a 260 mile range on the slopes of the Sierras. Many of the trees are ancient, and face threats like climate change, droughts and wildfires. Bark beetles are now posing yet another challenge. Reporter:Ezra David Romero, CapRadio Test Can Now Detect Deadly Mushroom Poison in Minutes A team at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Northern California has developed a simple, portable test that can rapidly detect a deadly mushroom poison. The test is now available for sale online just in time for mushroom season. Chloe Veltman, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year California saw some of the most destructive wildfires in state history, blazes that when combined scorched more than three million acres, an area larger than the state of Delaware. Fires also destroyed or damaged thousands of structures and killed dozens of people. Guest: Yana Valachovic, UCANR Forest Advisor A new study on the comprehensive cost of wildfires, estimates that the 2018 California wildfires led to thousands of deaths, far more than the official count. It also cost the state around $150 Billion Dollars. That larger number factors in the harm of air pollution, and the broader economic impacts of these disasters. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re looking back on 2020 and how some of the year’s biggest news stories changed our lives. The coronavirus has had a huge impact on transportation and how Californians get from point A to point B. Public transportation systems have been hit hard. When many people began working from home, buses, trains, and subways saw dramatic decreases in ridership Guest: Ethan Elkind, UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment Five years ago, Volkswagen was in the news for all the wrong reasons. VW's cheating was partly discovered by California air quality regulators, but not before the company had sold or leased 85,000 of its dirty diesel cars to unsuspecting drivers. Now the automaker is hoping it's new all-electric SUV will help repair its image. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we look back on this difficult and confusing year we reflect on the events, movements, and people who helped shape it. Racial justice issues and civil unrest took center stage, and Black Lives Matter was at the forefront of the ongoing fight to end injustice against people of color. Guest: Melina Abdullah, Professor, Cal State Los Angeles Long before the Black Lives Matter movement, at the beginning of the 20th century, a newspaper called The Liberator served L.A.’s Black community, during a time when only a few thousand Black people lived in LA, and were barely represented in other media. Guest: Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, L.A. Bureau Chief, Cronkite News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Look Back at Lessons Learned from the Pandemic There was no bigger or more tragic story than the pandemic this year. KQED's Saul Gonzalez spoke with epidemiologist and public health expert Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo to talk about the coronavirus and how California officials responded to it. Guest: Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo with UC San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richmond Museum Saves Lost Historic Mural A mural called "Richmond: Industrial City" hung in a post office from 1941 to 1976. After it was taken off the wall while the building was renovated, it was put in a crate and put in a basement. It took four years to raise $45,000 dollars to restore the canvas. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED In 1933, Congress passed a series of reforms aimed at pulling America out of the Depression. The New Deal gave rise to the Works Progress Administration, which established the Federal Music Project to help keep musicians at work. Reporter: Austin Cross, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On November 8th, 2018 The Camp Fire destroyed the town of Paradise. It killed at least 85 people, and displaced tens of thousands. Two California-based journalists were on the ground as the fire burned and have turned their experience, as well as hundreds of interviews with locals and experts, into a book about the tragedy. Guest: Dani Anguiano, Author, Fire in Paradise The relationship between San Diego and Tijuana, right across the border, is often misunderstood. A new book explores the misunderstood relationship, and common cause, residents of the two cities often find. Guest: Michael S. Malone, Author, El Tercer Pais Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla is heading to Washington to finish Senate term of vice-president-elect Kamala Harris. Governor Gavin Newsom made the historic announcement yesterday. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED If the surge continues, the state could run out of intensive care beds by the end of the month. The state broke another record on Monday with more than 60,000 newly identified cases. That’s despite most of the state now under the governor’s latest regional stay-at-home order. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED In Washington, Congress finally passed a stimulus package this week. Critics say it’s not nearly enough support, but it does offer some relief. Unemployed workers-turned advocates were among those who lobbied lawmakers to do something, by taking on the cause like it’s their job. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The stay-at-home orders affecting most Californians are likely to be renewed and extended into the new year. Statewide two and a half percent of ICU beds are still available, but Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley are at zero percent capacity. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Police use of non-lethal projectiles at demonstrations in California have injured some protestors. Now state leaders are proposing ways to restrict their use. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal Court Filing Looks into PG&E's Role in Deadly Zogg Fire Crews hired to remove potentially hazardous trees in Shasta County were chased away two years ago by a woman brandishing a firearm, according to information PG&E shared with a federal judge. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Court filings reviewed by KQED show just one of the law firms representing PG&E charged more than $143 million in fees and expenses. PG&E voluntarily entered bankruptcy protection early last year because of liabilities from wildfires caused by its equipment. While PG&E has funded a trust for fire victims, just a tiny fraction of them have received any compensation. Facebook conducted a pre-election misinformation sweep in August, deleting a bunch of groups. One woman in Walnut Creek lost 13 years worth of photos on Facebook in the process. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The availability of intensive care beds at many Southern California hospitals has reached zero percent because of an explosion of new COVID patients. Forecasts predict if infection rates continue, there could be thousands of people in need of ICU beds in the region by early next month. The COVID-19 Pandemic has been tough for California’s child care providers. Many have struggled to keep their doors open in order to care for the children of essential workers, and getting little support themselves. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED For child care providers there is now a direct line to state officials to make the case that they need more resources to work safely during the pandemic. Yesterday, the newly ratified Child Care Providers Union had its second bargaining meeting with the state. Reporter: Deepa Fernandes The United Farm Workers union and two Foster Farms employees are suing the poultry company. They’re asking a judge to immediately force Foster Farms to protect workers from COVID-19 inside one of the company’s plants in the Central Valley. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Any business that serves food in San Diego County is now allowed to reopen after a superior court judge ruled in favor of two San Diego strip clubs that defied the statewide shutdown order. Reporter: Jacob Aere, KPBS Democratic state lawmakers are renewing a push to end mandatory prison sentences for certain drug crimes. The bill would allow judges to choose between jail time, probation, or other options for nonviolent drug offenders. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

293 people died from the coronavirus in California yesterday and more than 50,000 new cases were reported, setting new daily records as the virus surges. This is putting the statewide healthcare system under great strain. Next year, there are big changes coming to how California deals with young people convicted of crimes. Starting July 1st, the Department of Juvenile Justice will stop accepting virtually all new wards, leaving the state’s 58 counties to figure out how to handle those young people. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED A lot of the Golden State’s history is the story of booming population growth, but according to new state figures, California's population grew at the slowest rate in more than a century. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Early in the pandemic some grocery store chains offered employees hazard pay to compensate workers for the health risks they faced at work during the pandemic. Now, the City of Long Beach is looking to make it a requirement for large chain stores operating in the city. Reporter: Angel Carreras, KCRW Many Americans, including hundreds of thousands of people in California, are hoping for more than just money in the new relief package being hashed out in Congress. They’re hoping they won’t have to pay back unemployment money they’ve been overpaid by their state unemployment agencies. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

the first doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine are going out to frontline healthcare workers across the state. We’ve tracked that story all this week and this morning we look at vaccinations in San Diego. Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS The arrival of the Pfizer vaccine and the anticipated approval of Moderna's vaccine could mean people who are involved in clinical trials for other vaccines might drop out of those studies. Reporter: Tarryn Mento, KPBS A Sacramento disability rights advocate says it took him days to get a COVID-19 test because many of the county’s testing sites are not ADA accessible. Reporter: Sarah Mizes-Tan, CapRadio The University of California, Irvine just signed an agreement with the state prison system to create the first UC bachelor’s degree program behind bars. KQED’s Vanessa Rancaño reports. There are new faces joining Los Angeles’ City Council who have vowed to confront L.A.’s homelessness crisis. They are Mark Ridley-Thomas and Nithya Raman, along with California veteran politician Kevin DeLeon. Reporter: Libby Denkman, KPCC Federal wildlife officials announced this week that Monarch butterflies qualify to be protected as an endangered species. But the iconic insect won’t get that status under the Endangered Species Act right now, because there’s a backlog of species in line for protection. Reporter: Peter Arcuni, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICU bed capacity hit zero percent in the Central Valley over the weekend. Health officials are activating a COVID surge facility in the Tulare County town of Porterville to treat patients they don’t have room for at the local hospitals. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED As coronavirus vaccinations begin in California many public health experts worry that people may start letting their guard down when it comes to social distancing and other safety measures. Guest: Dr. Kirstin Bibbins Domingo, Epidemiologist, UCSF Frontline health care workers are first in line for the coronavirus vaccine, but which essential workers should come next? Teachers? Delivery drivers? How about the farm workers who pick California’s food crops? The state of California is working with counties to figure it out, and they may not always see eye to eye. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED After making progress last month, California's Unemployment Development Department is once again facing a big backlog of claims even after a new verification system showed initial promise. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Companies like Uber warned they’d have to raise prices if Prop 22 failed and they had to pay for employee protections. Prop 22 passed last month, and Uber’s market value surged, but they're raising prices anyway. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Doctors Ready for Reluctant Patients as Vaccines ArriveAs people start getting vaccinated, California doctors are preparing to talk to patients about it, and the physicians are expecting some resistance. Reporter: Sammy Caiola, KQED That number of restaurants likely to close could be significantly higher in the Bay Area and Los Angeles County where immigrants make up a larger share of restaurant owners. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW L.A County health officials are going to use the Moderna vaccine at nursing homes, and it’s training nursing home staff to administer it. Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna’s doesn’t require deep-freeze storage. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Early numbers show Sacramento City Unified enrolled about 600 fewer kindergartners this year, and Los Angeles Unified has thousands fewer. Reporter: Pauline Bartolone, KQED PG&E got out of bankruptcy protection almost six months ago. As part of that deal, the utility agreed to pay a billion dollars to California cities and counties harmed by the wildfires it’s equipment caused. It's unclear where all the money will go. Reporter: Lily Jamali, The California Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 states, including California, have accused Facebook of illegally squashing competition by operating as a social media monopoly. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Latinos are almost 40% of California’s population but they make up nearly 60% of the state’s cases of COVID-19, and half of the deaths. A new survey shows Latinos are more concerned than any other group about how the pandemic is affecting them. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Nine months into the pandemic, COVID testing remains top of mind for Latino activists in the Bay Area. In July, we took you to a pop-up testing site set up by the Latino Task Force in San Francisco’s Mission District. Since then, they've been able to expand testing, but outcomes are still frustrating. Guest: Jon Jacobo, Health Chair, Latino Task Force It's December, but the 2020 Census isn’t over yet. The legal fight over the count continues to play out in court. The 34th congressional district in central L.A. had the state’s lowest response rate to this year’s census, and that has local leaders worried. Reporter: Caroline Champlin, KPCC The closure of playgrounds has been frustrating for frazzled parents during the pandemic. Following outcry from moms, dads, and some lawmakers, the state announced yesterday it will reopen playgrounds at reduced capacity. The California Report’s Saul Gonzalaez visited a playground in L.A.’s Griffith Park. Guest: Mariah Lajara, Mother As COVID cases surge, many hospitals in the Central Valley are approaching capacity. That’s not the case in Mariposa County, But the county’s health officer is warning that resources are becoming scarce for those who need critical care. Reporter: Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Diego County Hospitals Grapple with Staffing Shortages Almost 900 COVID positive or suspected positive patients are hospitalized in San Diego County, more than double a month ago. Hospitals are struggling with shortages of staff, personal protective equipment, and testing supplies. Reporter: Tarryn Mento, KPBS Back in 2016, voters in Los Angeles approved Proposition HHH, a $1 billion measure to pay for thousands of new housing units for the homeless over 10 years. KCRW’s Anna Scott has been looking at one project funded with a small slice of those funds. Reporter: Anna Scott, KCRW 50 states have certified their election results, and Joe Biden has won the presidency. But Texas is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate the ballots of millions of voters in four swing states, and 106 House Republicans have signed onto an amicus brief to support this. Guest: Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) Officials in San Francisco and Los Angeles introduced resolutions last week asking for school workers to get priority in phase 1 of the vaccination roll out. That would put them right after health care workers and seniors living in congregate settings. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED Public health and other officials in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties want to be designated a separate region, and they want only their metrics used to determine pandemic restrictions. Reporter: Greta Mart, KCBX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An L.A. County judge overturned a ban on outdoor dining Tuesday. In a tentative ruling, the judge called the ban an arbitrary way to control the coronavirus, adding that L.A. County public health officials failed to balance health risks with potential harm to the economy. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED To find out more about the controversy over outdoor dining, and the people on both sides of that debate, The California Report's Mary Franklin Harvin spoke to a journalist who's been following the issue closely. Guest: Farley Elliot, Senior Editor, Eater LA New research that estimates the comprehensive cost of wildfires, found that the 2018 California wildfires led to thousands of deaths, far more than the official count. That larger number factors in the harm of air pollution. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Four men who were set to be released from California prisons earlier this year, were instead handed over to federal immigration authorities. Now they are seeking thousands of dollars in damages from the state. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED This week the city of Fresno named its next police chief. When he’s sworn in next year, Paco Balderrama will make history as the first Latino to lead the department. Reporter: Madi Bolaños, Valley Public Radio California lawmakers have introduced a new bill calling on the state to declare racism a public health crisis. The bill is big on goals but short on details at the moment. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State lawmakers are introducing a bill that would give public schools a deadline for reopening campuses. The effort comes amid rising concern about the effects of distance learning on children. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED California is launching a new smartphone app to let people know when they’ve been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Governor Gavin Newsom says the app is voluntary and anonymous. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Three Foster Farms facilities in the Central Valley are seeing several cases of COVID-19. They include the site of a major COVID-19 outbreak this summer that resulted in nine deaths nearly 400 infections and. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Uber has struck a deal that hands the keys of its self-driving car division over to startup Aurora Innovation. The deal involves Uber making a $400 million investment in Aurora. Guest: Chris Urmson, CEO, Aurora Innovation Bank of America told California lawmakers as much as $2 billion in unemployment benefits may have been stolen from the state, nearly double the amount previously thought to be lost. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Oral Arguments were heard Monday in San Francisco's 9th Circuit Court of Appeals over whether video of the trial that led to legalization of same-sex marriage in California should be released. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED A U.S.C. survey shows the percentage of people staying home hasn't changed much since June, even as public health experts have urged caution in recent weeks. As much of the state returns to lockdowns approaching what California experienced in March, some experts wonder if the approach makes sense. Guest: Dr. Monica Gandhi, Professor of Medicine and Infectious Disease, UCSF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Legislature to Introduce Pair of Eviction Protection Bills The proposals would get relief into the hands of renters and landlords facing mounting debt and extend eviction protections adopted during the pandemic. Tenants who have been struggling to keep up with rent say the measures can’t come soon enough. Molly Solomon, KQED San Bernardino County now has the second highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state. Instead of paramedics answering every emergency call in an ambulance, healthcare workers will do more symptom assessments over the phone. Reporter: Benjamin Purper, KVCR Positive COVID tests and hospitalizations are both at record highs in California. Doctors and nurses are particularly vulnerable. Medical staffers in the Bay Area, Orange County, and the Central Valley weigh in as they watch cases mount. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED President-elect Joe Biden has chosen California’s Attorney General as his nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services. Xavier Becerra would be the first Latino to serve in that role, a critical one now as impacts of the pandemic get worse. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Becerra’s selection is getting mixed reactions from the medical community. Last week, the American Academy of Family Physicians was one of several groups that called on President-Elect Joseph Biden to select qualified physicians to serve in key health roles. Guest: Dr. Ada Stewart, President of the American Academy of Family Physicians Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a new wave of coronavirus cases engulf California, Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a new regional stay at home order. Areas of the state where ICU capacity dips below 15 percent will have to shut down bars, hair salons, and in person dining both indoor and outdoor. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED The survey from Blue Shield of California was conducted in early October and found that when it came to education, nearly half of the parents were most concerned about COVID-19 health risks, followed by helping their child with remote learning, and their childs’ mental health. Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQED The National Labor Relations Board complaint names two employees, both of whom Google fired just before Thanksgiving last year. One of them was organizing against Google's decision to work with a corporate consultant known for helping firms fend off unionization efforts. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED In a letter to Governor Newsom this week, the prosecutors say it was only the results of a federal subpoena that made the scope of the fraud clear to them. They are calling for an executive order to make it easier to identify fraudulent applications. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report Trying to guess who Governor Newsom will pick to fill Kamala Harris’ California U.S. Senate seat as she becomes Vice-President. Newsom’s under pressure to select someone who reflects the state’s diversity….but in a state as diverse as ours that’s no easy task. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED News This week on our sister show, The California Report Magazine, they dedicate their whole show to a documentary about Luna Guzmán, a transgender asylum seeker from Guatemala, and her long and sometimes agonizing journey to make it to California. Reporter: Sasha Khoka, The California Report Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California reported more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases yesterday. In Los Angeles County, public health director Barbara Ferrer pleaded with people to wear masks when out of the house. Los Angeles County will begin mailing COVID-19 test kits to some people’s homes. This new effort is aimed at those with mobility issues. Reporter: Jackie Fortier KPCC Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones has tested positive for COVID-19. He has been vocal about his refusal to enforce public health mandates, including mask requirements. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio A red flag warning went into effect for most of Southern California last night as 70-80mph Santa Ana winds whipped through the region. The Bond Fire broke out in Orange County around 10pm and has burned thousands of acres. High profile California politicians, including the Governor and San Francisco Mayor, have been called out recently for defying their own health advice by dining out in groups. Behavior like this can undermine public trust in coronavirus guidelines. Guest: Kimberly Elsbach, Professor of Management, UC Davis A San Francisco based appeals court has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing the so-called public charge rule, which penalizes low income immigrants who use public benefits like Medi-Cal and food stamps. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED With the pandemic, the lives of Farmworkers in California have gotten more difficult, and dangerous. A new UC Berkeley study looks at the toll on laborers in one corner of California and why some are hesitant to get vaccinated when treatments do become available. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Department of Public Health is recommending weekly COVID testing for all health care workers at hospitals. Nurses have been calling for this for months. Reporter: Polly Stryker, KQED As COVID-19 cases soar, communities of color are bearing much of the burden, including Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. These communities around Sacramento are utilizing several strategies to bring infection rates down. Reporter: Pauline Bartolone, CapRadio Government climatologists say two-thirds of California is in some state of drought. With little rain in the forecast, is this the beginning of another prolonged dry spell? Reporter: Ezra David Romero, KQED One L.A. area restaurant is defying the ban on outdoor dining which went into effect Monday, and also poking fun at the politicians who didn’t follow their own advice about mask-wearing and social distancing. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW California lawmakers are demanding accountability after it was revealed that a statewide unemployment scam was being run out of jails and prisons. This week, officials confirmed at least $400 million in stolen benefits has been lost through the scheme. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom says the state could see another stay-at-home order for regions where COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admission rates are surging. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Nearly a month after Election Day, the last of California’s close congressional races has been decided, and it brings good news for Republicans. Reporter Guy Marzorati, KQED The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday over whether the Trump Administration can exclude immigrants without legal status from the census totals to determine Congressional seats for each state. The stakes are enormous for California. Reporter: Caroline Champlin, KPCC A group of families have filed a lawsuit against the State of California. The suit claims the state is denying underserved students the equal right to education during the pandemic. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED The San Jose city council will vote today on a measure to ban natural gas in nearly all new buildings beginning next year. The city estimates the ban will prevent hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon emissions from wafting into the atmosphere over the next fifty years. Reporter: Kevin Stark, KQED Oil and gas companies got approval to drill hundreds of wells in California last year without proper review. That’s outraged environmental groups. Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED The pandemic has forced millions of Californians to file for unemployment benefits, which has led the state to look for possible unemployment fraud. Those efforts have left some San Diego residents in a months-long fight for their payments. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Record Number of Californians Hospitalized for COVID-19 There are now more than 7,400 people hospitalized in California because of the coronavirus. That’s more than triple the number who were hospitalized just a month ago. As coronavirus cases surge, a new stay at home order takes effect for Los Angeles County residents. Which Healthcare Workers Will Receive COVID-19 Vaccine First? Health care workers will be first in line to receive the coronavirus vaccine once it’s available, but that first shipment may not be enough to vaccinate all of them. California has 2.4 million health care workers, but the state expects to receive just 1 to 2 million vaccines in the first allocation from the federal government. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Tobacco Industry Coalition Looks to Referendum to Overturn Flavored Tobacco Ban California legislators passed a law this year banning the retail sale of flavored tobacco products in the state as a way to stop young people from getting hooked on the products. Now a coalition backed by the tobacco industry says it’s collected more than a million voter signatures to place a referendum on the November 2022 ballot that would overturn the flavored tobacco ban if passed. US Citizenship Test Just Got Longer and Potentially Harder to Pass Starting Tuesday, applicants for naturalization will have to take a new naturalization test. The Trump administration is doubling the length of the test from 10 to 20 questions, and the list of possible questions people need to study will also increase to 128. Critics say a longer test is meant to discourage people from becoming citizens. Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED UC Application Deadline Extended Due to Technical Difficulties Because of an online power outage it experienced, UC is extending the deadline for applications from today, Monday, to Friday of this week. But now that the system is back up and running, UC is advising prospective students not to procrastinate and get in their applications as soon as possible. How a Controversial News Blog Helped Cost Michael Tubbs Re-Election in Stockton The defeat of Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs was a surprise to many and in part attributed to how he was covered in a Stockton news blog, the 209 Times. Without trusted news sources, residents go to other places for information. Sarah Minez-Tan, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Young Queer Candidates of Color are Changing the Bay Area Political Scene KQED podcast 'The Bay' is kicking off a series about expanding concepts of democracy and increasing representation in government. In the first episode, The Bay’s host Devin Katayama talks to KQED reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi about LGBTQ candidates of color who've recently been elected in the Bay Area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Food Banks Face Enormous Need This Thanksgiving Many Californians confront incredible hardships this Thanksgiving because of the pandemic. Food banks all over the state are stepping in to fill in the gaps, including distributing Thanksgiving meals. They expect the need this year to be enormous. Guest: Amanda Green, Director, Union Station Homeless Services Rare Rose Flourishes on Alcatraz After Decades of Neglect Many of Alcatraz Island’s indoor spaces are off-limits to visitors because of the pandemic. But The Rock’s craggy outdoor landscape is full of unexpected finds, like a rare rose once thought to be extinct. Reporter: Chloe Veltman, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Incarcerated People Got Hundreds of Millions in California Unemployment Scam A group of California prosecutors says thousands of state prison inmates have scammed California's Employment Development Department out of hundreds of millions of dollars of unemployment benefits. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Trump Gives Uber and Lyft Five Year Government Contract California-based ride hail companies Uber and Lyft have negotiated a big contract with the Trump Administration to provide transportation services to federal employees. Those who’ve traditionally provided those services are not happy. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Elected Officials Weigh Public Health Against Economic Needs As many California counties and cities implement pandemic restrictions, elected officials confront the charged issue of how to balance public health and the needs of the economy. The mayor of Long Beach, felt the pain of the pandemic personally when his mother and stepfather died from the coronavirus. Guest: Robert Garcia, Mayor of Long Beach L.A. County Suspends Outdoor Dining As COVID-19 Spike Continues It will soon be back to take-out and delivery only for restaurants in Los Angeles County. Starting tonight outdoor dining will be suspended as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. But not all areas of the county will adopt the new restriction. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW Survey Shows Latino Californians Most Impacted by COVID-19 More than 40% of Californians personally know someone who’s tested positive for the coronavirus and 25% know someone who has died from it. That’s according to a new survey from Covered California. The Latino community is bearing the heaviest burden. Reporter: April Dembosky, KQED Homesick College Students Face Tough Thanksgiving Decision Homesick college students are torn about whether or not to go home for the holidays. They're being warned they risk bringing the virus back to their families, and are having to make complicated decisions. Reporter: Vanessa Rancano, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health Officials Urge Californians to Scale Back Holiday Plans as COVID-19 Cases Surge New COVID-19 cases in the state continue to increase rapidly, with well over a million cases so far. In Los Angeles County, supervisors are contemplating a strict stay-at-home order, similar to the one implemented in the early days of the pandemic. Judge Denies Reopen Request from San Diego Businesses A San Diego judge has denied a request from a group of local businesses demanding to be allowed to reopen indoor operations, despite record numbers of coronavirus cases in California. The judge found that the risk to public health outweighed the needs of the businesses. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS COVID -19 Vaccines Require Rigorous Safety Procedures Coronavirus vaccines may be available to the general public soon. That’s extraordinarily fast, but experts say the vaccines must still go through a rigorous safety process and California will have a role. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Dianne Feinstein Resigns from Senate Judiciary Committee Senator Dianne Feinstein says she’s stepping down from her role as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, a position she’s had for the past four years. Dissatisfaction with the 87-year-old senator grew more intense over her handling of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED Apple's Head of Security Indicted in Santa Clara County Bribery Scandal The head of global security at Apple and a county undersheriff have been indicted by a grand jury in Santa Clara County. These are the latest of six indictments in a widening bribery scandal. Reporter: Adhiti Bandlamudi, KQED How Far Will the Biden Administration Go To Reunite Separated Immigrant Families? President-elect Joe Biden has said that on his first day in office, he'll create a task force to reunite migrant families separated at the border by the Trump administration. It's a monumental task that could prove easier said than done. Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

L.A County Suspends Outdoor Dining As the state and counties put in place new coronavirus restrictions, California businesses try to survive. Guelaguetza is a well known restaurant here in L.A. known for its Oaxacan dishes from Mexico. Guest: Bricia Lopez, the co-owner of Guelaguetza, a restaurant in L.A Hospitals Brace for COVID-19 Surge California hospitals are seeing an increase in COVID-19 patients, which they expect will only increase. Hospitals are applying lessons learned at the beginning of the pandemic to deal with the surge. Sammy Caiola, CapRadio Kaiser Enrolls Youth in Sacramento and Santa Clara for Vaccine Study Kaiser Permanente says it’s enrolling 12 to 15 year olds in Sacramento and Santa Clara in an expanded late-stage study of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine. Pfizer has said the vaccine is safe and 95 percent effective in adults. Now researchers want to determine how well it will work in adolescents and teenagers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Police and the Public Are Likely to Respond to Newsom's Curfew Order Governor Gavin Newsom is imposing an overnight curfew as California tries to head off a surge in coronavirus cases. California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly says the limited stay-at-home order is being implemented in 41 counties. Guest: Scott Rodd, CapRadio New Report Shows State Employment Agency Left People Vulnerable to Identity Theft The report says E.D.D. has sent at least 38 million pieces of mail containing Social Security numbers since the start of the pandemic. The problem persists even though the state auditor asked the agency to remove this information from many of these documents a year and a half ago. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, The California Report New Rules Aim to Protect California Workers from COVID-19 The emergency standard approved unanimously by the board that oversees Cal OSHA standards requires employers to implement cleaning protocols, investigate and respond to positive COVID cases in the workplace, and provide testing in cases of outbreak. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Prison Officials Defend Transferring Inmates Leaving State Prisons to ICE State law currently restricts local law enforcement from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But inmates leaving state prisons are excluded from those protections. Prison officials are defending that policy. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Salton Sea Could Get Funding Boost Coachella congressman Raul Ruiz introduced a bill this week which seeks to hold the federal government financially accountable for restoring and cleaning up California’s Largest Lake. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KVCR The California Report Magazine Preview: Sounds of Boyle Heights A new musical project spearheaded by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts tells the story of Boyle Heights. The immigrant neighborhood is quickly gentrifying. “Sounds of Boyle Heights” is featured on this week’s California Report Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stockton's Mayor Lost Reelection. Will His Initiatives Continue? Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs has lost reelection to his challenger, Republican pastor and veteran Kevin Lincoln. Tubbs conceded the race on Tuesday. Tubbs launched initiatives that generated national attention. When he leaves office, the resilience of those programs will be tested. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED California's Economic Outlook is Better than Expected Budget projections released yesterday show the state’s finances are in a better position than many expected this far into the pandemic. The number of people signing up for assistance programs has been below expectations, and tax revenue is higher. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Apple to Pay $113 Million Over Battery Lawsuits California and 33 other states have announced a $113 million settlement against Apple. It accounts for false claims made by the company about battery performance and processing power in some iPhones. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Nurses Grapple With Pandemic Fatigue and Frustration as COVID Cases Surge As COVID cases surge in California, we decided to check back in with some of the nurses and doctors we followed early in the outbreak, including an emergency room nurse in the Bay Area. Reporter: Lesley McClurg, KQED About That Blue Wave... More than two weeks after Election Day, two of California’s congressional districts remain uncalled. But we already know that the 'Blue Wave' from 2018, when Democrats flipped several Republican house seats, didn’t hold up so well in 2020. Reporter: Guy Marzorati, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Largest River Restoration in U.S. History to Proceed with Removal of Klamath Dams The largest river restoration in U.S. history will proceed along the Klamath in 2023, under a new agreement announced Tuesday. This summer the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission threw a wrench in the gears of an agreement decades in the making, to remove the dams. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED L.A. County Could Be Headed for Lockdown as COVID Cases Surge California’s most populated county could be headed for a three-week lockdown. Yesterday officials in Los Angeles County imposed new restrictions on businesses after daily confirmed coronavirus cases more than doubled in the last two weeks. Hospitalizations there are up 30%. Childcare Industry on the Verge of Collapse Due to COVID-19 Requirements Child care providers who care for some of the state’s neediest families are warning the system is about to collapse if they don’t get help. Their union has filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the state. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED California Squandered 2.4B of Affordable Housing FundsA scathing new report from the state’s auditor says state agencies squandered billions of dollars from bonds meant for building affordable housing. Developers missed a deadline to use state money that could have helped finance low-income housing units. Reporter: Raquel Maria Dillon, KQED Black Student Group Hopes Grant Will Bolster Racial Equity California voters rejected Prop 16, the ballot measure that would have reinstated affirmative action. That’s despite polling this summer that showed most Californians think racial inequality is a major issue. Student groups working to bridge long-term equity gaps on their campuses hoped Prop 16 would bolster their efforts. Reporter: Kayleen Carter, CalMatters Student Journalism Network Big Tech Testimony Leads to Partisan Senate Judiciary Disagreement The CEOs of Twitter and Facebook testified on Capital Hill again yesterday about their efforts to moderate content. They walked a fine line aimed at ensuring lawmakers in Washington D.C. don’t try to actually regulate the industry. Reporter: Rachael Myrow, KQED Twitter Hires Legendary Hacker 'Mudge' as Head of Security Security at Twitter in 2020 has been a mess. The company has been under a lot of scrutiny for its handling of misinformation during and after the election. In response, twitter has hired a new head of security known as Mudge. Guest: Joseph Menn, Reuters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why State is 'Putting the Brakes' on Reopening According to Governor Gavin Newsom, 41 counties in the state are now in the "purple" tier, indicating the most widespread risk. This comes as the holidays loom near. Will these new restrictions make a difference? Guest: Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, UC San Francisco Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Chair Most Californians Back To Tightest COVID-19 Restrictions Governor Gavin Newsom and his top health advisors are concerned about a sharp jump in California’s COVID cases. They’re rising at a level that, if unchecked, Newsom says could overwhelm the state’s healthcare system. Reporter: Katie Orr, KQED Politics State Lawmakers Head to Honolulu for Policy Conference As our state’s COVID cases rise at the fastest rate since the pandemic began, a group of state lawmakers is in Honolulu, Hawaii for a policy conference. Guest: Hannah Wiley, Sacramento Bee Federal Judge Considers Extending COVID-19 Rules at Detention Center A federal judge in San Francisco is considering whether to extend Covid-related rules in place to protect immigrants at an ICE detention center in Bakersfield. Sara Hossaini, KQED Public Defenders Wants Inmates and Jail Staff to be Priority for Eventual Vaccine Brendon Woods says it's not surprising that some of the state's worst outbreaks have been in prisons, and that's why he is pushing for incarcerated people to be first in line if and when a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. State Audit Shows Insufficient Oversight in Lead Cleanup at L.A Exide Battery Site Toxic lead has long contaminated a working class Latino neighborhood in Los Angeles. Now a state audit concludes clean up around that facility will take longer than planned. Reporter: Molly Peterson, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Biden's Pledge to End Travel Ban Could Impact Immigrant Communities President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to end the Trump administration’s travel ban on several Muslim-majority nations, including Iran. The impact could be big in California, which is home to the largest Iranian community in the country. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Why The LA Times Handed Over Letters Page to Trump Supporters The Los Angeles Times provided a page full of letters from Trump supporters this weekend. The move led to a lot of pushback online. Guest: Sewell Chan, Los Angeles Times Editorial Page Editor What's Next for California's Bail Industry? California voters have shot down Proposition 25, a referendum on whether to ban cash bail. That means people working in the bail industry will stay in business, and lawmakers who supported the measure are weighing their next steps. Reporter: Scott Rodd, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over One Million Coronavirus Infections Confirmed in California California has now reached one million confirmed coronavirus infections. This comes nearly 10 months after the first cases were confirmed here. San Francisco Lawyers Say ICE Misled Federal Judge About Coronavirus Outbreak San Francisco lawyers representing immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say the agency ignored CDC protocols, and misled a federal judge about the causes of a coronavirus outbreak at an ICE jail in Bakersfield. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED A Smooth Election in California Despite Manufactured Suspicions Well over 150 million Americans cast ballots this year. And in California, a majority of the more than 15 million votes cast were sent by mail after Governor Newsom issued an Executive Order to ensure all registered voters in the state would get a mail-in ballot. Guest: Guy Marzorati, KQED Secretary of State Alex Padilla Frontrunner to Fill Kamala Harris Senate Seat Speculation is rising over who Governor Gavin Newsom will pick to fill the California US Senate seat of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris until the next election. One name that keeps coming up is Alex Padilla, currently California’s Secretary of State. Reporter: Chery Glaser, KCRW Commissioner Asks Insurance Companies to Extend Some Benefits to Wildfire Victims State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is asking insurance companies to extend some benefits for victims of 2017 and 2018 wildfires. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Big Game Hunters and a Surprise Discovery Nine thousand years ago, in the highlands of Peru, people made a living in the harsh landscape by hunting and gathering. UC Davis anthropologist Randy Haas studies these early people, and the discovery of a new burial site took him in a new direction. Reporter: Daniele Venton, KQED California Report Magazine: Comfort Food to Soothe Stress As part of the California Report’s 25th anniversary, we’re taking a dive into the archives with some of the most delicious California food stories we’ve brought you over the years, from traditional favorites to creative fusion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Has Recorded Nearly One Million COVID-19 Cases California is on the brink of recording it’s one millionth COVID-19 infection. That’s more than any other state except Texas. This grim milestone has been accelerated by the virus’ recent uptick, with more than 6,000 new daily cases recorded in the state over the past week. False Claims of Voter Fraud in Nevada Persist Republicans and conservative groups continue to make unproven claims about voter fraud in Nevada’s presidential election. Some have even suggested that Californians unlawfully helped President-elect Joe Biden win that state. Reporter: Chris Nichols, CapRadio’s PolitiFact California Orange County Swings Purple in 2020 Election In 2018, Democrats were elated when they flipped four Orange County congressional seats held by Republicans. This year, the GOP managed to claim at least one back and appears to be on track to flip another. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Election Spotlight on Jones Day Expands to Other Clients As President Trump refuses to concede defeat in last week’s election, the law firm Jones Day is in the spotlight for representing Republican interests in that fight. The unwelcome press attention is renewing scrutiny into Jones Day’s role in a legal case much closer to home. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Lawmakers Consider De-Criminalization of Psychedelics Next year, the state lawmakers will consider legislation that would de-criminalize psychedelic drugs. State Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco says he believes all drugs should be de-criminalized, and this is just one more step towards that goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump's Immigration Policies Could be Difficult to Reverse The Trump administration has focused much of its energy on the border over the past 4 years. Joe Biden has promised to undo many of these policies, but that might be difficult, according to a report out this week from the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS COVID-19 Increases Restrictions in 11 Counties, Cases Continue to Rise Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise across the state. 11 California counties have moved into to more restrictive tiers. If COVID-19 rates continue on their current trajectory more than half of the state’s 58 counties could be back in restrictive tiers by next week. COVID-19 Spreads Among Fresno County Officials Fresno’s incoming mayor announced yesterday he’s tested positive for the coronavirus. This comes as Fresno county’s top health official says COVID cases there are increasing, and that he expects the region will soon move into a more restrictive category. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED L.A. Board of Supervisors Look Into Firing the Sheriff The L.A. County Board of Supervisors will look into weather they have the power to remove the sheriff from office. It’s the latest power struggle between Sheriff Alex Villanueva and the supervisors who say he's failed to crack down on police gangs, fatal shootings and other misbehavior. Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW New Whale Protections Restrict Crab Fisheries California’s endangered humpback whales now have protection against potentially fatal entanglements in commercial fishing lines. This month state wildlife officials issued new regulations for the Dungeness Crab fishery, which can shut down crabbing in areas where whales are spotted. Reporter: Peter Arcuni, KQED Xavier Becerra Looks Forward to Biden Administration California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has been one of President Trumps greatest adversaries. Becerra has filed a barrage of lawsuits against the administration, challenging it on a variety of issues, from the environment to immigration to health care. Guest: California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Warns Against Complacency as COVID-19 Cases Swell The U.S. has surpassed more than 10 million coronavirus cases and looks on track to hit record hospitalizations. Here in California, COVID-19 cases are increasing as well. In a press conference yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom warned against complacency. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Who Should Get the Coronavirus Vaccine First? A panel of experts with the state’s Department of Public Health is getting to work this week on how to decide who’s first in line to get a coronavirus vaccine. This comes after Pfizer’s announcement yesterday that the company’s vaccine is more than 90% effective. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Newly Conservative SCOTUS Reconsiders Obamacare Today, with it's new six-to-three majority, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments over whether the Affordable Care Act should be struck down. If that happens, California will lose several billion dollars a year in federal health insurance subsidies. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Liberal California Leans to the Right on Propositions The Golden State is often painted as solidly blue, but the 2020 election has shown that when issues are on the ballot, California leans a little bit more to the right. Reporter: Nicole Nixon, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden-Harris Supporters Celebrate Across California People celebrated in downtown L.A. on Saturday morning after it was announced that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had won the 2020 election and Donald Trump had been defeated. The same kind of scenes played out in many cities and town across California as people gathered spontaneously to express their joy. The Extraordinary Rise of Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris With Joe Biden now poised to become the nation’s 46th president, Vice President-elect Harris will break a glass ceiling other women, like Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin, before her tried and failed to break. Reporter: Scott Shafer, KQED A Historic Mayoral Win for Todd Gloria in San Diego Todd Gloria is a Democrat and member of the State Assembly. Gloria ran a mayoral campaign emphasizing how it was time for San Diego to recognize its increasingly urban character and start tackling big problems facing the city, like housing and homelessness, transportation and combating climate change. Hopes for Vaccine as Cases Surge in Los Angles Drug giant Pfizer and a German company have co-developed a vaccine that might be 90% effective in protecting people from the virus. Meanwhile, L.A. County continues to be the state’s hottest of coronavirus hotspots with more than 2,200 new cases announced over the weekend. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Survivors Wrestle with Aftermath Two Years after Camp Fire Destroyed Paradise Sunday marked two years since the town of Paradise and nearby communities were destroyed by our state’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire. The “Camp Fire” killed 85 people, and displaced tens of thousands. Reporter: Lily Jamali, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California's College Students Come to Grips with Prop 16's Defeat Students who lobbied hard this year to overturn the state’s ban on affirmative action are coming to terms with the rejection of Proposition 16. Reporter: KQED’s Vanessa Rancaño, KQED Criminal Justice Reform Advocates Celebrate Wins at the Ballot Box California voters gave people on parole the right to vote, and half dozen Bay Area cities passed police accountability measures. In Los Angeles, the progressive District Attorney candidate George Gascon appears to have prevailed over his rival who was backed by law enforcement. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Public Advocate at California Public Utilities Commission Recommends Fine Against SoCalGas The public advocate at the California Public Utilities Commission is recommending $255 million dollars in fines against SoCalGas. They claim the utility wrongly used ratepayer funds to sabotage California’s clean energy goals. SoCalGas calls the claims “demonstrably wrong” and says the proposed fine has no merit. Lionsgate and ESPN Announce Job Cuts Santa Monica-based studio Lionsgate and ESPN, which is owned by Disney, are the latest to announce job cuts. Reporter: Anna Scott, KCRW LA County Board of Supervisors All Female For First Time in History For decades, L.A. County's powerful Board of Supervisors was an all male "boys club." But things started changing in the 1990s with the election of the first woman to the board. Fast forward to this week, where the Board is now all female. Reporter: Saul Gonzalez, KQED Rideshare Drivers React to Approval of Prop 22 California rideshare drivers will remain independent contractors as a result of Prop 22’s resounding victory this election. Drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft have long been split on the question of employee status. Reporter: David Wagner, KPCC A Complicated Portrait of the California Voter Californians overwhelmingly voted for Democrat Joe Biden this election. But dig deeper, and you get a more complicated portrait of California voters. Guest: Scott Shafer, KQED Politics Editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Latino Support For President Trump is Growing Latino voters overwhelmingly supported Joe Biden for the presidency, but a growing share of Latinos voted for President Donald Trump both in California and nationwide. That’s according to a poll of more than 5,000 Latinos across the U.S., taken the day before election day. Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED Prop 21's Defeat is a Big Win for the Real Estate Industry Rent control lost big on election night in California. Prop 21 was defeated by a huge margin. It was a repeat of results from a similar ballot measure two years ago, and a major victory for the real estate industry. Reporter Erin Baldassari, KQED Prop 22's Passage Could Set a Precedent For the Future of Low Wage Work On Tuesday, California voters passed Prop 22 by a large margin. Backed by 200 million dollars from Silicon Valley companies like Uber and Doordash, the measure makes it legal for gig companies to classify workers as contractors. Guest: Sam Harnett, KQED California's COVID-19 Cases Are Rising Slowly and Steadily California continues to see an uptick in new coronavirus cases. The state added more than 5 thousand new cases on Tuesday. Since October, California’s test positivity rate has ticked up to 3.3%. Misinformation on Social Media Expected to Surge in Coming Weeks Silicon Valley’s social media giants are working to quash misinformation in these tense days after the election. Twitter and Facebook have flagged a number of President Trumps' posts, including one on Tuesday night where Trump falsely said the election was being “stolen” from him. Guest: Shirin Ghaffary, Recode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden's Lead in Nevada Dwindles to 8,000 Votes Here in California, Joe Biden won a decisive victory against President Donald Trump capturing 64% of the vote. But the presidential race is tight next door in Nevada, where Biden's lead has dwindled to less than 8,000 votes. Reporter: Paul Boger, KUNR Prop 22 Passed, Allowing Tech Companies to Deny Employee's Benefits Silicon valley’s gig companies like Uber and Doordash spent more than $200 million on Proposition 22, and it has passed, making it legal for those companies to classify workers as contractors and deny them basic employee benefits. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED Hotly Contested House Races Too Close to Call There are several important Congressional races happening in California this year. From record-breaking spending in East San Diego's District 50, to the tight Central Valley race that might flip District 21 from blue to red. Guest: Katie Orr, KQED Politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judge Upholds 'Abuse of Power' Lawsuit Against Governor Newsom A judge in Sutter County has handed a victory to two Republican state lawmakers who filed an “abuse of power” lawsuit against Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. The judge struck down an executive order the governor issued in June which set up new requirements for the 2020 election. Guest: Assemblymember James Gallagher, Dictrict 3, Yuba City California Businesses Brace for Potentially Violent Protests Californians have already voted in record numbers. There is excitement, but there’s also tension in cities and towns around the state. Many businesses are boarding up their windows and bracing for potentially violent protests. Reporter: Caleigh Wells, KCRW Oakland Law Enforcement on Standby for Election Night Unrest Law enforcement agencies across the state are also preparing for potentially violent protests as a result of today’s election. In Oakland, Mayor Libby Schaaf says the city’s emergency operations center will be up and running. Last-Minute Registration and Voting Tips For This Unprecedented Election It’s finally Election Day and the California Voter Foundation has some last-minute voting advice. Even if you haven’t registered, you can still vote today, and more than 10 million Californians already have. Guest: Kim Alexander, President, California Voter Foundation PG&E Could Begin Paying Wildfire Victims This Month Victims of wildfires caused by PG&E could soon start getting money from a multi-billion dollar trust fund set up in the utility’s recent exit from bankruptcy protection. The fund’s trustee plans to disburse partial payments of up to $25,000 to those who need it most. Director of California's Embattled Unemployment Agency Announces Retirement The state’s Employment Development Department is set to have a new leader come January. Current director Sharon Hilliard announced late last week that she would retire at the end of this year. Lawmakers are thinking about what comes next for the state agency. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Distance Learning Struggles Mean More L.A. Teens Are Failing Classes Struggles with distance learning are leading to more D and F grades among L.A. Unified middle and high school students. Superintendent Austin Beutner says it'll be a while before campuses are able to reopen. Reporter: Carla Javier, KPCC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Record Turnout as Californians Vote Early More than 22 million people are now registered to vote in California. That's nearly 88% of those eligible, and according to the Secretary of State's office, it's the highest percentage heading into a general election in the past 80 years. Head of California's Employment Development Department Steps Down Governor Gavin Newsom's office is set to launch a search for a new head of the state's Employment Development Department after the current director announced late last week that she'll be retiring at the end of this year. Reporter: Mary Franklin Harvin, KQED Eager California Democrats Hope to Help Flip Arizona Blue Arizona has been a reliably red state in all but one presidential race since 1948 , but this year Democrats are convinced they have a shot at carrying it. That’s prompted eager California Democrats to flood the zone in the final days before this election. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED Newsom Unveils New High-Speed COVID-19 Testing Lab The new 25 million dollar lab in Valencia will be able to process up to 150,000 COVID-19 test kits daily with results sent to patients in less than two days. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC Why Newsom Campaigned Next Door in Nevada In the final stretch of this election season, Governor Gavin Newsom is campaigning in Nevada. It's a rare campaign outing this year for the governor. The presidential race has big implications for Newsom's agenda at home. Guest: Sophia Ballag, Sacramento Bee Californians Weigh Prop 23 Dialysis Regulations Californians are voting on Proposition 23, a measure that would put doctors in dialysis centers. Two major dialysis providers have poured nearly $100 million into making sure that doesn’t happen. Reporter Brett Simpson . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Election Day Nears, Cities Prepare for Unrest Governor Gavin Newsom says that the state is taking precautions to make sure Californians remain safe, although he wouldn’t go into details. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti says the city’s received no intelligence about possible acts of violence or voter intimidation, but that quote “We prepare for the worst.” Mexican Consulate Speaks Out After Fatal Shootings by U.S Police and Border Patrol 39-year-old Jose Alfredo Castro Gutierrez, a legal permanent resident of the United States, was shot by San Diego police outside his home last month. 30-year-old David Villalobos, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents near the San Ysidro Port-of-Entry. Their families of both men say they were suffering from mental illness. Reporter: Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS reporter Prop 20 Could Roll Back Some Criminal Justice Reforms and Stiffen Penalties Law enforcement groups have put Prop. 20 on the ballot. It would increase penalties on some theft and fraud crimes, and exclude thousands of people from early parole. Reporter: Kate Wolffe, KQED Death Toll Grows in California's Historic Fire Season The Butte County Sheriff's Office announced the death of Win Naing this week. He is the 32nd person to die in California wildfires this year. Reporter: Dan Brekke, KQED Firefighters Who Came to from Mexico to Battle CA Wildfires Positive for COVID-19 About a month ago, a group of Mexican firefighters came here to help contain a wildfire burning in Central California. On Thursday, the U.S. Forest Service confirmed that two have contracted COVID-19. Reporter: Alex Hall, KQED Report from House Committee Says White House Family Separation Policy Marked By 'Intentional Cruelty' The Trump administration’s family separation policy was marked by "reckless incompetence and intentional cruelty," according to a report released Thursday by the House Judiciary Committee. Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED Trade Groups Sues Over Declaring Western Joshua Tree a Threatened Species Several trade groups have filed a lawsuit against the California Fish and Game Commission’s decision to consider the Western Joshua Tree a threatened species. The iconic desert yucca’s habitat spans more than five million acres of the Mojave Desert. It was granted provisional protection in September. Reporter: Alice Woelfle, KQED Older and Overlooked: What Went Wrong After Hundreds of Seniors Fled Glass Fire In our sister show, the California Report’s weekly magazine, guest hosts April Dembosky and Molly Peterson investigate what went wrong with evacuation protocols when hundreds of seniors were forced to flee a wildfire in Santa Rosa last month. Reporters: April Dembosky and Molly Peterson, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside the Race for California's 50th Congressional District One of the most closely watched political races in California is happening in the 50th Congressional district covering much of eastern San Diego County and part of Riverside County. The race pits a veteran Republican politician, and a young Democrat who ran for the same seat two year ago and lost. Reporter: Matt Hoffman, KPBS How Affirmative Action Shapes Community on Campus This week, we’ve brought you stories about how the ban on affirmative action passed by California voters in 1996 through Prop 209 has affected college students, and what they think about the current measure on the ballot, Prop. 16, to bring affirmative action back. Reporter: Kayleen Carter, Sacramento State junior L.A City Council Weighs Proposal to Ban Camping Near Freeway Overpasses L.A.’s city council was supposed to vote on whether to ban camping near freeway overpasses and some homeless shelters on Wednesday, but members kicked the can down the road as they tried to find consensus. Reporter: Anna Scott, KCRW New Report Highlights Gaps in Calculating Costs of Wildfires Amid a record-breaking fire year in the state, a new report says California doesn’t have a grasp on the true cost of wildfires. Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED Battling Misinformation Around Incarceration and Voting Rights This election year, there’s a lot of attention paid to the voting rights of people who have a criminal history. After all, we send so many people to prison and jail in this country, and in our state, that the formerly incarcerated could be a pretty big voting block of millions of people. Guest: Tim Cornegay, an organizer with the L.A. Free the Vote campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Western States Join California's COVID Vaccine Advisory Group Governor Gavin Newsom says Oregon, Washington, and Nevada are joining California's vaccine advisory working group, which will evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines once they become available. L.A. Studying Reliability of At-Home COVID-19 Antigen Tests The city and county of Los Angeles are conducting a pilot study to test the reliability of rapid antigen tests, designed to tell in a few minutes if someone is infectious with the coronavirus. Besides being faster, the small at-home nasal swab tests are much cheaper than the tests L.A. has been using. Reporter: Jackie Fortier KPCC UCSF Doctors Call Treatment of Migrant Children "Torture" A group of UC San Francisco doctors is calling the Trump administration’s treatment of migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border, "torture" under international law. Pediatricians say the children suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Reporter: Michelle Wiley, KQED Polling is Close on Prop 22 Days Before Election Day Election Day is less than a week away, and polling is close on Proposition 22, which would allow ride hailing and delivery companies to keep classifying their workers as contractors. Each side is trying to sway undecided voters in the final stretch. Reporter: Sam Harnett, KQED State Cleanup of Toxic Battery Plant Behind Schedule and Short of Funds For decades, a now shuttered battery recycling plant polluted working class neighborhoods in East and South Los Angeles. Now California’s State Auditor reports that state clean-up work is behind schedule, short more than 390 million dollars to finish the job, and leaves quote “Californians at continued risk of lead poisoning.” Reporter: Benjamin Gottlieb, KCRW Breaking Down Asian American Perspectives on Prop 16 From our collaboration with CalMatters’ College Journalism Network we look into the conflicting feelings Prop 16 brings out across the Asian American community. It underscores that the common narrative we hear about Asian Americans and affirmative action is often oversimplified. Reporter: Janelle Salanga, UC Davis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices